William Robinson had immigrated from New Jersey in the United States to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Canada. He lived alone in an isolated cabin and had planned to have his wife and kids join him in 1868. He lived in a black community on the island. He was considered an inoffensive and harmless man. He was last seen on Sunday, March 15, 1868, at church.
A man who would help out William had goods for him. For almost a week he tried a few times to get in contact with William. On Saturday the man then peeped into the home by removing some of the packings between logs, because the home had no window. He saw a pair of boots near where he was peeping through and tried to touch them with a stick, there was no response and this alarmed him. Other settlers were notified and came, but it wasn't until Monday that the resident constable came.
As the door had been locked they removed a log near the door. This was when William's body could be seen, He was laying on his back, with a box between his knees. He had a knife in his hand.
He had been shot in the back with the exit wound being through his chest. His clothes were burned from gun powder. It was likely he was eating and his killer was sitting at the hearth with a double-barrel shotgun. He was then killed and several things were taken from the home including account books, and some clothes.
A local man named John Norton was told by an anonymous Indian fishing near his home that a Chemanius Indian named Tom and that an Indian of Plumpers Pass was with him. Tom had killed William. Soon a local Chemanius Indian named Tshuanahusset (Tom) and Sue Tas was the other Indian.
Sue Tas claimed that the two had gone to William's cabin in Salt Spring Lake. Sue Tas stayed in the canoe as Tshuanahusset went to William's home. He had started getting cold and came to the cabin. When he entered William was cooking food. Tshuanahusset was sitting by the fire with a gun. He said that Tshuanahusset told him along the lines of "if I shoot the black man I was to look for all the good things"
Sue Tas claimed this scared him. William had already sat down with his food by this time. Sue Tas decided to leave the cabin. He wasn't very far out when a gunshot rang and Tshuanahusset called out to him to come back inside. He saw William lying on the ground with blood coming out of his nose and back.
Sue Tas refused to help him. Tshuanahusset then took a saw, an auger, a box, a cart and then brought the items to the canoe. He also found a key and locked the door before throwing the key into the water. The two then rode the canoe back to Chemainus. Sue Tas watched as Tshuanahusset placed the things in his home. Sue Tas stayed in Chemainus for 5 days before returning to Plumpers Pass. He was scared of him but still told his friends at Plumpers Pass of what had happened at the cabin.
Tshianahusset was charged with the murder and Sue Tas was not charged. He was quickly put on trial. He was found guilty and was given the death penalty in June of 1869. On July 24th he was executed by hanging. He had suffered little to no pain when he died.
Historians have questioned whether or not. Tshuanahusset was actually responsible for the murder. There was certainly evidence that did point towards him being the murderer, but the holes in the case were questionable like for example the auger found in Tshuanahusset's home was supposedly dropped into the water by accident from the Constable's Canoe.
Much of the evidence found against Tshuanahusset probably wouldn't have been useable in today's standards. The trial was also done in an irregular way. He was also one of the only focuses on this crime, even though there were better suspects to be found.
William was also not the only African American murdered in the small community in the mid to late 1860s. Several other African American's had been killed.
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