Liquor Theft Special Committee

Summary of Special Committee Investigating Liquor Theft at City Hall meeting topics (102-1Gv.3)

This page provides a summary of meeting minutes of the Halifax Relief Commission Advisory Committee relating to the theft of liquor from City Hall in January 1918. Meeting dates and submissions are hyperlinked to PDFs containing digitized content.

January 18, 1918

  • Initial letter from Liquor Inspector, Edwin S. Tracey, discussing the thefts of cases of liquor from his office on the nights of December 7, 8, 9, 29, and 30, 1917.
  • p. 56-66: F.H. Bell, City Solicitor, interviews Inspector Tracey.
  • p. 60-61: mentions the state of City Hall after the Explosion, particularly the damages done to the offices (broken glass and doors) and how offices where taken over by committees of the Relief Commission (e.g. Library was used for food distribution).
  • p. 65-66: Alderman H.S. Colwell, Deputy Mayor, is interviewed.
  • p. 65-66: Colwell discusses the condition of City Hall after the Explosion and the people who were present.
  • p. 67-68: Members of Council are asked questions.
  • p. 68-69: R.H. Murray, solicitor for Inspector Tracey, interviews Tracey.

February 12, 1918 p.70-90, p.91-111

  • Two letters were received from the Social Service Council (102-1B.25.197) requesting the case be investigated by a County Court Judge.
  • City Solicitor questions D.J. McLean, Superintendent of the Water Department; Ex-Alderman Isnor; Robert Theakson, City Collector; P.R. Colpitt, City Electrician; A.F. Messervey, Clerk of Works; W.W. Foster, City Auditor; J.J. Hopewell, City Treasurer; P.J. McManus, City Assessor; L.F. Monaghan, City Clerk; Mc.F. Hall, Manager, Provincial Exhibition Commission; Controller J.J. Hines; Controller A.J. Finlay; Controller J.T. Murphy; Controller G.H. Taylor; H.W. Johnston, Acting City Engineer; Frank Hanrahan, Chief of Police; Clarence Northover, Deputy Chief of Police; Clarence Johnson, Police Officer; Horace Kennedy, Detective; Michael Lawless, Driver of Patrol Wagon; George E. Mullaley, Police Officer; Inspector Tracey.
  • p. 89: Controller Murphy discusses which offices were used for which committees.
  • p. 92: Controller Taylor discusses his actions immediately following the Explosion.

July 11, 1918

  • Inquiry re: disappearance of liquor from Inspector Tracey’s office in City Hall on Tuesday, July 9th 1918.