The Lawman

Adventures of a Frontier Diplomat

By (author): Lynne Stonier-Newman
ISBN 9781894898393
Softcover | Publication Date: May 2, 2006
Book Dimensions: 5.5 in x 7.5 in
240 Pages

About the Book

Keeping the peace in turn-of-the-century B.C.

Murderers, thieves and drunks tested the will of Superintendent Fred Hussey, the B.C. Provincial Police officer appointed to keep the peace in rough-and-tumble, turn-of-the-century B.C. But in his action-packed and often risky career, he always relied on the power of reason rather than force to set things right. Even his prisoners seemed to like him, it was said.

Hussey’s work took him from formal dinners in elegant mansions to chilly breakfasts around campfires. In a 20-year period that saw the province’s population mushroom by 100,000, he knew the famous and the infamous, from Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie to train robber Bill Miner and everyone in between. Inspecting his vast territory on horseback, by steamer and canoe, this remarkable man set the tone for the peaceful development of the young province.

A glimpse into the ambience of a bygone era, The Lawman is an engaging look at the life and adventures of a self-possessed hero in turbulent times.

About the Author(s)

Lynne Stonier-Newman is a freelance writer, historian and communications consultant who is the author of articles, poetry and plays about BC. She was born in Quesnel, where her father was the BCPP patrolman. She is the author of Policing a Pioneer Province, The Lawman: Adventures of a Frontier Diplomat and Peter O' Reilly: The Rise of a Reluctant Immigrant. She was also a contributor to the 2008 CBC Radio One book The Trail of 1858.

Reviews

“Worth reading . . . Stonier-Newman paints us a picture of life as it was.” —The Daily News