Folk Figure. Born the third child of Johannah Magee and James Donnelly in Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada. Raised a member of the contentious Donnelly clan, he was only 10 when his father killed a man in a fight on 25 June 1857. For the next eleven months, his mother, his older brothers, and he were all complicit in hiding the fugitive. When his father did finally surrender to the law, and spent the next seven years in prison, the brothers settled all insults the situation invited with their fists, and made numerous enemies. In 1871 he married Fanny Drunan and settled a farm several miles away from his parents. He also managed a saloon in Lucan. In 1876, he and his brother, William, were convicted of an assault on a Constable Bawden. In 1879, he was charged with and acquired of perjury. In the early hours of 4 February 1880, while John was visiting at his brother William's house in Whalen's Corner, a dozen armed men approached and at a shout of "fire" John awoke and opened the front door. He was gunned down immediately. William apparently arrived at that point, and reaching over his brother's body, slammed and bolted the door. He testified he then heard a laugh, followed by a voice he recognized as that of his wife's brother, and realized the killers had mistaken John for him, and left without further violence. John was buried with the other victims of the Donnelly massacre. After two trials, his accused murderers were acquitted. The gravestone erected by a surviving son was removed and replaced in 1964 so the word "murdered" was not included.
Folk Figure. Born the third child of Johannah Magee and James Donnelly in Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada. Raised a member of the contentious Donnelly clan, he was only 10 when his father killed a man in a fight on 25 June 1857. For the next eleven months, his mother, his older brothers, and he were all complicit in hiding the fugitive. When his father did finally surrender to the law, and spent the next seven years in prison, the brothers settled all insults the situation invited with their fists, and made numerous enemies. In 1871 he married Fanny Drunan and settled a farm several miles away from his parents. He also managed a saloon in Lucan. In 1876, he and his brother, William, were convicted of an assault on a Constable Bawden. In 1879, he was charged with and acquired of perjury. In the early hours of 4 February 1880, while John was visiting at his brother William's house in Whalen's Corner, a dozen armed men approached and at a shout of "fire" John awoke and opened the front door. He was gunned down immediately. William apparently arrived at that point, and reaching over his brother's body, slammed and bolted the door. He testified he then heard a laugh, followed by a voice he recognized as that of his wife's brother, and realized the killers had mistaken John for him, and left without further violence. John was buried with the other victims of the Donnelly massacre. After two trials, his accused murderers were acquitted. The gravestone erected by a surviving son was removed and replaced in 1964 so the word "murdered" was not included.
Bio by: Iola
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