#110 FAMILY TRADITION OF TROUBLE: THE SLIGH CRIME PORTFOLIO
In 1925, 13 year old Birdie Schley eloped with a 20 year
man. She left a note accusing her father of mistreating her mother. This note
got me wondering about her father, James, and the Schley family. What I
learned about two generations of Slighs certainly raises the question of nature
or nurture.
In the 19th century, the spelling of surnames was
often inconsistent. Many people were illiterate, so names were taken down
by clerks, priests or census takers who spelled them phonetically. Names were
spelled based on how they sounded in local speech and that varied widely. There
were no passports, driver’s licenses or social security numbers to enforce
consistent spelling. Birth, marriage and death records were kept manually,
often with errors or variations. There are many variants of the Sligh family surname: Sly, Sligh, Schley are all surnames used by this family
branch. It wasn’t unusual for siblings or children to spell this surname
differently or for an individual to change the surname over the years.
Adelaide “Addie” Victoria Pierson (1839-1930) is my 3 times great-aunt,
sister of my enigmatic Huldah. Addie
married farmer William Sligh. (1833-1906). The Slys were a respected farming
family in Leeds County, Upper Canada. William was one of twelve children of Runy Sly
(1803-1887) and Britannia Lawrence (1810-1875)
Addie and William were married in 1857 likely in Leeds
County, Canada West and they had seven children—six boys and one girl. Three
sons were born before William was arrested, charged with shopbreaking
(burglary) and larceny and sentenced to the Kingston Prison. The Brockville
Recorder, April 21, 1864 reported that:
Apr 13 1864 Assizes:
Shopbreaking: William Healy Sly was charged with having stolen two pairs of
boots and money to the amount of five shillings from the store of William Taylor,
grocer and shoemaker, Delta. The store was broken into between Saturday night
and Sunday morning. In the small sum stolen was a piece of silver with some
peculiar mark upon it. A day or two later, a boy sent to Taylor’s store offered
the piece of money in payment of a purchase or change. Mr. Taylor recognized the piece and
questioned the boy as to where he got it…[another man] told that he got the
money from Sly and also two pairs of boots…a pair of mitts were found in the
store by Mr.Taylor left by the burgler. These mitts were sworn to as belonging
to Sly. This was all the evidence against Sly and the jury acquitted him, but
there are other charges against Sly for stealing buffalo robes.
Apr 15 1864 Assizes: Queen vs William Healy Sly: The
prisoner was charged with stealing a buffalo robe from William Campbell. The
trial was a long one and the jury found the prisoner guilty.
Apr. 16, 1864: On Saturday afternoon…prisoners convicted
during the Assizes were brought up for judgment and on the motion of the
Counsel for the crown, William Healy Sly, guilty of larceny, was sentenced to
three years imprisonment in the provincial penitentiary.
Larceny is the theft of another’s physical property. The value of a standard untanned buffalo robe in Canada around 1860, was estimated in the range of $3 to $8—depending on quality and demand. This was the equivalent of several days’ wages for a labourer; it might buy a pair of sturdy boots, a basic tool, or a week’s worth of food staples. For rural or frontier communities, it could represent a meaningful trade item—especially something like a buffalo robe, which was both practical and valuable. William’s sentence for such theft seems a particularly harsh sentence compared to sentences for others convicted of more serious crimes. He was imprisoned in the Kingston Penitentiary from April 1964 to April 1867.
From the Prisoners Record—Kingston Penitentiary 1843-1890: William H. Sly (Reg.#6075) Received at Kingston Penitentiary, April 18, 1864: sentenced by Honourable Adam Wilson at Court of Queen’s Bench, April 16, 1864 to 3 years for Larceny; Married: Age 30; Height 5’10”; Complexion-Fresh; Eyes-Grey; Hair-brown; Trade-labourer; Born-Canada West; Religion-Church of England. Discharged April 12, 1867.
In the 1860s, the Kingston Penitentiary was a harsh and highly regulated environment, reflective of 19th-century penal philosophies that emphasized punishment, isolation, and moral reform over rehabilitation. Opened in 1835, it was Canada’s first federal penitentiary and by the mid-19th century had already developed a reputation for strict discipline and dehumanizing conditions. Prisoners followed a rigid schedule focused largely on hard labour, considered essential to moral reform. Inmates were assigned to trades such as shoemaking, tailoring, carpentry, or stone breaking. Labour often lasted more than 10 hours a day under silent conditions.
The prison operated on the Auburn system, which imposed total silence during work, meals, and movement. The rule of silence was central to discipline in the 1860s. Speaking, even during meals or work, was prohibited. Inmates were expected to march in lockstep with downcast eyes. Infractions led to corporal punishment or solitary confinement in unlit, unheated cells. Many prisoners began their sentences in solitary confinement, intended to induce reflection and repentance. However, contemporary critics noted that prolonged isolation often led to mental breakdowns. Punishment methods were severe. Flogging with the “cat-o’-nine-tails,” use of a wooden "box" (a coffin-like enclosure for confinement), and deprivation of food or bedding were common. Inmates had no rights of appeal, and guards had wide latitude in meting out discipline. The 1859–1860 government inquiry into the Kingston Penitentiary found widespread abuse of inmates, excessive use of force, and failure to provide adequate food or medical care. The report criticized the warden for ruling "with an iron hand." Cells were 8 feet by 26 inches and a little over 6 1/2 feet in height; they were small, damp, poorly ventilated, and often freezing in winter. Furnishings were minimal: a wooden bunk, thin straw mattress, and bucket for sanitation. By the 1860s, when William was serving his time, overcrowding was an increasing problem and disease spread easily in the confined quarters. Meals consisted of bread, porridge, beans, and potatoes, served in silence. The diet was nutritionally poor and strictly rationed, contributing to widespread malnutrition and illness. Religious instruction played a central role in prison life. Sunday sermons and mandatory Bible readings were thought to encourage repentance and reform. A chaplain was considered as important to inmate discipline as the guards. The goal of the penitentiary system was not just to punish, but to reform the soul through order, labour, silence, and faith. Yet, as historians and inquiries later revealed, this ideal often masked the reality of cruelty and neglect.
Following his release in 1867, William reunited with Addie and his young sons and within the year, they moved to Otsego, Michigan. William worked as a millwright. Four more children were born.
In 1891, Addie and William moved from Michigan to Chicago where he was employed as a buttonhole maker. William died on October 29, 1906 in Chicago, aged 73, and was buried back in the Otsego Cemetery. Addie returned to Michigan to live with her children; she died July 26, 1930, aged 91, in Otsego, Michigan. She was called a pioneer resident of the community.
Adelaide “Addie” Victoria Pierson b. May 5 1839, Canada m. William Healey Sligh (1833-1906) in 1857 in Leeds, Canada West d.. July 26, 1930, Allegan Co, Michigan my 3x great aunt (Netterfied-Pierson line)
THE SECOND GENERATION
(sidenote: Members of William's brother's family recalled that some of William's children visited them in Leeds County, Ontario. After they left, it was discovered they had made purchases and charged them to their uncle's account. In his last will and testament, Runy Sly, William's father, left William a nominal amount of money to be collected by him within one year. This suggests a possible estrangement between William and his family in Ontario.)
It would be hoped that William's sons would learn from their
father about the horrid conditions of prison life…and that they would vow to
avoid a similar fate. Unfortunately, this did not happen and, over the years, his six sons were
nabbed for all kinds of petty crimes. At times, brothers worked together. Some
of their crimes and misadventures were reported in local newspapers.
William Sligh The only newspaper clipping
about William was from 1891 when he got into an argument about a painting job.
Brother James used a bully club against the victim and William stabbed him under the
shoulder blade. There is no record of William's sentence for this assault.
Adelbert “Dell” Sligh It seems Dell was just a
young teenager when he started following the trains, excursions and crowds
around Western Michigan and plying his pickpocketing vocation. In 1881, Dell, aged 17, and
described by the police officer as a “nice looking young man” was sentenced to
the Ionian Reformatory for stealing clothes and a revolver and pickpocketing
$5. It was written “It seems that Sly, though young in years is old in
iniquity.” Later that year he was arrested for a store robbery. In 1895 he was
charged with bank robbery. What happened to Dell after this is unknown.
Adelbert “Dell” Sligh b. 1863 Canada West d. unknown occupations: selling windmills my 1st cousin 3x removed
Richard Sligh Richard’s life of petty crime
began young. At age 12, he was charged with prize fighting (a prearranged fight
between two persons, whether with fists, hands or feet.) In the early 1880s, he belonged to the Muskegon
“sawdust’ gang, a group of confidence tricksters who would pass off counterfeit worthless banknotes, often mixed with sawdust, to unsuspecting victims. Sligh
and the Gang were arrested in Nov 1883 for stealing $500 worth of clothes and
other furnishing items; they were suspected of other safe robberies. In May
1884, the “notorious Richard Sligh” was convicted and sentenced to 90 days for
robbing a man of $10. Richard and brother Dell often worked together. In June
1885 they were arrested for having too many $20 and $50 bills and “since they
[did] not earn large salaries it was thought the money belonged to someone
else.” They were also both charged with pickpocketing.
In February 1885, Richard was arrested for robbing an “old
bachelor who lived alone” of $135, gagging him and leaving him tied to the bed
post with doors wide open. In his defence, Richard said, “I
am a brick layer by trade, have lived in this town [Grand Rapids, MI.] for the
past 8 or 10 years. I organized the Brick Layers Union Lodge here. I was once
convicted of petty larceny. The case was taken to the Supreme Court, and I was
acquitted. They then claimed I stole money from a till. That was the only time
I was convicted of a crime. Of the crime I am now convicted, I am as innocent
as a new-born babe. In regard to the evidence, I have more to say that will
fill your whole paper. Brand most of it
as false—especially that of 2 of the witnesses—a colored man and a woman of the
town—in fact they are gross lies. [I think I should have a new trial.]” Richard
and his buddies threatened the witnesses. Richard was sentenced to 10 years of hard labour at
Jackson Prison. A double sleigh was used to transfer Sligh and another prisoner
from the jail to the railway depot; they were handcuffed together in the back seat
and were seen laughing and joking with the Sheriff. At the depot, the Sheriff
realized that his revolver, which he had placed in an outside coat pocket in
case the prisoners tried to escape, was missing. He figured the revolver was
taken from his pocket during the jostling caused by the frequent ruts in the
road. After a desperate struggle, the revolver was recovered from Sligh.
In 1891, Richard was charged with leaving the carcass of a dead horse exposed. It seems that Richard had a last hurrah in July 1911. While working as a bricklayer in Saginaw, a woman identified him stealing a pocketbook and $6 from a horse and buggy parked outside the hotel. Richard was convicted and sentenced to 65 days in the Detroit House of Corrections. There is no further information about Richard Sligh.
Richard “Bert” Busten Horatio Sligh b. Jun 28, 1868 in Plainsfield, Michigan m. Carrie Belle Miller (1871-1922) 2 children d. unknown my 1st cousin 3x removed
Ziba Sligh: In November 1908, Ziba Schley, “a
prominent sidewalk builder of Battle Creek and a bridegroom of less than 2
months was arrested and charged with robbery of $10,000 worth of diamonds,
watches and rings from a Kalamazoo Jewelry store.” The thief got into the store
by lifting a skylight and sliding down the elevator shaft. Ziba was implicated
by a supposed friend who claimed to have seen the loot. Ziba maintained his
innocence and his newly-married bride “burst into tears, placed some clothes in
a grip and followed the officers to the depot. The next morning she brought
Ziba breakfast and some tobacco. She is a very nice appearing woman of about
25, neatly dressed and quiet in demeanour.” Ziba protested his innocence and according to the Sheriff who put
Ziba through an intense interrogation, “His
stories are told in a straightforward manner.” There seems to be no further
information on this case, so it is quite likely that Ziba was not charged and he was not imprisoned as he
and Florence and baby Merle are listed on the 1910 Michigan census. Living with
them on the 1920 census are three more daughters and Ziba’s mother Adelaide.
Fingers crossed that Ziba avoided his brothers’ criminal ways. It is unknown
where Zida was between 1920 and his death in 1941.
Ziba Argile Sligh b. Apr 13 1874 in Allegan Co., Michigan m. Florence Minnie P. Morrison (1877-1965) on Sept 26, 1908 in Battle Creek, Michigan (3 children) d. 1936 in Bedford, Calhoun, Michigan occupation: teamster (1910), house painter (1920) my 1st cousin 3x removed
James Edwin Sligh and John Malcolm Sligh. The
oldest and youngest Sligh brothers seemed to often work together. In 1885, they
pickpocketed a watch. In April 1899, the pair were charged with the attempted
murder and robbery of an “old German hermit.”. They blindfolded, bound and
stole $30 from the man. While awaiting trial, the brothers tried twice to
breakout. In the first attempt, John manufactured a wooden wrench which he used
to turn the nuts off an iron bar attached to a water pipe. He then used the bar
to break a hole through the floor of his cell to a lower, unlocked cell and
then he released his brother. They used the iron bar to start bashing the outer
wall of the jail, using a blanket to deaden the noise and collect the debris.
Guards were suspicious when other prisoners provided more noise, and the Sligh
brothers were caught. On their second escape attempt, they had a letter to their
father, William in Chicago, smuggled out of the jail. In that letter they
requested their father send a revolver and other tools. But this letter was
intercepted as was the package which contained a revolver, lots of cartridges,
4 small saws, some files, a bottle of acid. When the package did not arrive,
the Sligh brothers became uneasy and tried to saw the bars with saws improvised
from knives, but they were caught and the sheriff moved them to different
cells.
John pled guilty to the attempted robbery, was sentenced to
10 years and served his time at the Jackson State House of Correction.
John Malcolm Sligh b. Nov 14, 1879 in Otsego, Michigan m. Bernice A. Every (1887-1939) on Sept 20, 1910 in Otsego, Michigan 2 children) m. Lucille Crites (1885-1967) on Dec 12, 1944 in Spokane, Washington d. Oct 29, 1949, Spokane, Washington occupation: barber (1900), bookkeeper (1930), laborer (1940) my 1st cousin 3x removed
Brother James was found guilty of the robbery and sentenced to ten
to fifteen years at Ionia Prison. But he must have been released early as, in
1903, he was charged with drunken behaviour. It was Christmas Day and James
imbibed too freely; on his way home he began shooting off his 22 calibre rifle at everything and everyone in sight—at a young boy, at a family in a cutter. Fortunately,
he was so drunk, the bullets whistled over the childrens’ heads. Then he shot at
and missed a policeman and was arrested. The next morning, a sobered-up James “proved to be
one of the most penitent prisoners ever take into court. He knew he had done
wrong and appreciated how lucky he had been in not doing some injury. He said
he knew nothing of the operations with the rifle and was greatly interested as
statement after statement was brought on. The judge said to Sligh that he was
getting off lucky at $50 and costs or 90 days. [James] admitted that he [was
lucky] though he knew of no way to raise the money and couldn’t see what would
become of his wife and child during his incarceration. Mrs. Sligh, a frail
little woman, stood by her husband through the ordeal and is trying to raise
the money to secure his release. She said he is quiet and steady ordinarily
and a good husband." The next year, Eunice divorced James on grounds of non-support. In 1908, James married Bertha Graf and they are the parents mentioned in 13 year old, Birdie's elopement note. James was not living with his wife, daughter or grandson in the 1940 census.
James Edwin Sligh b. April 27, 1858, Leeds Co., Canada West m. Nellie M Clapp (1863-1885) on Sept 1, 1880 in Otsego, Michigan (1 daughter) m.. Eunice Emma “Mabel” Pyatt (1869-1950) on Mar 21, 1889 in London ,Ont (1 daughter) divorced Nov 15, 1904 in Detroit, Michigan m. Bertha Lili Graf (1890-1978) in St.Joseph, Michigan (1 daughter—Bertha “Birdie”, the 13 year old who eloped in 1925) d. Mar 10, 1945 in Menard, Randolph Co., Illinois occupation:selling windmills (1880), commercial traveller, machinist (1910), printer (1920), interior decorator ((1930) my 1st cousin 3x removed
Christina Sligh Tina was the only girl in this family of six unruly brothers. In 1897 she married Lethar Spies but they divorced in 1903. While Christina did not get into trouble with the law like her brothers, she did appear in court in 1912 suing her former husband for “for a breach of one of the strangest contracts ever brought into a Chicago court.” In 1910, Lether drew up this agreement “out of sympathy for Tina .” It read: I hereby agree to pay Tina L. Sligh, my former wife, the sum of $1 a week or more according to my income. I furthermore agree to marry her at the end of three years from that date, provided our circumstances allow us. During the above mentioned time, she is not to annoy me in any shape or form, visiting me, writing letters, notes or approaching me on the street or by phone. Furthermore, she is not to annoy my friends, male or female, or any I may associate with, especially Miss Delia Richardson, who she has annoyed repeatedly. If this agreement is broken in any way, payment will cease. Lethar Spiess June 7, 1910” Tina kept the original document and burned a copy on a piece of leather as a birthday remembrance. In 1912, Tina sued her former husband for breach of this contract. As he was now married to Delia, she did not expect that he would remarry her, but she did want him to pay her $1 weekly. Tina said that Spiess had made two payments under the contract, then quit. Spiess said she had not lived up to the contract. “She annoyed me constantly. One evening,” Spiess testified, “we were standing on the street and she hooked the curved end of a cane she was carrying around my neck…Once I had to call a policeman when I was afraid she was going to kill me.” After reading both copies of the contract “carefully and with considerable amusement,” the judge sympathetic to the fact that Tina was crippled, decided that Miss Sligh was entitled to $50.
Christina Sligh b. Oct 6, 1877 in Otsego, Michigan m. Lethar Spies (1877-1950) on July 1, 1897 in Chicago divorced Nov 14, 1903 in Chicago d. Nov. 16, 1917 in Chicago my 1st cousin 3x removed
THE BIG QUESTION--NATURE OR NURTURE
The nature-nurture debate is a long-standing philosophical, scientific and social one about the origin of human traits, abilities and behaviours. Are we shaped mainly by biology and genetics (nature) or by environment, upbringing and life experiences (nurture)?
Generation after generation, the Sligh family's encounters with the law suggest a pattern too persistent to ignore. Did the Slighs inherit criminality or simply perfect it?
If one were to argue for an inborn predisposition, the Sligh's generational record of theft, fraud and violent disputes might look like evidence of inherited tendencies--and proof that a "criminal type" runs in families and that impulsivity, aggression and a high tolerance for risk are genetically passed on. That many of the sons' criminal activities started when they were so young might support this "nature" argument. Traits like boldness, quick thinking or physical agility-- qualities useful in crime-- may have been inherited.
However, in the Sligh examples, the nurture side seems easier to support. Growing up in a family where crime was visible, perhaps jokingly celebrated, and reinforced by siblings likely made theft and fraud seem like normal and clever ways to navigate life. Several environmental and social also factors stand out. The patriarch, William Sligh, served prison time when his children were young. Instead of instilling a cautionary lesson, his notoriety may have normalized criminality. Children often model behaviours they see as "successful" with the crime appearing to bring excitement, status or quick money. Some of the sons' offences seem almost like sport--pickpocketing during public events, tricking shopkeepers, elaborate jailbreaking attempts. This "thrill" factor may have been amplified by sensationalist newspaper coverage. The Slighs worked in itinerant trades--labourers, millwrights, painters--often seasonal and poorly paid. In 19th century Michigan and Chicago, social safety nets were almost non-existent, making theft a tempting income supplement. Poverty and job instability are strongly linked to opportunistic theft and hustling. Sligh brothers often worked together and this not only reinforced criminal norms, but provided skill-sharing and mutual encouragement for risk-taking. Inconsistent law enforcement and some lenient sentences may have given the sense that the game was worth the gamble.
Thus the Sligh's two-generational story tilts heavily towards it being nurture, Yes, boldness and quick-thinking may have been family traits, but the real schooling in crime came from the home front. With a father fresh from Kingston Penitentiary, brothers who treated pickpocketing like a team sport, and a household where police visits were almost routine, petty theft wasn't an option--it was part of the family toolkit. Add in low wages, seasonal work and the lure of fast money, and it's no wonder the Slighs treated the local jail as a revolving door and criminal activity as a family business plan.
You put an extraordinary amount of research into this! Great job!
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