Victim’s skull finally buried with her remains
MARGATE, P. E. I. • Almost 130 years after Mary Tuplin was murdered, a ceremony has been held to reunite her head with her body, thanks to a distant relative.
Bobby Williams, a cousin who lives in Alberta, persuaded the family who had ended up with the skull of the 17-year-old Prince Edward Island woman to hand it over.
Then, he was responsible for arranging a service on Aug. 21 at the United Church cemetery in Margate, P.E.I., where it was buried with the rest of her remains.
“The night she was buried, she was put in the ground without a casket, without family and without service,” Williams said from his home.
“I wanted those three things to be done. We finally got those done. What a relief.”
What happened to Mary, and how her skull became separated, is a story discussed at the dinner tables of her relatives ever since. It has also been the subject of songs and poems on P.E.I.
And there’s another mystery, says Williams: who was the real killer?
The girl’s body was pulled from the Southwest River on July 4, 1887, just a short distance from where she lived with her parents in Margate.
She had been shot twice in the head. Her body was weighed down with a heavy stone, and it was discovered that she had been six months pregnant.
“They cut her head off right on the shores of the river. They sent her head to Charlottetown for further examination and for evidence. Her body went to the graveyard that night in Margate at one o’clock in the morning,” said Williams.
William Millman, 20, was convicted of the murder and hanged, despite the jury’s recommendation for mercy.
He was convicted on what the judge admitted was circumstantial evidence and despite having an alibi.
For his part, Williams believes Millman was innocent of killing Mary.
“They hung the wrong boy,” he said. “I think I know who did it. I can’t prove it, but I’m looking harder into it.”
After the trial, Tuplin’s skull remained in a paper bag at the Johnson and Johnson pharmacy in Charlottetown, which also served as the coroner’s office.
Williams said the building has changed hands numerous times over the years — each time Mary’s skull and other historical items going with it.
Williams’ great-grandfather and Mary were first cousins. Both were 17 at the time of her death.
In 2014, while on a visit to P.E.I. from his home in southern Alberta, Williams met a family who had the skull in their possession, and convinced them to return it to the family so it could be buried.
It took until August of this year to find a date when family members could all come together.
Williams said he feels very grateful to have finally given his distant cousin a proper burial ceremony with a minister and family present, even though it came 129 years too late.
Williams said he plans to continue to pursue his investigation in hopes the truth will finally be known. He won’t name his suspect until he feels he can prove it.
“It’s not over yet,” he said.