Heather Latter
A project more than two years in the making, a docudrama re-enacting what’s known locally as the “hot stove” murder has been completed and is now available for purchase.
Focused on a woman named Viola Jamieson, who died as a result of being tortured on a hot stove in Flanders in 1944, the project was a collaboration of local playwright Tracy Gibson and videographer Tom Foley.
“Two years ago, Tom Foley approached me and asked if I’d be interested in collaborating with him to produce a docudrama about the ‘hot stove’ murder,” Gibson recalled.
“I had grown up hearing tales of the murder and as an adult, I came to understand the significance of this piece of local history, so I immediately agreed.”
She noted Foley was able to obtain court documents and police interviews, and the pair set to work creating what they believe probably happened on that terrible day in June, 1944.
“We also had the privilege of interviewing Mrs. Vera Larocque,” Gibson said.
“She had known Viola Jamieson and taught the Jamieson children at the school in Flanders.
“Mrs. Larocque described Viola as having been vivacious, entertaining, a good mother who kept a tidy home, and a person who was very involved in her community,” Gibson said.
“Unfortunately, the hard drive that contained the recorded interview with Mrs. Larocque was destroyed and we were unable to include it in the docudrama.”
Gibson said they got together a cast of local actors, including a few from Atikokan, to take on the roles and began filming in November, 2012.
“We filmed in various locations,” Gibson noted, adding scenes were filmed sporadically over the course of the next year.
She said the outside scenes of the Jamieson property were filmed at Mike Schmid and Leesa Wickstrom’s farm while the inside scenes were filmed in her garage.
“The inside of the courthouse and outside of the jail also were used to shoot scenes,” Gibson added.
Then the editing had to be done, with the narration being filmed just this past summer.
Gibson said the title of the docudrama is “Flowers For Viola: An Account of the Hot Stove Murder.”
“We’ve been careful to not say ‘a true account’ of the hot stove murder as obviously we’ve taken some creative liberties,” she admitted.
“For instance, we know that there were several detectives on the case, as well as several lawyers.
“For simplicity sake, we’ve chosen to have one detective, a defence attorney, and a prosecutor,” Gibson explained.
“Also, Mrs. Jamieson was a mother to nine children but we focused only on those who were directly involved with this story.”
Gibson added the docudrama also was filmed in black-and-white in an attempt to create an air of authenticity.
“As we had a very limited budget, and we realize there are aspects of our film that aren’t in keeping with the era, we’re hoping the black-and-white will help to blanket some of the inconsistencies,” she reasoned.
Gibson also said they ran into their share of difficulties with the project.
“Having already filmed the hanging scene, we were suddenly faced with one of our cast members having to pull out and be replaced on the day we were to film the actual crime,” she recalled.
“In addition, three of the men playing the perpetrators had moved out of town [but] were kind enough to return so we could film the scenes that took place at the Jamieson property.
“We did not have the luxury of any second chances to capture a scene,” she stressed.
“The performances at times were frighteningly real,” Gibson acknowledged.
“Many tears were shed during the filming by those in attendance.”
Gibson said that while working on the project, they found they developed a deep respect, not only for the terrible suffering of Viola Jamieson and her family, but for the families of the four men involved in her torture.
“They must have endured shame and oppression in addition to losing their sons when three of the men were hung and one incarcerated,” she noted.
“It’s such an significant part of our history,” Gibson added about why she was compelled to take on this project.
“It highlights how some things never change [the ugliness of greed] and how some things have changed so dramatically since that time [capital punishment as justice and how swiftly it was delivered].”
Gibson said she and Foley had heard so many things about this case, they were curious as to the truth of the matter.
“The police statements and court transcripts help to shed a light on the events as they happened,” she noted, adding they chose to go with Eino Tillonen’s version of the events.
“He was the only one of the four men who wasn’t hung for the crime,” she said.
“We knew there was a strong interest in this case, even though it occurred over 70 years ago,” Gibson added.
“It’s such an important piece of our past.”
Gibson is pleased with the outcome of the project, especially considering the obstacles they encountered and working on a shoestring budget.
And she’s hoping people will be interested in obtaining a copy for themselves.
“Flowers for Viola,” which runs about 40 minutes, is available on DVD by contacting either Foley (274-3387) or Gibson (274-5133).
The cover carries a warning for viewers, cautioning that it does contain violence and strong language.
