James Ellsworth Green
James Ellsworth Green joined the Vancouver Police Department in June 1906 and moved on to the BC Provincial Police in January of 1913. During his policing career, he was involved in several high-profile investigations.
James was born on July 13, 1867, in Toronto, Ontario. His first marriage at age 19 produced four children, sadly of which two didn’t survive infancy. His wife passed in 1900 and he remarried in 1903.
Sometime in the late 1800s, James joined the Governor General’s Body Guard of Canada (today known as the Governor General’s Horse Guards), serving six years according to the article below. Several articles reference his having done Detective work in eastern departments, but to date, I haven’t found those.
James, his wife Julia, and their children moved to Vancouver; he joined the Vancouver Police in June 1906.
The old Vancouver Police leather bound HR books list his date of birth as July 13, 1871, which would put his age at 35, instead of the reality, which was closing on 40 — too old by hiring practices of the day. Nonetheless, he was hired on as a 2nd Class Constable.
On January 14, 1913, he resigned due to ill health, as stated in this Daily World article:
According to an article on his next “retirement,” he actually joined the British Columbia Provincial Police in January 1913, and was gazetted to the rank of Chief Detective by April 1914.
Now permit me to jump into a rabbit hole at this time. James was involved in several high-profile investigations throughout his careers, and this one is interesting as James captured a “dastardly criminal murderer” in December 1913,”said one George Van Horst.
As you will see in the following articles, after Van Horst’s capture and trial, he was sentenced to death, which was later reduced to life imprisonment at the BC Penitentiary.
Sometime between July 10 and 11, 1920, Van Horst and another accomplice escaped the prison; Van Horst wasn’t caught until February 8,1921, in Seattle.
In August 1915, Chief Provincial Detective Green became involved in a cattle-rustling investigation, and in a “culmination of some brilliant police work,” an arrest occurred in Seattle.
In December 1915, Chief Detective Green was on the hunt for another murderer ““ Rocco Ferrante, who had killed and decapitated a BC Electric Railway employee in Coghlan (Langley). Ferrante was caught crossing the border and handed over to Green for investigation.
In May 1918, after five years on the provincial job, James announced his (second) retirement.
It’s unclear what James undertook as his source of revenue between June 1918 and July 1920. By this time his family had grown to four children. In July 1920, at the age of 53, he was appointed constable in the Point Grey Police.
In July 1924, Vancouver was rocked by the death of a young Scottish nursemaid in a Shaughnessy mansion. To date, it is still one of Vancouver’s most notorious cases; James Green was the first officer on scene.
Much has been written of this investigation, check out my earlier Forgotten Vancouver story ““ The Janet Smith Case. For more information, visit these websites:
The Death of Janet Smith – (forbiddenvancouver.ca)
The troubling history of the Ku Klux Klan in Vancouver | Curated (dailyhive.com)
It was alleged that due to Constable Green’s lack of proper observations carried out upon arrival at the scene, the mystery was not cleared up. After the second inquest in September 1924, Green was suspended by Chief Simpson, but this was soon overturned by the Point Grey Police Commission.
On January 23, 1925, the Commission voted for the immediate dismissal of Constable James E. Green for dereliction of duty. With that, there would also be a reorganization of the Point Grey Police.
If you’ve been reading along the Forgotten Vancouver stories, you will recall that some of our past members went on to become hoteliers or proprietors of Vancouver hotels. James Green is another one for that list.
When the hotel opened in 1912 a branch of the Canadian Bank of Commerce occupied the main floor, with PM Cochrane’s drug store next door and the Princeton Rooms upstairs managed by Mary Killeen. The bank closed in the early 1920s, and in 1925 the corner unit was vacant. The Cedar Cove Drug Store was next door. JJ Murphy was running the Princeton Apartments upstairs. A year later the Princeton Hotel Beer Parlour (managed by James E. Green) had taken over all of the main floor and the Princeton Hotel operated upstairs as a rooming house ““ and that’s the way things are today.
James retired (again) from the hotel business in 1933, the beer license being taken out by John C. & Janet B. Wright in September. In the Voter’s List 1935, James’ listing has occupation: miner.
James Green passed away on April 8, 1949, in Vancouver, at the age of 81. He was interred at Mountain View Cemetery, but sadly there is no marker for him. Cemetery records state his site is located between his father Henry Green (right) and under that of his brother William Green (left).
References
Detective Green retires ““ Vancouver Daily World, January 16, 1913, page 4
Thrilling was this capture ““ Province, December 4, 1913, page 15
Lester tells story of Japanese murder ““ Victoria Daily Times, December 23, 1913, page 18
Pahl charged with theft of cattle ““ Vancouver Daily World, October 25, 1915, page 9
Vancouver men helped bag daring criminals ““ Vancouver Daily World, May 25, 1918, page 5
Convicts left dummies in bed ““ Vancouver Daily World, July 12, 1920, page 9
Van Horst may head for Mexico ““ Vancouver Daily World, July 13, 1920, page 1
Eleven Court cases tried during month ““ Vancouver Daily World, August 4, 1920, page 17
George Van Horst is captured in Seattle ““ Nanaimo Daily News, February 9, 1921, page 1
Officer Green is suspended ““ Province, September 12, 1924, page 1
Commission is criticized – Vancouver Sun, October 15, 1924, page 3
Shakeup in Point Grey ““ Province, January 23, 1925, page 20
Obituary ““ Province, April 11, 1949, page 15
Ex police officer dies here ““ Province, April 9, 1949, page 9
Princeton Hotel 1932 – Image source: City of Vancouver Archives CVA 99-4190