Clara at the Door with a Revolver

The Scandalous Black Suspect, the Exemplary White Son, and the Murder That Shocked Toronto
Gender, race, and politics in late-nineteenth-century Toronto swirl around this riveting true story of the murder of Frank Westwood and the controversial acquittal of the main suspect, Clara Ford – a cross-dressing Black single mother. Whitzman paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years.

In the autumnal darkness of October 6, 1894, an unseen figure rang the doorbell at the Parkdale home of a well-to-do Toronto family and then shot Frank Westwood in his doorway, murdering him in cold blood.

Six weeks later, Clara Ford, a Black tailor and single mother, was arrested. Known for her impeccable work ethic and her resolute personality – and for her predilection for wearing men's attire – she confessed to the murder. But as the details of her arrest and her complex connection to the Westwood family emerged, Clara recanted, testifying that she was coerced by police into a false confession. Carolyn Whitzman tells the compelling story of a courageous Black woman living in nineteenth-century Toronto and paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years.

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