Saint John hijacking was Canada's first, says historian

Saint John is known for a lot of positive history, but it was also on the cutting edge of crime.

The city can lay claim to the first attempted, albeit unsuccessful, airplane hijacking in Canadian history, according to history professor Greg Marquis.

Marquis said the hijacking came at a time when the practice was in vogue.

"By 1968, there were a lot of hijackings happening," said Marquis, who teaches at the Saint John campus of the University of New Brunswick.

"It was described as the beginning of the golden age of hijacking internationally."

Running to Cuba

The incident started on Sept. 11, 1968, when Charles Lavern Beasley, a Texasnative, hijacked the plane with a .22-calibre pistol shortly after takeoff.

The gunman demanded it be taken to Cuba.

"This man barged into the cockpit brandishing a gun and said, 'This plane is going to Cuba,'" said Ronald Hollett, the pilot of the plane, to Globe and Mail reporter Ronald Lebel.

"He wanted to go to Cuba. He did not want to go back to the States because the CIA was chasing him."

It's unclear if Beasley was being chased by the CIA. He described himself as a "black-power militant," which the agency had a history of following.

But he was no doubt being pursued by law enforcement as he was wanted in connection with a bank robbery in Ladonia, Texas, on Aug. 19, 1968.

The plane was scheduled to fly non-stop to Toronto, but Marquis said one of the pilots convinced Beasley to have the plane stop in Montreal for fuel.

"He talked to the pilot and co-pilot who convinced him, 'Well, in order to do that we should go to Montreal and get more fuel,'" said Marquis.

Passive passengers

While the hijacking was likely traumatic for many on the plane, many seemed to brush the incident aside.

Stewardess Beverly Atkinson told the Globe and Mail's Loren Lind that there was no screaming or panic when Beasley brandished a gun to her neck.

In fact, she spoke about offering the hijacker coffee while he was in the cockpit with the pilot.

"He took cream and sugar," said Atkinson.

Passenger Fred Smithsaid Atkinson said the hijacker was the nervous one.

"She explained that the man was very nervous, he was shaking," said Smith.

Rene Durelle, a boxer and nephew of famed Yvon Durelle, was also on the flight, on his way to a fight at Maple Leaf Gardens.

He didn't sound too concerned after the hijacking.

"I was more afraid one time hunting rabbits in New Brunswick," said Durelle.

Berta Peacock, a Saint Johner going to school in Toronto, had a somewhat nuanced view of the situation.

"I thought about going to Cuba, but I don't think I want to go right now."

Crime and punishment

Beasley gavehimself up without harming anyone on boardafter he was promised political asylum.

But because he was considered a fugitive when he entered the country, because of the bank robbery, the asylum plea didn't stick.

Since hijacking a plane wasn't a crime in Canada at the time,there remained the question of how to charge him.

"There was no hijacking law at the time in Canada. So the authorities were really perplexed of what they were going to charge this guy with," said Marquis.

"In the end he pled guilty to, I think a couple of assault charges, kidnapping charge and a public mischief charge. And he was sentenced to six years."

While the incident took place 56 years ago, Marquis said he's looking to do some more research on the hijacking.

He said there were multiple New Brunswickers on the flight, and he's interested in hearing from any still around, or their families.

Information Morning - Saint John11:41Canada's first plane hijacking

A UNB professor is looking into what historians call Canada's first plane hijacking. It was in Saint John in 1968. Summer host Khalil Akhtar spoke to Greg Marquis about that infamous case.

"It is a while ago, 56 years, but some of these people were described as being in their 20s," said Marquis.

"They could be still around or maybe their families would have stories or memories."

Anyone looking to get in contact with Marquis can reach him via email at gmarquis@unb.ca.