Do politicians lie? Maybe not

What makes you think your politicians lie to you? Sometimes it’s just easier to tell the truth:

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Stephen Dion the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party great-great uncle, Robert Dion, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Quebec in 1889. The only known photograph of Dion shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription:

“Robert Dion; horse thief, sent to Quebec Provincial Prison 1883, escaped 1887, robbed the Canadian Pacific Railway six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted, and hanged in 1889.”

Judy e-mailed Stephen Dion for comments. Dion’s staff sent back the following biographical sketch:

“Robert Dion was a famous horseman in Quebec. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave in 1887 to resume his dealings with the railroad. Subsequently, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Dion passed away during an important civic function held in his honour, when the platform on which he was standing collapsed.”

No, this doesn’t appear to be a true story, but it’s still funny — Thanks to dad for sharing it with me.

2 thoughts on “Do politicians lie? Maybe not

  1. Maybe ya ought to tell yer dad not to plagiarize, this little story was all over the internet during the US election. Hillary Clinton was the target then.

  2. Had I claimed it was true, your comment might have merit.

    Since you’ve gotten this far in your life without figuring this out I’m not sure if I should tell you this of not, but jokes are actually not always true, and in fact, usually are not.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.