The Mysterious Stranger

True crime nonfiction first published in 1817 about a famous confidence man who eluded law enforcement in both Canada and the United States.

Walter Bates was the one who captured this notorious criminal when he was sheriff of King’s County, New Brunswick. Bates conducted interviews with the man who escaped from custody on more than one occasion and with eyewitnesses. His memoir, at the time a best-selling account, occupies a special place in Canadian writing. This is a scholarly edition that includes, besides the original text, contextual material that will help readers enjoy more fully this little-known classic of Canadian nonfiction more.