The lost digit

Like all good story-tellers Gordon had an ability to create a verbal-movie with sufficient drama and tension to make the story truly memorable.  Here is one such story that has been repeated  several times over the years.  While, certainly, I  enjoyed the sense of horror the story creates, I sometimes questioned whether it was factually true.  The story involves two of my grandfather Jack's first cousins - the children of Alexander McEwan who lived on the original family farm next to Black Creek Cheese Factory.  The protagonists are Bessie and Robert the second and third youngest of Alex's nine children.  One day Bob and Bessie were in the woodpile presumably chopping wood for the family cook stove. As Gordon wrote it "Bob placed his fingers on a block and looking up at Bess who had the axe in her hand he uttered an unusual request: "Cut

them off, Bess!" he dared.  No sooner said than done -- and from then on Bob had a problem doing up his shirts with that hand."  As I have said already, I sometimes wondered whether the story was actually true or whether it was told to explain a bigger truth about the hardship of farm life in the late 1890's. Recently I came across a family photo of Alex McEwan and his family.  I have attached both the photo and a close-up of Bob's hands.  You can judge for yourself whether there is a digit missing on the pointing finger of his right hand and whether that is sufficient evidence to verify Gordon's story.