The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-14
THE GALLONS.
PUBLIC EXECUTION IN CANADA.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE PRESENT, ETC.


SoREL, G. E., May 3.-To- day, at twenty-seven
minutes past IL o'clock, Provencher suffered the
extreme sentence OF the law for the murder of
Jutras, in January, 1867.
THE CRIME.
The murderer resided at st. Zephirin, @. E,
and was on terms of intimacy with neighbor
named Jutras Not only was JuJras unfortu-
nate in this intimacy; IL was his browning mis-
fortune to possess a wife. Between Mrs. Jutras
and Provencher casual acquaintance ripened
into criminal intimacy the injured husband,
with most convenient and customary blind
ness, suspecting nothing OF his wife's afec-
ton for her paramour. on, one occasion
man and wife. Their clandestine meetings were
very frequent. In November Provencher's wife
went with him to call on utraS. After an evening
spent in virtuous and prosy conversation, a fes-
tive bottle was produced and one tumbler filled
for Mime Provencher. For the first time on
record her husband declined the seductive fluid.
She quaffed the flowing bowl, and, as might be
expected died at once, Public suspicion among
the French Canadians is plant OF slow growth
Nothing was thought of this event, and the
disconsOlate widower sought refuge in the
bosom of the Jutras family. Here ne abode in
peace mourning his dead wife, and behaving to
Mrs Jutras like all her male relations, especially
her husband. so the abandoned couple lived
until the 5th Of January, when Jutras went
forth 10 labor. His spouse provided him with a
flask OF whisky and strychnine. Provencher
accompanied him; and with a praiseworthy alb
stinence, too rarely met with among the French
Canadians, declined TO drink with his COM
he came home trembling convulstVely. During
his illness he was dieted on strychnine and
soup, so that eventually he succumbed and
died His spouse sought consolation IN the arms
of Provencher.
TRIAL AND CONVICTION.
The cup and measure of the iniquity of these
adulterers and murderers hlled at last. Suspi-
cion became aroused, and an inquest was held.
At the March assizes at Sorel the guilty pair
were indicted and tried. Five minutes delloe-
ration by the jury ended in verdict OF guilty,
and the prisoner was sentenced to be hanged
" His paramour and acoompllce was indicted at
nd fOnnd OuilLV Her sci
pleaded as a reason why execution should be
delay ed the fact that she was soon to become
confirmipg this, her execution was deferred
until next November, when, on the scaffold
she will expiate her oftense against the laws OF
Strenuous efforts were made by the friends OF
the prisoner TO obtain communication of his
sentence Those Well-meaning busybodies ever
ready to champion any cause sufficiently noto-
| rious to be hopeless and uhdeserving, and the
people of the Vicinity, TO whom 1t was grievous
thino that q French Canadian and Catholic
| Should be executed, petitloned the Executive
for cemency, but Win muitlesS prayer, M MSli
| mat the atrocity and barefaced nature of the
crime admitted OF no apology or mercy, and the
| die He did not until the last abandon his
| homes of communication or reprleVe
The good nuns OF thS cnifV sttendeS 10 tht
spiritual welfare OF the prisoner, with tne devo
tion which is their constant cheracterlstlc. Bul
although they continually exorIed MN 10 make
public confession of his guilt, he steadfasty re-
fused to do so, ever protesting his Innocence
Still it was evident that his protestations Were
made only from bravado; and his sinking ton'
and anxious countenanoe told but TOO truly tht
truth Of mans suspicious and the certainly certain ~,
MS guilt. In the cell ne was quiSV' S ie nut
soundly apparently unimpressed with Tn
sense of the doom so Immediately Impending
} over him, He cOnversed freely with those ad
mitted to see him, and seemed cneeIIul
although frequently he fell into tits OF apparen
absence, whence he only rouseu hluusei "lVi
an effort painful TO behold,
The night previous to his execution ne ap
peaEed uneasy and restless, ana " was Lave er'