The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-22
WhylNuir Was Hanged
Despite Pleas to
Extend Mercy

mlted to life Imprisonment.
All Respect Law.
Gossip IN Valleyfield u to the e.
feet that he Il now . prosperous
man III Ontario. For thirty years
the memory of the Shorts case has
not faded III VaIlsyfield. It sowed
the seed of conviction that the
government was soft hearted to-
ward English speaking men who
killed French Canadians. And when
young Muir, an American, shot
Laviolette, II was on every tongue
that this would be repetition Of
the Shorts case and that the OF
taWa government would not hang b
man because lie had killed q
French Canadian unless the gov
eminent was made to understand
that clelnency would BE- resented.
Thus II came about that the pc
titions which deIuged OttoWa were
not all on the one side.
The law - held IN great respect
In Quebec. When faith 81 II ig1
shaken. AZ It was III one locality by
the Shorts case thirty years ego.
there II all the more reason for re-.
storing It to tn former pedestal.
Despite his wealth 0f counsel and
the powerful influences exercised on
his behalf, Walter Muir was unfor-
tunate IN several of the steps that
were taken to promote his welfare.
The very fact that one Of the coun-
sci who was defending him had
1naNva
fifty-two murder cases may have
reacted against him. That methods
used In promoting his plea for
may also have operated against
him There y much preJudice Ia
Canada against allowing sentiment
talism to creep into the adninistra-
ton Of justice. There is also preju.
dice against having politicians In
terfere with court verdicts.
Prisoner Was Drunk.
Furthermore. one Of the chief
arguments advanced III favor Of
clemency was that Muir was drunk
when he fired the shots. Evidence
showed that he had drank eighteen
glasses Of beer. One counsel sug.
gested that It might be IL per cent
beer. There was conflict In the eyt.
dence a. to whether he was drunk
or not.
Echoes Of Muiris tragedy extend
ed tar beyond yaiIeyfield. where
the crime was committed. Dozens
Of French Canadian members OF
parliament from every nstituency
IN the Province Of Quebec were told
BY constituents that Muir had to
hang for his offense.
On Saturday, September o., three
men were drinking beer III the
Windsor Hotel, VaIleyfield. They
were Walter Muir, Joseph Plante
ana Edward Carroll. Muir and Car
roll were from New York; Plante, a
local man and quite q dog fancier.
They were talking quietly, but, as
the evidence showed during the
trial, they had been drinking fairly
copiousiy.
Two men entered, Layiolette and
e man named Arthur Leboeuf.
They nodded to Plante, and La
violette informed him that they
We're going on q hunting trip. This
introduced an argument. about
dogs, which grew In intensity until
Il eliminated in bitter quarrel and
threats of blows. Plante, who is q
cripple, was insistent and offered
TO buy Laviolette's dog; Laviolette
refused and finally threatened to
strike Plante IL he would not let
him alone. Exasperated at last,
he slapped Plante's face.
At this Muir jumped UP, pulled
q revolver from one OF his hip
pockets and fired three shots into
the floor. Laviolette ran to the
door shouting murder" but he
was struck, two Of the other three
shots fired taking effect. Laviolette.
who was fifty years old, was seri-
Gus wounded, one of the bullets
having struck him in the abdomen.
He died in the Montreal General
Hospital at 1:16 o'clock, Septem-
Der 26.
Muir, Carroll and Plante ran out
of the crowded tavern, where the
realize what was happening. They
lar, where they hid until the police
Of VaIleyfield, aided By hundreds
of persons, tracked them three
Sentenced to Hang.
On December the jury. after
celebrating for one hour and
twenty minutes, returned the
verdict Of guilty, and Muir was
sentenced by Mr.. Justice Wilson to
hang April 4.
Valleyfield, where the crime was
committed, is sometimes called the
cesspool OF Quebec. Rum runners
abound there, who find the town
easily accessible to the border, and
an advantageous point to work from
Whether Muir himself was a rum
runner or not Is matter on which
there has been a. conflict Of
evidence. His companion was E.
Carroll, son of New York police
captain. who also was charged with
Muir In the shooting case, but who
escaped with q sentence OF eighteen
months in jail. One version Of their
Quebec attorney was that they
were on an automobile pleasure
trip. Rum-running Is not held in
good repute in the Province Of
Quebec. another fact which did not
help Muir any.
The Judgment or the Court OF
Appeals against Muir was unani-
nous. In the course Of the judg-
ment, Mr.. Justice Greenshields said:
HAD presided at the trial I
would not have been averse to a
verdict Of granddaughter. do not
want this to be construed In any.
way as q criticism. only wish to
remark that, had / been trying the
young man, / would have gone into
his history and / would have In
vited the Grown to make further
evidence as to motive. However,
absence Of motive is not q proof Of
innocence, except where there IL no