The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-11-15
TRUE
by Vance "S . public Ledger
The Quebec Mystery

reused one of her neighbors and said
with much agitation that she WIS un.
able to get into her home or rouse her
husband.
She had been spending the night
with a friend nearby, ard said that
her husband, who had been working
on the repairs to church al st. Je-
rome. nine miles distant. was expected
home some time the previous eve
ming.
The police were summoned. the door
broken In and the husband found living
on the floor dead.
His body bore three knife wounds.
aid 1t was quite evident that there
had been a lfe-and-death struggle.
But beyond the disordered appear
ance of the room there were no clues
to indicate who the culprit might have
/ been.
The strange part Of 1t WAS that
nothing had been taken from the
house, so that the murder could not
have been for the purpose of theft
Mrs. poIrier was naturally distract
ed, and went about the work of set
Ting up the estate like woman
In trace.
The man, who had led dissipated
life. died practically pennlless. hut he
did lenve an insurance policy Of $1,000
In favor of his wife,
Isidore poirer had been a contrac-
tor and builder in small way. and
he had married Cordelia Viau, the
handsome daughter of q farmer. after
a whirIwind wooing.
They had no children. but for some
years after their marriage they lived
very happily.
AT the end Of that time the woman
seems to have conceived an aversion
for her husband.
The reason for this. according to
one of the commentators on the affair
and he was man of very common
mold"
The gossips had 1t that she was en-
amored OF another man. one Samuel
parslnw. carpenter who worked for
her husband.
At all events they were seen to-
gether very much. and he paid her
marked attention..
Indeed. on the night when the muir
der Ind occurred the two were to-
gether.
But that In itself did not neces-
sarily connect either of them with the
crime.
Mrs. PoIrier was the organIst of
the village church. while rarslow was
a member OF the choir.
That fact might we'll have explained
their frequent meetings.
In the meantime. the authorities
were working hard to truce the move
menfs of the dead man prior to the
murder
Ii was ascertained that he had been
working that very day at st. Jerome.
The people of the village informed
them that he had left there In car
rage. saying that he was going home.
Other persons living on the road be-
tween the TWO towns testified that
they had seen him pass with the team.
une of them said that woman &C.
compnned him.
Unfortunately. this person was not
able to give very good description
OF the woman.
At this stage of the investigation
theAagent Of the Insurance company
which had insured the victim appeared
to say that Mrs porier had personally
taken out the Insurance. had carried
on all nf the correspondence. and was
particularly anxious at the time To he
sure that she would get the money. M
matter what might have been the
cause Of death.
The authorities determined To take
the hull by the horns, and both Mrs
poirier aid T'arslow were arrested
They were placed In different cells
and each told story that confctad
with the other.
The evidence was circumstantial, but
1t was shown that the woman had gone
to 1T. Jerome and Ind brought her
husband home on the night the trag
edy was supposed to have occurred.
Both were found guilty, and sen
tence Of death was at once pronounced
In spite OF the fact that the womar
had been shown In anything hnt q
favorable light petitions were nnmer
ouslv signed and presented to the gov
ernnr general urging him to show
!, clemency to the female convict.
He declined to interfere, saying thai
the law must he permitted to take It's
course.
When the moose was prepared Sam
uel parslow was so limp that he hnf
to be literally carried to the platform
Not so the masterful womnIa
! She walked up the steps with n flru
tread. and ms she reached the execu
, TONER, exclaimed
"Be quick that Is all ! ask"
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