La Presse, April 23, 1920, p. 1

AFTER THE CRUEL STEPMOTHER, THE HUSBAND

THE FATHER OF AURORE GAGNON, THE CHILD MARTYR, APPEARS THIS MORNING IN THE QUEBEC ASSIZES

Télesphore Gagnon will have to answer for the death of his own daughter, a crime for which his wife has been sentenced to die on the scaffold on October 1.

THE HONOURABLE JUDGE DESY PRESIDES

(From the correspondent of La PRESSE)
Quebec City, 23.- The second act in the tragedy of Ste. Philomène began this morning. It is the trial of Télesphore Gagnon, 37 years of age, accused of the murder of Aurore Gagnon, his own daughter. His unfortunate wife, the cruel stepmother Marie-Anne Houde, has been sentenced to hang on October 1 for this same murder. The presiding magistrate at this trial is the Honourable Justice Désy. The accused will be defended by the Honourable J. N. Francoeur, who also defended Marie-Anne Houde, with Monsieur Marc-Aurèle Lemieux assisting. The Crown Prosecutors are again Monsieur Lachance and Monsieur Arthur Fitzpatrick. Justice Désy is conducting proceedings with a speed that promises a shorter trial than was the Gagnon woman’s. This morning’s session was devoted to jury selection.

The lawyers for both sides are being very cautious in their selection of those citizens who will be called upon to judge the accused. Several jurors have stated that they have formed an opinion about this case, as the result of having read newspaper reports of the affair. Some of these jurors who have already formed opinions nevertheless state that they are prepared to judge the accused fairly, but they are being peremptorily dismissed by the defence.

Both sides agree that they will not accept any English-speaking jurors who do not have an adequate knowledge of French. They are also objecting to most of the jurors who served in the preceding case. The accused is remaining standing throughout the trial. He is a very tall man, thin and bony. His face indicates a great weakness of character. He wears a religious insignia on the bodice of his coat.

At noon, the following jurors had been chosen:

Herménégilde Dubuc, of St. Antoine de Tilly; Xavier Simard, of Ste. Anne de Beaupré; Philippe T. Blainey, of St. Marc des Carrières; François Beaumont, of Ste. Catherine de Portneuf; Charles Bégin, of St. David; Michel Martel, of St. Ambroise de Lorette; Adjutor Thibandeau, of Ste. Christine de Portneuf; Edouard Chalifour, of Beauport; Joseph Leduc, of Donnacona; Adélard Blanchet, of St. Edouard de Lotbinière.

We expect that this case will arouse the same impassioned interest that surrounded the trial of the cruel stepmother.