Le Devoir, April 16, 1920, p. 1

THE TRIAL OF THE GAGNON WOMAN

THE SON OF THE ACCUSED IS EXAMINED AT THE HOSPITAL AND CORROBORATES OTHER TESTIMONY

Quebec City, 16 - (D.N.C.) – Following an agreement between the Crown and the defence, this morning, the Court of Assizes travelled to the St. Louis de France Hospital to examine the young Gérard Gagnon, son of the Gagnon woman accused of the death of Aurore Gagnon, her husband’s daughter.

The testimony by the child, who is the son of the accused, was moving. The young Gagnon corroborated on all points the evidence presented by the other children as to the atrocities suffered by the victim, little Aurore. He repeated that the accused beat her and burned her with a red-hot poker. When she was tired, she forced the other little girl, Marie-Jeanne, to burn her in her place. He saw the accused feed Aurore a slice of bread spread with lye, telling her to: "Come eat some candy."

Because the little girl would not eat the whole thing, she forced her to eat it by threatening to beat her.

The witness added that it was true that the victim slept on the floor on a straw mattress and at times on the bare floor. The morning that she died, he saw the accused beat her to make her go downstairs. The accused never allowed her to eat at the table with the others, unless there was company.

The remainder of the testimony was the corroboration of the evidence presented by the other children previously.