Le Soleil, April 22, 1920, p. 16

THE GAGNON WOMAN WEEPS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT

She spends a very restless night, does not sleep at all and weeps incessantly—Her parish priest pays her a visit

SHE IS KEPT UNDER CONSTANT OBSERVATION

The Marie-Anne Houde woman, wife of Télesphore Gagnon, from Lotbinière, who was sentenced last night to be hanged next October 1st, for the murder of her husband’s little girl, Aurore, spent a very sad night in the prison where she was transferred to the death cell, or rather, the cell where those who are sentenced to the gallows are held.

Since she was brought back to the prison, from the Court House, once the death sentence was handed down against her last night, the woman has not eaten a bite of food. She has spoken to nobody whatsoever. She spends her time crying, moaning, and whimpering.

She has not asked to see her husband and it is probable that if she made the request, it would be refused, as her husband, also accused of the murder, must stand trial next week before a jury of the assizes.

THE VISIT OF A PRIEST

She has had no visitors, except for her parish priest, who went to comfort her and give her help and religious support, in this moment of acute agony where the woman, having been condemned to hang for murder, now awaits death.

The visit by the reverend father was not long. He spoke with her in a low voice while she, during all of the visit, never ceased sobbing and moaning faintly, and crying.

TWO MATRONS KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH ON HER

Since being sentenced to hang, the Gagnon woman has not been left by herself one single moment. The prison warden, Monsieur J.-B. Carbonneau, did all that was possible to alleviate the terrible misery of the future mother condemned to climb the steps to the scaffold for a crime that the jurors declared to be infamous and deserving of hanging.

Two matrons at the prison are constantly with the condemned woman, trying their best to comfort and encourage her.

The poor woman is expected to have, again this afternoon, another visit by her confessor who is constantly at her disposal to urge and encourage her to find comfort in religion.