Practically Perfect (34 page)

Authors: Dale Brawn

BOOK: Practically Perfect

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5: Suspicions Linger

William Jasper Collins:
Too Much Money

1912	Braymer, Missouri lawyer John Benson defends William Jasper Collins.
August 1912	John Benson leaves Missouri to file homestead claim near Cereal, Alberta.
1913–1914	Benson sells off his holdings in Missouri.
April 4, 1913	Benson and Collins return to Canada to improve Benson’s claim.
April 27, 1913	The pair finish building a small shack and barn.
May 1, 1913	Collins murders Benson, burns house to hide evidence of his crime.
May 3, 1913	Not aware her husband is dead, Clara Benson leaves Missouri for Canada.
May 5, 1913	Clara arrives in Saskatoon; informed that her husband has died in a fire.
May 6, 1913	Clara meets up with Collins; he tells her about the accident.
May 1913	Clara and Collins return to Braymer with body of John Benson.
June/July 1913	Collins begins spending money lavishly.
July/August 1913	Rumours circulate about source of money; friends of Benson hire detective.
August 1913	Body of Benson exhumed; cause of death determined to be criminal act.
August 10, 1913	Collins arrested; his home searched and large amount of money found.
August 10, 1913	Collins confesses to the murder of John Benson.
September 1913	Collins returned to Alberta to stand trial for murder.
November 24, 1913	Preliminary hearing into the murder of Benson begins in Calgary.
November 25, 1913	Preliminary ends; Collins formally charged with the murder of Benson.
November 27, 1913	Murder trial of William Jasper Collins gets underway in Calgary.
February 11, 1914	Federal cabinet turns down the application of Collins for clemency.
February 23, 1914	Collins hanged; his execution badly botched.
February 24, 1924	Arthur Ellis contacts the press to deny he took part in the execution.

Marie Beaulne and Philibert Lefebvre:
Poison Does the Trick

1929	Marie Beaulne begins affair with Philibert Lefebvre.
January 22, 1929	Zephyr Viau dies under mysterious circumstances; buried immediately.
late January 1929	Parish priest grows suspicious that death wasn’t natural; contacts police.
February 7, 1929	Body of Viau exhumed and an autopsy performed; strychnine found.
February 1929	Preliminary hearing holds Beaulne and Lefebvre responsible for Viau’s death.
June 1929	Beaulne and Lefebvre murder trial gets underway.
June 12, 1929	Lefebvre and Beaulne guilty of murder; to hang August 23.
June 27, 1929	Beaulne advised no one will support her bid for clemency.
July 1929	Lawyers approach federal cabinet for pardon; clients too ignorant to know murder is wrong.
August 1, 1929	Lawyer for the couple formally seek clemency from department of justice.
August 1929	Announced that reporters will not be allowed to attend execution.
August 20, 1929	Federal cabinet refuses to commute sentences; confirm order following day.
August 20, 1929	Carpenters begin erecting gallows in yard of Hull, Quebec, jail.
August 22, 1929	Couple transferred to death cells in Hull; Lefebvre collapses.
August 22, 1929	Beaulne asks to visit with her lover; Lefebvre refuses to see her.
August 22, 1929	Reporter sneaks into jail; caught shortly before midnight and thrown out.
August 23, 1929	Hangman ordered not to hang couple at midnight as planned.
August 23, 1929	Lefebvre writes father; breaks down; Beaulne unemotional in her cell.
August 23, 1929	Lefebvre hanged at 8:00 a.m. in pouring rain; father claims body.
August 23, 1929	Beaulne hanged at 8:21 a.m.
August 24, 1929	Beaulne’s body not claimed; buried in pauper’s grave in Hull.

Marie Louise Cloutier and Achille Grondin:
Married Too Soon

1916	Seventeen-year-old Marie Louise Cloutier marries Vilmond Brochu.
February 1936	Brochu hires Achille Grondin to help Clouiter operate family farm.
1936	Clouiter and Grondin begin affair; Cloutier also affair with Adolphe Gilbert.
late 1936	Brochu suspects wife’s affair with Grondin, fires him; Cloutier leaves husband.
late 1936	Brochu obtains permission to sue Grondin for alienation of affections.
November 1936	Cloutier begins lacing Brochu’s food with arsenic.
January 1, 1937	Brochu complains of severe stomach pains.
July 16, 1937	Brochu again becomes ill; diagnosed with indigestion.
July 21, 1937	Brochu hospitalized for five days after complaining about stomach pains.
July 1937	Gilbert and Grondin place curse on Brochu.
August 16, 1937	Brochu becomes seriously ill.
August 19, 1937	Brochu dies.
August 20, 1937	Cloutier applies for life insurance benefits payable under husband’s policy.
August 21, 1937	Days before marrying Grondin, Cloutier has sexual encounter with Gilbert.
August 22, 1937	Grondin moves into Brochu residence to live with Cloutier.
September 2, 1937	Grondin asks permission of local priest to marry Cloutier; denied.
September 1937	Cloutier and Grondin ask permission of another priest to marry; denied.
October 1937	Cloutier and Grondin marry.
October 1937	Brochu’s sister contacts police about her suspicion that her brother was poisoned.
October 1937	Police order Brochu’s body exhumed; pathologist finds traces of arsenic
October 1937	Cloutier and Grondin taken into custody while on their honeymoon.
November 29, 1937	Cloutier and Grondin held in custody following coroner’s inquest.
December 4, 1937	Cloutier and Grondin committed to stand trial at end of preliminary hearing.
September 21, 1938	Murder trial of Cloutier gets underway at St. Joseph de Beauce.
October 8, 1938	Jury returns a verdict of guilty; Cloutier to hang March 3, 1939.
October 24, 1938	Lawyer for Cloutier seeks permission to appeal verdict.
November 3, 1938	Grondin’s murder trial gets underway before judge who tried Cloutier.
November 10, 1938	Quebec Court of Appeal agrees to hear Cloutier’s appeal.
November 26, 1938	Grondin found guilty; sentenced to hang on April 21, 1939.
November 29, 1938	Cloutier and Grondin transferred from St. Joseph de Beauce to Quebec City.
January 1939	Quebec Court of Appeal dismisses Cloutier’s appeal.
February 19, 1939	Execution of Grondin stayed pending hearing by Quebec Court of Appeal.
June 2, 1939	Grondin’s execution postponed to allow appeal to Quebec Court of Appeal.
June 13, 1939	Cloutier’s execution date postponed to allow appeal to Supreme Court of Canada.
June 1939	Court of Appeal dismisses Grondin’s appeal; executions stayed to appeal to SCC.
October 30, 1939	Supreme Court of Canada hears Cloutier’s appeal; dismiss appeal.
February 1940	Site of double execution moved from St. Joseph to Montreal.
February 15, 1940	Grondin moved from Quebec City jail to death cell at Bordeaux Jail.
February 22, 1940	Federal cabinet denies applications for clemency by condemned couple.
February 22, 1940	Cloutier moved from Quebec City.
February 23, 1940	Grondin hanged at 6:45 a.m.; declared dead sixteen minutes later.
February 23, 1940	Cloutier hanged at 7:10 a.m.; declared dead fifteen minutes later.

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