This is a very unpleasent subject to post on this site, nevertheless, it is part of Verdun history so here goes: I have found the old Guardian showing the event in our archives (SHGV) and the murder ocurred on the 26th of October 1963 during supper time. Mr Yvon Tousignant, the owner of Tousignant & Frere crossed the street to the Banque de Montréal to make his deposit and was confronted by the hoods. Mr Tousignant resisted and was shot. The businessman who owned the A. Normandin shoe store next door, Mr Roger Séguin came to his aid and he died later at the Verdun General Hospital. Six suspects were picked up in Toronto, 4 men and 2 woman. Amongst them were John Spencer 25, and Robert Terence Hawley 24 of Verdun. Both escaped from the Verdun Protestant Hospital.
Article in the 9th of January 1964 Guardian:
Robert Moran, 30 years old auto salesman who was the last of six persons arrested in connection with the murder of Yvon Tousignant, Wellington street grocer who was slain last October 26th was sent to trial at the next session of the court of Queen's Bench by judge Armand Cloutier on a capital murder charge. No defence was offered by his lawyer Real Gagnon at the appearance for voluntary statement. Two other men, alleged companions of Moran at the time of the murder have been sent to trial on the same charge. They are: John Allan Thompson 25 and Robert Hawley 26, who have been charged with capital murder.
I had to take the enclosed photos with my camera as the Guardians are in a bound book and are too large to put on the scanner. The quality is hazy but I will see if I can improve on this on my next trip to Verdun and come up with more details.
Guy
12 comments:
I missed that one. I was in The U.S. Marines at the time and living in the Philippines. I was a brig warden at the time.
Guy
Thank you Guy for the information. I was a child at the time and remember the shooting very well. I remember there was another robbery at the grocery store at Argyle and Verdun Avenue where I believe that butcher was shot if my memory serves me right.
Colleen
Good find Guy , Thanks,I would have been thinking closer to '64 but I'll settle for Oct 31st 1963
I was off on the last name of one of the suspects, so I don't know where that came from,.memories are a strange thing,glad you found this article,.I sure wish I could spend some time going through these old archival papers & photograhs.that would be neat,.......HF&RV
Oh I wasn't off on the last name I had it right ,...Robert Moran......ahhhh the mind isn't total loss (yet)
HF&RV
I remembered his first name was Yvon. Hard to believe I didn't remember it happening on my birthday. I was living in Cote St. Paul at that time. I'm glad you found it, Guy. Good work!
Les,
The murder actually ocurred on the 26th of October 1963 but did not appear in the Guardian until the 31st since the issue came out once a week. I also wonder if some members may have known Robert Terrence Hawley who was from Verdun and would like to comment. He had to go to Verdun schools so somebody must have known him. I checked the Lovell directory and there were several Hawleys
in Verdun at that time, 4 on Bannantyne, one on 5th ave, one on Manning, one on Valiquette and one on Verdun Ave.
Robert Moran was a car salesman but it is not mentioned for what dealer.
Guy
Whatever happened to them?
Way to go, Guy!! Wish there were others as good as you with newspaper clippings in Montreal! I remembered the murder, as my mother wouldn't go anywhere near that neighbourhood at night after the shooting. Everyone was very upset about it, and my folks even talked about moving BACK to Montreal! I tried posting a note when this came up, and screwed up on the instructions...
That is most interesting.I remembver something about the case
Check out my Album no. 43. You can enlarge the photos and zoom in permitting you to read the text.
Guy
Robert Moran was my uncle. I very often google his name to read much of this man's history. He got out of prison in the early 90's and died shortly thereafter in the Maritimes. I can never defend what he did, however I must say that he finally 'made something of himself' and obtained a Criminolgy degree, something he knew much about.
Hi Pellatgirl & thank you for stopping by & sharing that info. Who knows what drives us to do things , the good thing is that sometimes people learn from their mistake & try to move on in a positive direction.Sadly the families (on both sides) also have to learn to accept or live with the outcome.
Again thanks for sharing: Cheers ! -LesF
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