This triplex, built in 1925 at 4833 de Grandpre (now a coop and evaluated at $640,000!) once hosted unfathomable tragedy.
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The geography was not kind to Victor Benson and his wife nor their five children: Bernard, (b. 1921) Johnnie, (b. 1937), Jeanette, (b. 1935), Phoebe (b. 1939) and Barbara (b. c. 1922).
Within the decade In a short span of time after moving into the building in 1939, three of the kids would die and the father would be seriously burnt, all in four separate calamities.
Benson, who worked at the Montreal Locomotive Works in the power house, saw the first heartbreak when eldest son Bernard, then aged 24, was killed in battle at the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The young soldier was cited for valour.
And then John, aged just nine years old, was killed in one of the city's most shocking deaths, as he bled to death after being was sexually molested and stabbed and buried in the snow on the Park Ave. side of Mount Royal on February 24, 1945.
The boy loved the mountain and knew his way around it well. On that afternoon he left his home on De Grandpre at around 2 p.m. to ski on the mountain and visit the grave of his recently-deceased uncle.
He apparently came across Rolland Charles Chasse, 43, an unemployed homeless man living at the Meurling shelter.
Chasse had a habit of photographing children and then luring them back at a later date with prints of the photos he took.
John was found dead, sporting his Habs sweater. He had been bound, stabbed and buried in the snow. Another little boy located his body a couple of hours later.
Edward Collins, 38, confessed to the crime but he was not deemed credible and was transferred to an insane asylum.
Police interviewed about 150 people before receiving a tip fingering Chasse on an anonymous postcard send from the shelter.
They could not find the potential witness who sent the card in spite of a $100 reward.
Chasse - who had previously been arrested for loitering - was woken at the refuge and arrested by officers Allain and Fitzpatrick on April 18, 1945.
They showed him photos of the event, then turned off the lights and one of the officers imitated the boy crying. He denied any involvement. This lasted about six hours.
About 36 hours after being arrested Chasse was questioned anew, on a very empty stomach and he finally confessed to the crime after overhearing the officers threaten to bring him to a certain "Dr. Plouffe."
According to his confession, Chasse – who had enlisted for the war effort but was released due to his physical condition – complimented the boy on his skis and then walked with him to the second gully on the mountainside, (about half a mile from Park Ave.) then tripped him, kicked him in the face, stabbed him in the groin with a pocketknife (the fatal wound) and then sexually assaulted the boy as he bled to death.
Chasse, a thin, greying and balding ex-con later said that he only confessed because he feared that he would be beaten.
His confession was deemed legal and he was found guilty by jury in June, in spite of a dogged effort from his legal team that included Jean Drapeau. An appeal failed and Chasse was sentenced to hang. He was hanged by the neck until dead at Bordeaux prison on February 15, 1946.
The next tragedy to strike the beleagured family occurred when Barbara sister, then aged 23 died of pneumonia sometime between 1945 and 1948.
And finally on January 8, 1948 their home was slammed by a blast and fire. Father Victor suffered life-threatening wounds, including a broken jaw and perforated chest. We assume he survived.
The geography was not kind to Victor Benson and his wife nor their five children: Bernard, (b. 1921) Johnnie, (b. 1937), Jeanette, (b. 1935), Phoebe (b. 1939) and Barbara (b. c. 1922).Within the decade In a short span of time after moving into the building in 1939, three of the kids would die and the father would be seriously burnt, all in four separate calamities.
Benson, who worked at the Montreal Locomotive Works in the power house, saw the first heartbreak when eldest son Bernard, then aged 24, was killed in battle at the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The young soldier was cited for valour.
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| Johnnie Benson, murdered on Mt. Royal |
The boy loved the mountain and knew his way around it well. On that afternoon he left his home on De Grandpre at around 2 p.m. to ski on the mountain and visit the grave of his recently-deceased uncle.
He apparently came across Rolland Charles Chasse, 43, an unemployed homeless man living at the Meurling shelter.
Chasse had a habit of photographing children and then luring them back at a later date with prints of the photos he took.
John was found dead, sporting his Habs sweater. He had been bound, stabbed and buried in the snow. Another little boy located his body a couple of hours later.
Edward Collins, 38, confessed to the crime but he was not deemed credible and was transferred to an insane asylum.
Police interviewed about 150 people before receiving a tip fingering Chasse on an anonymous postcard send from the shelter.
They could not find the potential witness who sent the card in spite of a $100 reward.
Chasse - who had previously been arrested for loitering - was woken at the refuge and arrested by officers Allain and Fitzpatrick on April 18, 1945.
 |
| Bernard Benson, killed in battle |
About 36 hours after being arrested Chasse was questioned anew, on a very empty stomach and he finally confessed to the crime after overhearing the officers threaten to bring him to a certain "Dr. Plouffe."
According to his confession, Chasse – who had enlisted for the war effort but was released due to his physical condition – complimented the boy on his skis and then walked with him to the second gully on the mountainside, (about half a mile from Park Ave.) then tripped him, kicked him in the face, stabbed him in the groin with a pocketknife (the fatal wound) and then sexually assaulted the boy as he bled to death.
Chasse, a thin, greying and balding ex-con later said that he only confessed because he feared that he would be beaten.
His confession was deemed legal and he was found guilty by jury in June, in spite of a dogged effort from his legal team that included Jean Drapeau. An appeal failed and Chasse was sentenced to hang. He was hanged by the neck until dead at Bordeaux prison on February 15, 1946.
The next tragedy to strike the beleagured family occurred when Barbara sister, then aged 23 died of pneumonia sometime between 1945 and 1948.
And finally on January 8, 1948 their home was slammed by a blast and fire. Father Victor suffered life-threatening wounds, including a broken jaw and perforated chest. We assume he survived.