"GIRL'S ASSAILANT AN EX-CONVICT," Montreal Gazette. January 10, 1913. Page 8.
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Furnace Man, Who Attacked Little Girl in Convent, Identified.
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CHILD WILL RECOVER.
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Katie Marks at Hospital, but Physicians Say That She Will Be Able to Appear.
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Charged with having assaulted twelve-year-old Katie Marks, in the basement of the Convent of Our Lady of Good Counsel, corner of Craig and Fanet streets, Cyrille Chartrand, who was only recently released from St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary, was arraigned yesterday morning before Judge Lanctot.
It is alleged that after having beaten the little girl until she was almost unconscious and her head and face was badly battered, while her clothing was almost torn from her body, Chartrand attempted to burn her by opening the furnace door and shoving her head first into the blazing fire. How the child got away from her assailant is not yet known, but she managed to drag herself to the kitchen of the convent where the sight of her head and face bathed in blood almost frightened to death one of the sisters, who hearing the child moan, turned and saw her standing in the doorway of the kitchen. It was impossible to recognize her at first, owing to her face being covered with blood and ashes, and it was a moment or two before the sister realized the child was one of the pupils of the school. The little girl was only able to say that a man downstairs had beaten her and tried to burn her in the furnace. Dr. Duckett was summoned to the convent, while one of the pupils was sent for the child's mother. On seeing the serious condition of the child, Dr. Duckett advised that she should be sent to an hospital, and an ambulance was called from the General Hospital.
IDENTIFIED ASSAILANT.
Before the ambulance arrived at the convent, the mother and brother of the child reached there from their home, 76b Wolfe street, only a few blocks away. When they heard what had happened, from the lips of the child, who spoke in Russian to them, the mother understanding no other language, they rushed downstairs into the basement of the building. The brother, who is 25 years of age, appeared a moment later in the room where the injured child was, holding Chartrand, and asking her if he was the man. The little one, who became terribly excited on catching sight of Chartrand in the doorway, exclaimed, "Yes, yes; that is the man. Take him away."
The brother and mother might have wreaked their vengeance on Chartrand then and there, but were persuaded not to do anything rash. He strongly denied he was responsible for the condition the child was in, and it was thought, perhaps, that she might in her excited condition, be making a mistake. Chartrand took matters very coolly and even assisted the ambulance driver to back his team into the sidewalk when it came to take the child to the hospital.
FLED FROM POLICE.
But when the police arrived from the East Craig street station a few minutes later he had disappeared. From information gathered by the police at the convent, it was learned that Chartrand had relatives residing at 130 Workman street, Ste. Cunegonde. The police hurried there and found Chartrand. He had arrived there a few minutes ahead of them and was changing his clothes when they reached the house. They took the clothes he had taken off, and brought them along with him to the Fast Craig street station. But they were unable to find a blue sweater that he wore while working around the basement of the convent during the morning, and it is thought he must have burned it in the furnace.
When taken to police headquarters yesterday, to be photographed and measured, Chartrand was recognized as an ex-convict. He was sentenced to St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary in 1906, for a term of six years for theft, and was only released from there a couple of months ago.
From what could be learned yesterday from the mother of the child, who had been to see her at the General Hospital, the little one had arrived at the convent Wednesday morning a few minutes before the doors of the school were open. Chartrand was clearing the snow from the sidewalk. As it was cold she accepted his suggestion that she should go into the furnace room for a few minutes until the doors were opened. She said that she had hardly got inside the door when he entered, and closing the door after him attacked her. She fought as hard as she could, but was not strong enough for him and he beat her on the head with his fists and tore her clothing in the struggle When she raw him open the furnace door and tried to thrust her in, she broke away from him and got to the stairway lending to the kitchen. He made no attempt to follow her, and she managed to climb up the stairway to the kitchen where she met the sister.
It is not thought by the police that Chartrand intended to burn the child, but that if he opened the furnace door, as she claims he did, it was to try and frighten her into submitting to him.
Chartrand pleaded not guilty before Judge Lanctot and was remanded until next Thursday for trial.
It was said at the General Hospital yesterday, that while the child's condition was considered serious, her recovery was looked for, and that she would probably be able to appear against Chartrand next week.
