On an earlier blog entry I posted this pic above, of the Crepeaus in Atlantic City, circa 1927.
I had just seen the PBS program Prohibition and it occured to me that maybe my grandfather Jules Crepeau was on a type of work vacation. He was Director of City Services of Montreal between 1920-1930. And Montreal was 'wet' during Prohibition, which caused some organized crime types to move up here.
Anyway, I am writing a story called Milk and Water about Jules in 1927. I am having him meet up with my husband's grandfather, Thomas Wells, President of Laurentian Spring Water. The book is about water not booze, but I may have no choice but to 'add some wine to the water.' I'd already decided to have the story play out during the visit of Edward VIII, when he was Prince of Wales.. August, it was.
Anyway, today, I flipped through the Fong bio of McConnell, to read about Rodolphe Forget (a relation of Jules') and all the business goings on related to Power and Trams in Monteal. In the 10's and 20's. Very complicated.
Then I decided to surf the net to see if anything new was available on Jules.
Well, yes. Something really interesting popped up. And now I'm having fun!
The trouble is, it is on Google books and I can only read snippets. But it confirmed that Jules had something to do with the liquor trade... This document is a United States report to Congress on Prohibition, 1926.
Someone is pissed at GrandPapa!
The snippet... "I have been told between the different departments and between the departments and between the public and any service..(DESCRIBING JOB)The superintendent contends and Mr. Jules Crepeau is above him and what proves this beyond doubt is the liberty taken by the latter to order the suspension and even the withdrawal of cases taken against theatres which have been prosecuted and against which complaints had been taken by the superintendent of police. (pages cited)Which proves more fully the above is the liberty, really too extensive, which he took at the inquiry, suspending Constable Conrad Trudeau for reasons absolutely outside the accomplishment of his duties and just at the time when Trudeau had revealed in his evidence the strange actions of Mr. Crepeau. It is regrettable that the Chief should be...(end of snippet).
I managed to wangle another snippet, which mentions that someone high up in City Hall interfered with the Superintendent of Police over the bail of some prisoner.. but that's it.
I can't figure out how to get this book.. I will try. But it proves what I suspected...The US Government was concerned with Montreal and my grandfather was a player in all this...So maybe this was a work vacation, after all.
