OK. Time to get to it. Because I just found the missing puzzle pieces to my story Milk and Water, about Montreal in 1927.
The Coderre Inquiry into Police Corruption in Montreal, fingered my grandfather, Jules Crepeau, at least as someone who could tell the police what to do.
During the Commission someone claims that Alderman Brodeur, the Chairman of the Executive Committee is "Spiritual Director of the Police Department."
It is likely he was only taking instructions from the Executive Committee at City Hall.
This Commission was called because in January 1923, a doctor from the Montreal General Hospital gave a speech before the Canadian Club and said Montreal was the SIN CAPITAL of North America and blamed Civic Management.
Within a short while a Committee of 16 was struck (representing different social groups) and they held a closed session in City Council, mid January.
One of the groups in this Committee, the Rotary Club. Kiwanis was another. There was a French Cathoic Priest, but most Committee members appear ANGLOPHONE.
Anyway, Juge Coderre (himself once an alderman tainted by accusations of corruption (TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE) held his inquiry.
His report came out condemning the Police and the Executive Committee. (Ald Trepanier, my grandfather's 'friend' gave some damning testimony). The Report made the papers. It was republished in books by Temperance Types. And parts of it was repeated to the Senate Hearings on Prohibition by a W. E. Raney. And then it was forgotten. At least according to a history site of the University of Sherbrooke.
(City Hall's own site says that Mayor Charles Duquette affected some changes.)
I believe the scholarly site. Why? Because it makes more sense. That site claims that the Executive Committee saw this Commission as a ruse to get them out of power.
Anyway, so perfect. Here I have T. G. Wells, a founder of Rotary in Montreal, selling his soft drinks to bars, often bribing the bartender. (My father in law says that.)
Rotary Members were supposed to have 'honest' companies, and what's more honest and pure than water. But they got into the soft drink business in the mid twenties, when, ironically, soft drinks were starting to be used as mixers, because bootlegged boozed didn't taste too good.
My grandfather will have fun with that.. and the fact Wells' wife, my husband's grandmother, smuggled booze into the US on train trips, hiding it under her children's pillows. "Don't disturb the kids."
That's the truth. I add some fiction, when I have him and my grandfather sit outside a dance club, after hours, waiting for the Prince of Wales to show, to make sure he has pure water to drink.
