Dans un article du Moncton Transcript date vers 1931, on cite le suivant: "Inquest into Shooting of Miss Viola Surette opens and still is in Progress: Daughter of Camille Surette, Aged 21, Instantly Killed when Revolver is Discharged in Her Hom

e on Harper's Lane (rue a Moncton)- Witness tells how Tragedy Occured... Dans l'article on dit le suivant concernant la victime: "Viola Surette graduated from the Convent Notre Dame de Lourdes at St. Anselme in 1926, and was an accomplished pian

ist. She is survived by her father and mother Mr.and Mrs. Camille Surette, one sister Corinne, a student at the High School here, and two brothers, Algernon, at home, and Lionel, a student at the University of St. Josephh, Memramcook. (Gracieuse

té de M. Régis McCaie)

Extracted from the Moncton Transcript  Monday 18 June 1928:  Inquest Into Shooting Of Miss Viola Surrette Opens And Still is in Progress - Daughter of Camille Surette, Aged 21, Instantly Killed when Revolver is Discharged in Her Home on Harper'

s Lane - Witnesses Tell how Tragedy Occurred.

The inquest into the death of Viola Surrette, 21 years of age, a daughter of Camille Surrette, traveling auditor of the Canadian National Railways, who was shot in her home, 15 Harper's Lane here Sunday afternoon, by a revolver in the possessio

n of Leo Arsenault, opened this morning and was resumed in the afternoon.

Miss Corinne Surrette and Leo Arsenault on Sunday afternoon had been to Leger Corner where they had discharged the revolver several times and had walked back to the Surrette home about five o'clock.  On entering the house Miss Viola Surrette wa

s playing the piano in the parlor, and Miss Corinne and Mr. Arsenault  joined her in the parlor.  She asked to see the revolver and Arsenault gave it to her, it at the time being unloaded.  She returned to the piano and Arsenault sat down in a cha

ir next to the piano and on top of several pieces of sheet music and re-loaded the revolver.  Miss Surrette reached over to the chair on which Arsenault was sitting and pulled one of the pieces of music from underneath him and as she did so the re

volver discharged and shot her.

Rev. Fr. A. LeBlanc was summoned to the house as well as Dr. A. R. Landry, Policeman Welsh, and the coroner, Dr. E. A. Forbes.  Arsenault was taken to police station and, following an examination by Chief of Police Hutchinson, was released.

An inquest was begun this morning in the City Hall and after the evidence of Dr. A. R. Landry, Corinne Surrette, Camille Surrette and Leo Arsenault was taken, the coroner, Dr. H. H. Coleman, adjourned the session until the afternoon at two o'clock

, when the taking of evidence proceeded.

The Victim:  Viola Surrette graduated from the convent Notre Dame de Lourdes at St. Anselme in 1926, and was an accomplished pianist.  She is survived by her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Camille Surrette, one sister Corinne, a student at the Hi

gh School here, and two brothers, Algernon, at home, and Lionel, a student at the University of St. Joseph, Memramcook.

Dr. A. R. Landry:  Dr. A. R. Landry, physician and surgeon, testified at the inquest this morning that about 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, he was called to 15 Harper's Lane.  As he was entering the house he met Rev. Fr. A. LeBlanc coming out  and he sai

d he had administered the last rites of the church to a daughter of the house who had been shot.   The witness found the deceased lying on the floor in the parlor, her face covered with blood.  He was told it was a bullet wound.  He called the pol

ice and Officer Welsh came to the house.  He also called Dr. Forbes, the nearest coroner and he arrived and took charge.

Corinne Surette:  Corinne Surette, sister of the deceased, the next witness, said that she and Leo Arsenault came home about  5 o'clock on Sunday afternoon from Leger Corner.  Viola was in the parlor playing the piano, and she heard her mother an

d father talking in the kitchen.  Viola asked where they had been and Leo  told her they had been to Leger Corner shooting and she asked to see the gun.  It was not loaded and he showed it to her.  It was loaded at Leger Corner and he discharge

d it four times and the witness fired one shot.  Viola took the revolver into her hands and then gave it back to Leo and started to play the piano again.   While she was playing Leo re-loaded the revolver.

The gun was then displayed to the jury and showed four loaded shells and one empty shell.

Viola had finished the piece she was playing, the witness continued, and wanted other music which Leo had brought over and which was on the chair on which he was sitting.  She reached over to pull the music from underneath him and the revolver dis

charged.  Viola fell to the floor.

When asked if the revolver was in Arsenault's hands or his lap, the witness replied that she could not say.   Mr. Arsenault had the revolver on Sunday afternoon but it was not loaded.

Camille Surrette:  Camille Surrette, father of the victim, was next called.  He said that he and his wife were having supper in the kitchen at the time of the accident.  On hearing the shot, he rushed to the front of the house and met Corinne an

d Leo Arsenault in the hall.  He asked what had happened and they did not reply.  He went into the parlor and saw Viola lying on her back lengthwise of the piano and blood rushing from her mouth and nose.  `He spoke to her but she did not reply

, but she was still breathing.  He turned her over on her side hoping it would relieve her, by preventing the blood choking her.  When asked if he was aware that Arsenault and his daughter had a gun in the house he said he did not.

Police Officer Welsh:  Officer Welsh gave testimony concerning the call he received from Dr. Landry and his visit to the house.  He had secured as much information as possible from those in the house and asked Arsenault where the revolver was.  Ar

senault told him he had taken it to his own home.  When Chief Hutchinson arrived, he instructed Officer Welsh to take Arsenault to his home and get the gun and take Arsenault to the police station for an examination.  Arsenault took the gun fro

m a bureau drawer in his home and there was one empty chamber, and Arsenault had handed over to him the empty shell which he had in his pocket.

Leo Arsenault:  Leo Arsenault, the last witness before adjournment, said he was a messenger in the Provincial Bank of Canada here.  He corroborated the evidence of Miss Corinne Surrette concerning their walk to Leger's Corner and the use of the re

volver there.  When they returned to the Surrette home about five o'clock, Viola was in the front room playing piano.  She asked to see the gun and, as it was empty, the witness gave it to her.  She asked if the witness had brought over the musi

c and he replied that he had and handed same to her.  She laid several of the pieces on a chair next the piano stool and started playing.  The witness sat down on the chair and re-loaded the revolver.  He laid the gun on his lap and reached in hi

s pocket for a cigarette case, Viola had stopped playing and reached over to a sheet of music on which he was sitting and as she did so, the witness grabbed the revolver quickly and it discharged.  Viola fell to the floor, blood coming from her mo

uth and nose, Corinne and the witness rushed into the hall and met her father coming in.  He asked what had happened but witness did not reply.  The witness went to the telephone and called Rev. Fr. LeBlanc, but could not get a doctor so rushed ov

er to his own home and called central and asked her to get one and send him to the Surrette home.  He took the revolver home with him.  He then went back to the Surrette residence and met Dr. Landry who asked how it happened and he explained.  Th

e witness called the police station and Dr. A. E. Forbes.  Officer Welsh took him to the police station where he was detained until 5:30 or 6:45. After an interview with Chief Hutchinson he was released.

Afternoon session:  At the afternoon session,  Rev. A. LeBlanc, of Assomption Parish, gave evidence along the lines of other witnesses.

The second to give evidence this afternoon was L. G. Trempe, manager of the Provincial Bank of Canada.  He outlined the duties of Leo Arsenault, and also told of the various times when he was supposed, in the course of his duties, to carry a revol

ver.  He said that Arsenault did not have the permission of the bank to carry away the revolver on Sunday afternoon.

After summing up the evidence, the Coroner Dr. Coleman left the case with the jury. (Source : M. Reg McCaie)