Butcher butchers butcher: Murder at St. Anne's Market

One local butcher thought himself quite the cut up, so his colleague cut him up.
   It was the evening of August 4, 1887. Dennis Carroll and John Connors worked neighbouring butcher's stalls at St. Ann's Market (now the Youville Square parking lot at the foot of McGill St.) but while they may have competed cheek-by-jowl, they weren't always neighbourly to each other.
   It seems Conners liked to play tricks on the older Carroll, and he pestered the guy for the best part of a decade. But this fine August evening, something snapped inside Carroll and he grabbed one of his knives and took bloody revenge on his tormentor.
   It was scandalous when it was reported 120 years ago, and still quite gripping today.
   Here are three press accounts:

MURDER IN MONTREALLa Patrie, Friday 5 August 1887
"The horrible tragedy takes place at St. Anne's Market"
"Quarrel between two butchers"

Montreal has registered another murder. It's incredible how much sad news there has been in the past week.

It was about seven thirty yesterday, when this appalling drama unfolded in St. Anne's market.

Two butchers, named Connors and John Carroll, respectively, who occupied neighbouring stalls, became involved in a quarrel when suddenly, Carroll flashed a knife and stabbed his adversary violently in the throat, leaving him to die on the cobblestones.

An ambulance from the General Hospital was quickly summoned, but the unfortunate Connors was already dead.

The murderer is an old man of 64 (?) years of age, married, a father, living on College Street, and enjoyed a generally good reputation until this day.

While the arresting officer, Sergeant Senecal, was walking him to the station, he seemed [word illegible] and unable to grasp the enormity of the crime he had committed. He was placed in jail.

The victim, Connors, was 45 years of age. His body was transported to the hospital and then to the morgue.

The reason for the quarrel was explained as follows: Connors, who was much younger than his neighbour, was in the habit of teasing, playing word games at his expense, with the intention of mocking him. Yesterday evening, he wanted to amuse himself at his expense, but Carroll, who it appears was partially intoxicated, suddenly became furious and took revenge for these insults in the terrible manner that we now know.

We saw the old murderer this morning.

He appears to be dreanged. He does not wish to believe that Conners is dead.

He smiles slightly when we spoke to him about the crime and claims that we are making fun of him. He adds that Connors laughed at him for ten years, that he did all sorts of obnoxios things to him and that yesterday evening, he had been drinking before he struck with his knife.

The inquest takes place at 3 o'clock this afternoon.

It will be presided over by coroner Jones. (Translated from the French. -- JDG)

DELIBERATE MURDER IN MONTREALQuebec Chronicle - "Canadian Reports"
Friday 5 August 1887

John Carroll and M. O'Connor, two butchers, have not been agreeing very well lately, and this afternoon O'Connor went up to Carroll and said he was doing all the business and he had better close up his stall. This vexed Carrol, who seized a carving knife and ran at O'Connor and cut his throat to such an extent that he died immediately after. Carroll has been arrested on a charge of murder.

Carroll's victim
La Patrie, Saturday 6 August 1887

Dennis O'Connor, the victim of Carroll, was born at Sligo, Ireland in 1834 [? unclear date]. He practiced the profession of butchery here. He was well known and enjoyed an excellent reputation. He raised a large family and had five surviving children. He was one of the owners of parish seating at St. Patrick. O'Connor lived at 2663 [?] Notre Dame Street.
[From the French -- JDG]