Rough justice in the Gaspe

Yet another compelling argument against capital punishment. This case resonated throughout Quebec in the fifties and sixties. I clearly remember impassioned discussions about the execution years after it occurred and Pierre Trudeau raised the Coffin case in the House of Commons when he successfully argued against the death penalty in 1976.
"Record crowds lined the riverbanks outside a Montreal prison. As midnight drew near, many fell to their knees and prayed for the man facing execution.
Fifty years later, prayers will be said across Quebec this week to mark the anniversary of the death of Wilbert Coffin."