by Fred Allen
“Yes, I had seen that press release about the Rosenburg brothers, but I doubt if many Canadians outside the field of the sciences would recognize the names.”
“Yes that’s very unfortunate. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the incipient anti-Semitism that exists in our country. Always denied, mind you, but I have encountered this flaw in our character many times.”
“Well, Michael, I can appreciate your problem in finding an explanation for this senseless tragedy. I’m not sure of the contribution I can make but I was always pretty close to Peter and, of course, my daughter and granddaughter, and I’ll give you my impressions, for what they are worth. Then, in a few days, you should come over and speak to Robert.”
He continued. “As I said earlier, Peter Marshall was a fine person. We became very close over the years. We had many of the same interests. He was an outdoors enthusiast and an ardent fisherman; not a hunter and you will find many soldiers who have had their fill of killing were the same as Peter and me. But he did share my hobby of hunting with a camera, and helped me to judge submissions to my annual “Let Them Live” photo/hunting contest.”
“It was only recently that I became concerned about Peter. Our paths crossed quite often and we usually had dinner or lunch together at least once a month. He seemed to have a lot of things on his mind but he was not prepared to sit down and talk about them in the way he had done so often in the past. My suspicions were that he did not want to talk to me about whatever was bothering him because it involved my daughter. With a sensitivity that was so typical of Peter, he felt that the subject would be painful to me. I did a little investigating on my own and found that I had been right. Most of the problem had been created by my daughter.”
‘Michael, I believe you know that I went overseas with the first Canadian contingent in 1939, and I was away from home for more than five years. When I went overseas my daughter was just thirteen. We had always been very close. We did all types of things together. In fact, friends would often say that Marie-Louise was very nearly the son I had always wanted. Complications that arose when she was born eliminated the possibility of additional children. My wife and I had some heated discussions about the “tomboy” tendencies of our daughter. My wife had some very clearly defined ideas of how a young lady should be brought up to take her rightful place in society. These did not include fishing, hiking, cross country skiing, canoeing and things like that.”
“When I returned from overseas, I found that the Marie-Louise who visited me in the hospital was very different from the daughter I had left behind. Under her mother’s guidance-and always done with the very best of intentions-Marie-Louise had taken up classical dance, figure skating, art appreciation, fashion designing and all similar activities that my wife regarded as so important to the well brought up young lady. But perhaps the greatest and most serious change I found in MarieLouise, was that she had become very self-centered and her circle of friends were all the products of mothers with aims similar to those of my wife. Marie-Louise became very good at everything she did so she was usually at the pinnacle in each area of endeavor in the eyes of her friends. The spot light can become very intoxicating and Marie-Louise came to deeply enjoy being the center of attention.”
“Michael, we hear so often about the sacrifice of our servicemen who spent years overseas, but the one sacrifice we don’t hear enough about is the disruption of family life. Those who left growing children behind lost the opportunity to make a contribution to the development of those children. The mothers did the best they could but the father’s influence was sorely missed and I feel just a little guilty for not being here during those critical years of Marie-Louise’s development.”
“When she married Peter, she noticed a sudden change. He was the famous war hero; he was the center of attention and I think this was the initial source of Marie-Louise’s resentment of him. I revealed my fears to my wife but she could see nothing wrong with the very talented and refined young lady she had molded. But what she couldn’t see was that Marie-Louise was just not adapting to Peter’s world.”
“It now appears that this combination of selfishness and resentment drove her to relationships which, if they could not replace her past, at least they would serve as a reminder of the past. She joined up with her old school friend Anita Lafontaine who was now a widow. Peter’s duties kept him away from home a lot and Marie-Louise found there was no shortage of admirers in Anita’s circle of friends. I believe that all of this was very innocent but the family spent all of their summers, Christmas holidays and most school breaks here in Quebec City, and somewhere along the line she reestablished a relationship with an old boy friend who is now a prominent doctor here in Quebec City. I have no way of knowing what their original relationship amounted to, but the doctor was then a medical student and a member of a very prominent local family and, as such, would have enjoyed a high approval rating from my wife. There is no way of knowing whether Peter caught her on the rebound, but Peter and Marie-Louise eloped less than two months after her former boyfriend’s engagement was announced to the daughter of an even more socially prominent local family.”
“I have had my suspicions for a long time, but it was only recently that I could confirm that Marie-Louise had entered into an affair with her old boy friend. The affair continued to flourish during her frequent visits to Quebec City and, according to Robert, he even visited her in Fredericton. Robert thought he had recognized him while baby sitting at Anita’s house but was violently rebuffed by his mother when he asked for the identity of the man he had seen her with there . Somewhere along the line, Peter came across one of the boy friend’s letters containing several indiscreet passages and he confronted Marie-Louise. Of course, she denied everything but this ended up in a mutual agreement to participate in marriage counseling.”
“I think Peter went into the marriage counseling sessions determined to do anything he could to save the marriage. I know he was still in love with Marie-Louise and true love dies hard with men like Peter. But he also wanted to save his family. Sandy seemed to be drifting and Robert was also worried about the family. When Peter last left Quebec City to take the family back to Fredericton, he seemed very pre-occupied. And now they’re gone and all we have left is Robert and Wee Willie.” His voice cracked at this stage and I was sure that tears were welling up in his eyes.
He paused for a few minutes before continuing. “I know that you want to speak to Robert and I really appreciate the fact that you are giving him a little time. I’m sure that you will be very impressed with this boy. He’s so much like his father in both physical resemblance and personality. I think the little fellow will follow his example and that’s exactly what Robert wants. Perhaps you could visit us on Monday afternoon. I’m afraid Mrs. Ross will not be with us for a while. She took this very hard. If there is anything further you think I can offer,
I’d appreciate it if you would hold off until Monday. I’m feeling just a bit tired this evening.”
I thanked him as I showed him to the door and heard his car start up and drive off. I had increased respect for the Colonel who had always been a great companion on the ice although a determined competitor. This session must have been extremely painful for him as he spoke so candidly about his only child. He had helped me tremendously towards some understanding of the tragedy and what was always my primary objective in all these incidents-to understand the whole picture.
On Friday, November 23rd we had received our final reports from the Medical Examiner in Riviere-du-Loup late in the afternoon. The causes of death were confirmed but there were several additional pieces of forensic evidence for includion in the Incident File. First were the estimated times of death. Sara Rosenburg had been the first to die and this had probably occurred early on Wednesday, Nov 13th. Her husband had probably died late on Thursday and approximately the same time was fixed for Sandy Marshall. Marie-Louise had died early in the morning of Friday.
Nov 15th and Peter had died about twelve hours later at about the same time that Inspector Bertin had reported sighting Robert and the baby on County Road #15. The only additional information that came out of the autopsies was that Sandy was about three months pregnant and that Peter had had a fairly high alcohol content in his blood.
The information on Sandy and Peter represented the type of information that might be of importance where the incident had any suggestion of criminal acts, but they were just the type of information that could cause great pain to innocent parties without making any significant contribution to either solutions or greater understanding. It was my decision that all of these details such as times of death, Sandy’s delicate condition and Peter’s imbibing would become classified information and released only on a “Need to know” basis. It was my considered opinion that there was absolutely no one who “needed to know” this information.
The following day I found it necessary to implement my “considered opinion” when I had a phone call from Lawrence Martin the Attorney-General of New Brunswick. He said that this was a personal call and would appreciate it if I did not tape record our conversation. I agreed.
He asked for an update on our ongoing investigation, and I brought him up to date on all the information I had decided to release. He then told me that he had had a visit from Marie-Louise’s friend Anita Lafontaine who had raised a question. He also reported that he had a son that was nearly out of his mind and he suspected that his anxiety was related to the question raised by Anita. He asked that both his question and the answer be kept in complete confidence. Again I agreed.
“Did the post mortem indicate that Sandy Marshall was pregnant?”
Without the slightest hesitation I answered “Absolutely not!” He thanked me, and just as he was hanging up I heard a second click as if there had been some one else listening in on a second line.
I offer no apology for telling Lawrence Martin an utter falsehood. Both the Coroner’s Report and the Report of the Medical Examiner had testified to Sandy’s condition as a result of separate examinations. But, in my opinion, there was just no need for Lawrence Martin to know. Sandy was dead and beyond the reach of mortal pain. Such pain could now only visit those who loved her, and I could see absolutely no reason to add to the pain they had already suffered.
On Saturday, Nov 23rd, the police helicopter had taken me out to the scene where only the vehicles remained, and recovery vehicles were at the bridge preparing to tow both vehicles back to Riviere-du-Loup. I walked from the site of the accident to the Sports Camp and found that Inspector Bertin had described everything in his usual accurate and thorough manner. The Levis QPP Detachment Commander, Staff-Sergeant Therrien, was still there as were the two policemen from his detachment who had been snowbound at the Tourist Information Bureau. The three of them were packing up and were preparing to close the investigation site just as soon as the two vehicles were under tow.
On Monday, December 2nd, I called Walter Ross and he suggested that I come to his house at two o’clock to speak to Robert. When I arrived, Walter showed me into the den were he introduced me to Robert. He rose and shook my hand. He was very tall for his age and the resemblance to the pictures I had seen of his father was unmistakable. I was soon aware that there was someone else in the room. Wee Willie’s playpen was on the other side of the room and he was standing up saying something that sounded like “Hello”. He was not alone in the playpen because Churchill the rapidly growing
Newfoundland puppy was with him, and,by wagging his tail, appeared to be adding his words of welcome.
“And this,” said Walter Marshall, “Of course is Wee Willie and his newfound friend Churchill of Newfoundland. They get along very well, although the name Churchill is still too much for Willie. To him Churchill is still just “Doggie” but Churchill seems to understand. Churchill is our third Newfoundland dog. First, there was Wellington, then Nelson, and now Churchill. I brought Wellington back after working in Newfoundland and Labrador for ten years on hydro surveys. I developed a deep respect for the people of Newfoundland and these dogs are very much like the people. They are strong, intelligent, brave, friendly and gentle. They’re great with kids.”
I turned back to Robert and told him that I was about to close the Incident File but felt that the file should not be closed before I spoke to the only surviving eye witness with the exception, of course, of Wee Willie. On hearing his name, Willie gurgled, but for the remainder of the interview I was aware of him standing in the corner of the play pen with his friend Churchill and those big brown eyes never leaving his brother.
“Well, Robert, I think the best way to start is for you to tell me just what happened out there. I may take a few notes to refresh my memory. First, I understand you are twelve years old?”
“Nearly thirteen,” Robert interjected. “I’ll be thirteen in January.”
His account started with how the family station wagon had moved along the county road followed by the big black Cadillac.
“It was late in the afternoon and the black car had been following us pretty well since we left Quebec City. The driver of the other car appeared determined to follow us closely and at times was that close that his headlights were caught in our rear view mirrors. The glare seemed to be bothering my father as the visibility decreased. The car was almost on our rear bumper when we came over the hill leading down the steep hill to the bridge. The hill seemed to be very slippery and we swerved when we hit the ramp leading onto the bridge and slid sideways and came to a sudden stop at what turned out to be a big snowdrift in the middle of the bridge. The car behind us must have swerved too because it clipped us and broke our rear window and crashed into one of the cement pillars on the wall of the bridge.”
Robert went on to tell of the transfer of his family to the big Cadillac where it was much more comfortable. “The old lady seemed all right at first and she was very kind to us. They seemed to have lots of food in the trunk of the car and she made sandwiches for us and showed us how to heat Wee Willie’s bottle in their “jiffy pot” which we just plugged into one of the cigarette lighters. The weather was getting worse and later in the evening the old gentleman joined my father in the station wagon saying that he was going to smoke a cigar. Before he left, he showed me how to start the engine and adjust the car heater so we could keep the interior warm, and how to use the turn signal to signal him if we had any problems.”
Robert told us that early Wednesday morning he had just started the engine and turned up the heater when he noticed that the old lady seemed to be looking at him through eyes that were wide open but she did not seem to be breathing. He told Sandy and his sister reached over to check the pulse in the old lady’s throat. Sandy had just shaken her head and told Robert that she thought Mrs. Rosenburg was dead. Their mother heard this and nearly freaked out. Robert had signaled to the station wagon and his father made his way over through the blowing snow. He also checked the old lady’s pulse and agreed that she was dead. Their mother was very nearly hysterical and their father quieted her down a bit. His father had gone back to the station wagon and told Mr. Rosenburg and the old man was really broken up. His father then went back to the station wagon and returned with part of the bug screen taken from the back compartment in the wagon, and Robert and his father moved the old lady’s body over to the small construction shack beside the ramp leading up to the bridge.
The weather had been so bad that it took them a long time to struggle through the heavy snow to the shack. His father laid Mrs. Rosenburg on the floor of the shack and covered her with a blanket. When they got back to the Cadillac, they found his mother was still very upset, near hysteria. Their father tried to quiet their mother but without much success. She pleaded with his father to take her back to the station wagon. His father brought Mr. Rosenburg back to the Cadillac and then took his mother over to the station wagon. His father then told Robert to sit beside Mr. Rosenbu
rg and start the engine and adjust the heater as he had been doing earlier.
Late that night the old man got out of the car saying that he wanted to smoke a cigar, and Robert assumed he had made his way over to the station wagon. Through the frost coated windshield and side window Robert could not really see where the old man had gone. Sometime early on Thursday morning Robert fell asleep. He awoke several hours later when he heard Wee Willie crying. Sandy was gone. Robert signaled several times with the turn signal before he could make out the figure of his father making his way towards him. Robert was heart broken because he had fallen asleep, but his father reassured him that he would look for Sandy. It was only when his father asked him about Mr. Rosenburg that he realized that the old man had not gone to the station wagon.
Robert had kept the car warm and looked after the baby for the remainder of the day and waited for his father to come back to give him further instructions. When he came back later that night he told Robert to bundle up Wee Willie, put him into his car seat. and They would try and make it to the building just over the top of the hill. They put Wee Willie in his car seat and fixed the car seat on the bug screen with the screen acting as an improvised sled. His father rigged up a towline to help Robert to pull their sled and they started up the hill. They made their way up the hill but only with great difficulty. The weather had improved a bit but there were big wind-packed snow drifts and where the steep slope was either bare or lightly snow covered it was very slippery. After nearly an hour of very hard work they reached the top of the hill.