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Three daily newspapers, the Free Press, the Citizen and the Journal all ccompeted for readership in 1908. The Free Press was absorbed by the Journal in 1919. The Journal shut down in 1980, leaving the Citizen as the sole survivor.

Source:

Office of The Free Press, S.W. corner of Elgin and Queen Streets, Ottawa, Ontario, Apr., 1892 (Topley Studio Fonds / Library and Archives Canada / PA-033938.)

Last Trip: The Death of Alfred Bonenfant / 27

More Rumours

O'Meara and Wright quickly determined that Alfred Nadon was talking about an unrelated occurrence since it had taken place at a considerable distance from where Alfred Bonenfant's body was found and about an hour after the accident.

Moreover, the dispute had been witnessed by Hull police constable Napoléon D'Aoust who came upon it shortly after Nadon did. Two men were indeed arguing with a cab driver but when they saw the policeman approaching all three suddenly forgot their quarrel and hurriedly dispersed. Nobody brandished a bottle and nobody was knocked down.

The police had now wrapped up the case to their satisfaction and the Saturday evening editions of the Citizen and Journal reported their findings in detail.

Unfortunately the noon edition of another paper -- probably Ottawa's third competing daily, the Free Press -- was already on the streets with Alfred Nadon's discredited story on the front page. The rumour mill began to work overtime churning out even wilder tales than the ones that were already circulating.

According to one story a well-known local baseball player had batted a home run using Bonenfant's head. Idiotic though it was, some people took the baseball rumour seriously and phoned the police department with inquiries. The Journal hinted at even stranger rumours that it declined to print.