| Biography | Del Fontaine, born Raymond Henry Bousquet, was a Canadian boxer who fought between 1925 and 1935. He is most notable within boxing for winning the Canadian middleweight boxing championship in 1926 and again in 1931. In 1932 he travelled to Britain to continue his boxing career, and began a relationship with Hilda Meeks of Bristol. In 1935, Fontaine was arrested and convicted of the murder of Miss Meeks and was hanged at Wandsworth Prison.
In early 1931 Fontaine travelled from Canada to the United Kingdom by cattle boat to further his boxing career. Over the next three years Fontaine faced many of Britain's most successful middleweight boxers, including Billy Bird, Jack Casey, Gipsy Daniels, Tommy Farr, Jack Hyams and Harry Mason. From his arrival in the UK, Fontaine's fight record was good with 23 wins, 4 losses and 3 draws, but from November 1933 his form took a terrible reversal with 4 wins, 16 losses and 2 draws. This string of poor results would later be used as Fontaine's defence during his murder trial, with his defence counsel stating he was "punch drunk" and therefore of diminished responsibility.
Although Fontaine had a wife and children back in Canada, he had begun a two-year relationship with Hilda Meeks whilst living in Britain. On 10 July 1935, she was caught by Fontaine making a date with another man on the telephone. Fontaine, who was known to drink, confronted Meeks. Meeks' mother came into the room to protect her daughter and Fontaine pulled out a revolver. Fontaine fatally shot her and fired a second shot into her mother.
The Milwaukee Journal reported that Fontaine told police, 'I shot the girl I really cared for...She has ruined my life, home and children. She had her fortune told by a gipsy, who said she would be murdered in three years I said 'By God, no', and I did not think I would be the one to do it.' (The Milwaukee Journal 19 July 1935)
At the trial Fontaine's defence contended that the boxer was suffering from acute depression and was probably "punch drunk". The defence called upon Ted Lewis, a former welterweight champion, who stated "Del shouldn't have been in the ring at all for his last fight. He wasn't in a fit state. ... As a boxer, he has received more punishment than anyone I have ever seen." Meeks' father countered the claim believing that Fontaine had thrown his later fights. Fontaine was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.
By the time the execution date had been decided, protests had started pleading for a reprieve. A long petition was delivered, but to no avail. On the morning of 29 October 1935 a crowd gathered outside Wandsworth Prison, hymns were sung and politicians made anti-capital punishment speeches.That morning Fontaine was executed. |