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BUTCHERY.A FAMILY OF FOUB PKBSOHS BUJB, AKD THEIB BODIES HOBBXELY MUTILATED.Arrest tf Pierre Provost for Having Com-aittod the Dssd.Threats of Lynohing are Heard, and the Jail is Being Guarded by 85 Men.Special Telegram to Evansville Courier.Vincennes, Oct. 25, 2 a. m.—Our quiet city was thrown into a terrible excitement early this morning by the news that a terrible wholesale murderhad been committed and that the victims were Desire Vacelet, his wife and two sons. Hundreds soon visited thescene of the awful tragedy, which is a farm-house three miles south of thecity on the E. T. H. road, on what is known as the Wise farm. A ghastly spectacle presented itself on entering the house, which is a dilapidated one story structure of two rooms. On a bed in the front room lay the body of the wife, Victoria Vacelet, aged 50years, her head almost cut from thebody, and murderous gashes on her head and face. Lying in the doorway leading to another room was the body of John Desire Vacelet, the husband, a pool of blood surrounding him, his head thrown back and his eyes staring fearfully. His body bore nine ghastly wounds. A bed in the next room contained the mangled bodies of John and Frank Vacelet, aged respectively 14 and 16 years. Their heads had been chopped and bruised in a brutal manner, so that the brains of both protruded in a most hideous manner. General disorder was noticeable everywhere, showing that the house had been ransacked for money or plunder. A hired man named Pierre Provost, a Frenchman, is suspected of having done thedeed, and the circumstances all tend to show that he is guilty. He claims to have narrowly escaped from six or seven men, who entered the house and did the bloody deed, but the window where he said he escaped from the house bears evidence of never having been raised. He says the deed was done as late as 3 A. M., while the physicians’ testimony shows it was done as early in the night as 11 o’clock. Blood was found spattered on the man’s shirt front and the crowd soon concluded that he was guilty of the deed, and there were loud threats of lynching.— The coroner’s jury adjourned over till 10 o’clock to-morrow.Provost is in jail. No danger is apprehended now. This is one of the most brutal murders that has ever occurred in tills county.Later.—The Sheriff has a posse of 25 men guarding the jail to-night, but at midnight no demonstrations of auy kind have iieen made.it IT 1___ *11
Newspaper Details
Carlisle Democrat
Carlisle, Indiana, US
Fri, Oct 25, 1878
Page 3
Full Page
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Indiana H.
IN, USA 16 Nov 2023
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