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IDEAS.ie Late nclali had,an cDonald. be says, we. bad idiaaa is at it can al caleu t by the* from the raocraticIt of (,}« nown \action It will d finallyor party b good ?” re iB no not tftVlt; publican controltbe nextof doing position sideutiul cted opr will beI in the gislativeial ques-sidentialII gradu-efore the •ly open-rill havewill havo or ?’)llar bas our cur-3cie pay-ie shock dd. We to opou eraentin s of thoattorn pt 1 the re*to repeal er, that ie should ! Senate il-tender Is. Tbe s reoeiv-)uid also a as well ere can’t reaaury. of equal i will be Lbem for tassed at ie retire-These reason-I the re-i will not :h manyirition to died bys simply ot think the for-y. They i be ex-7. The ho tried r which otcs cast There mtry on ■ats car*tack ele-ower iniraocrats ly by ajalt*.irly re-bw con-shed in ys: “I it I was This is Bsue be-tfationaland it ; out of , in the ugbt so n ought erthrow e minds pied by cy took r other, omy, or m to be re pop0 other iterest.” y clause e party, Instead tform— te Stale rength-1 in this i beatenabout 3 of the nocrats, Nation-rity ofts, par-been so season, sr was reatber j inva-al parr tioe of g there in it a ed and wives.HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.An AwM Tragedy Near Vincennes.A Family of Four Persons Slaughtered With Axes Arrest of the Supposed Murderer.Special Dispatch to the Enquirer.Vincennes, Ind., Oct. 24.—Early this morning, as the merchants and mechanics began the preparation for the day’s .business, a rumor began circulating that a family residing near the city had been foully murdered in cold blood during the night. The report spread wjtb great rapidity, and already great excitement existed, when a messenger arrived at the Sheriff’s office, notifying him that the family of John D. Vueelot, consisting of himselft wife and two children, hatKifeen literally slaugh tered during the night.The Sheriff’s Deputies and Acting , cOprQner Heidenrich immediately repaired to the scene of the murder, wbifch was a farm about four miles east of tbe city, the property of W. J. Wise, and occupied by Vacelot as a tenant. The farm is about three-quarters of a milo off of the main road, and about two hundred yards from the track of the Evansville Railroad. Tho house, which is an an cient, primitive structure, bearing upon its exterior the evidence of old age, consists of three rooms, two of which were used as sleeping-rooms and one as a lumber-room. The house is reached by a wagon-road leading through a dense growth of scrub oak and brush. It is sur rounded on two Bides, north and east, by this forest of oak, and on the south and west lies the land cultivated by Vacelot before his untimely death. A more lonely, dreary spot could scarcely be found, no neighbors living within a mile of tbe place. When your representative reached the scene there were already five or six hundred persons from the city and neighborhood collected, viewing the ghastly spectacle.John D. Vacelot, tbe murdered man, was a simple, quiet, inoffensive French farmer, retaining much of the characteristics of the early French settlers, and lived at peace with all bis neighbors. He was especially retiring and unobtrusive, and was supposed to have no enemies. He was fifty-five years of age, and had lived in this vicinity nearly thirty years. He was well known in the city as the Sexton in former years of the Catholic Cemotcry and Janitor of tbe Cathedral. His wife was five yOfwa younger, and bas for several years supplied a uumber of our citizens with vegetables, tho product of the farm. The two sons, Frank and John, aged respectively sixteen and fourteen, were good-looking, strong fellows, and assisted their father with tbe work of tho farm.The other character who figures in tho tragedy is Pierre Provost, the suspected* murderer, who is about forty-five years of age, and weighs about 160 pounds. Ho came a stranger in February last, and was hired by Vacelot to work on the farm. He represented himself as just from France, and speaks no English. Ho is not specially a bad-looking man. His story is as follows : He says ho was awakened at half-past three o’clock by a noise in the house, and saw several men struggling with tbe inmates, and that he immediately jumpod out of the window, which is situated near his bed, and ran to Esquire Brcwit's house, half a mile distant, and informed them wbat had happened. Alter preparing and eat ing breakfast, Brewit, his . wife, son and a neighbor accompanied Provost to tbe fated bouse, reaching the place about five o’clock. They dispatched a messenger to the Sheriff rs office, as beforo stated. There were three rooms, Provost and the two boys occupying ono, Vacelot and his wife another, the third being used as a lumber-room. Tbe bed, a high one, occupied by the boys, stood in the corner ; Provost’s a low one, about four, feet from it.Tho boys were found with their heads horribly crushed, exhibiting no evidence of any struggle, and lying in their beds. Vacelot was lyiug in the door which connects tbe two rooms, having evidontly been struck as he was entering the boys’ room to see wbat was the matter. His body presented a sickening appearance, there being eight gashes on his bead and face and tbreo on bis arms, shoulders and breast. Surrounding evidence indicates a fearful struggle before the old man yielded to his fate, the wonder being that he could resist at all after receiving tbe pitiless blows. His wife was in her bed, with five ghastly cuts on her. face and head, and one across her throat, evidently a knife cut, severing tbe jngular vein. It would seem that she was overcome with fear, and had not moved during the entire struggle between the assassin and his victim.There were three axes found in tbe house and a pruning hook. The axes were covered with blood, but only one showed evidence of being used, the other two having tbe ap;. pearance of having blood rubbed on them. The floprs were covered, tbe walls and ceilings spattered, and tbe bed-clothes literally soaked with blood, altogether presenting a scene to make the stoutest heart quail, and having more the appearance ..of a slaughtcr-peu than a quiet dwelling. ProvQBt’s stories are not such as to produce a belief ip bis jnnocepce. For instance, be says be jumped out of the window near his bed, and that, he was struck at with an ax as he did Upon inves'lrgating the window this morning it0 Was found securelythat the window bad not been ratspj. Tho blow of tho ax was found upon tbe window sill, but there is also an indentation on the lower rail, of tho window-sash made by the ax-at tbe same lime, and clearly showing that tbe window was closed when the blow was struck. He also stated tbe deed was committed about four o’clock, which is unreasonable, as the bodies were cold .when discovered.Provost’s character has not been questioned, but there ** a strong cnatn of circumstantial evidence accumulating against him, and although threats of lynching were freely made in both English and French in his bearing, he remained stolid and indifferent. Duripg the day the fact was developed- that Vacelot had recoivod about 8100 yesterday, the result of the sale of cat-tlo, which he, As many in his station in life do, kept in his house. This, with probably as much more, was obtained by the murderer, or at least can not hfefbund, and probably forms the incentive tor the foul deed.Tbe Coroner’s jury at noon adjourned to the city, and to-night ad journed until nine o’clock to-morrow morning. To-Digbt the city is full of rumors of lynching, and fears are onlcrtained that an effort will bo made to take the prisoner from jail, where he is now confined.PROVOST S SUICIDE.The Murderer Hangs Himself to Escape Ljnchlng.He Ip Warned by Father Oester, font Refnses to (ton feu.Vincennes, Ind., 0«t. 27.—Pierre Provost, the accused murderer of tbe Vacelot family, has himself reljoved us of a great anxiety that bas existed since the murder by taking his own life. On entering the jail this morning to serve breakfast to tho prisoners, his dead body was found suspended from tho bnrs of the upper bunk in his cell. With his coat and towel he had formed a noose by which he strangled himself. Tbe distance from rail to head was about eighteen inches, and from the rail to the floor four feet, making it necessary for him to draw his body np and hold it until respiration ceased. The features were not distorted in tbe least. The coroner held an inquest at once, rendering a verdict in accordance with the above facts. The body will be buried to-morrow in the potter’s field. It is thought that his death occurred about two o’clock this morning. Very little is known of his history, except that he yesterday said be was an Alsatian, and born at Belfort, being now 51 years of age. Father Oester visited him yesterday afternoon, but aside from bis being considerably affected, nothing of interest was developed. On leaving bim Father Oester promised to return in the morning and administer the holy communion, but on learning later that there was a strong probability of his being lynched during tbe night, returned and told the prisoner of the danger and that he bad bettor prepare to die, exhorting him to confess. The prisoner had nothing to say. Tho sacrament was then administered and bo was left with prayer-beads. A vigilance committee had been organized, it is said, and plans were being matured for disposing of him. Very little if any doubt row exists as to nis guilt.WILD MAN OF THE W OODS.A Fearful Prodigy CapturedIn the Wilds of Tennesseeand Brought to Louisville forexhibition..fastened down by a slick above the lower sash, while upon the outside were unbroken Cobwebs reaching across (be window, showing dearlyHIS BODY COVERED WITH PISH SCALES. Louisville Courier-Journal.The wild man brought to tbe city yesterday by Dr. O. G. Broyler, of Sparta, Tenn., is truly a mysterious and wonderful creature. He will be exhibited throughout tbe country by Manager Whallen, of the Metropolitan, who is a third ower in ibis remarkable being, who promises to successfully baffle all scientists who desire to give a satisfactory explanation of his unnatural appearance. Before entering into the details of his capture, which form quite a thrilling and interesting episode, a description of the curiosity, which promises to excite more attention than Barnum’s “What is it?” will be given. At a distance the general outline of his figure would indicate that he is only an ordinary man. Close inspection shows that his whole body is covered with a layer of scales, which drop off at regular periods, in the spring and fall, like tho skin of a rattlesnake. He has a heavy growth of hair on his head and a dark, reddish beard about six inches long. His eyes present a frightful appearance, being at least twice the size of the average sized eye. Some of bis toes are formed together, which give bis feet * strange appearance, and bis height when standing perfectly erect, is aboutsix feet five inches. A nervous twitching of his mnsoles shows a do-sire to escape, and he is constantly looking in the direction of the door through which he entered. His entire body muBfr be wet at intervals, and should this.be neglected, be begins immediately to manifest great uneasiness, his flesh beepmes feverish, and his sufferings cannot, bo alleviated until the water is applied. At times he is dangerous, and yesterday morning, when Mr. Wbalien attempted to place him in a wagon, in which ho. intended to bring him to tbe theater, it occupied some tim«u The strange creature acted in the most mysterious map.ner, refusing obstinately, for sotr.e time to get into the wagon. Hr, bas quite a sharp appetite, havir^g eaten a meal yesterday morning that wotfld have fully satisfied at least four men. With (he ex-, cepjti on Offiah, bife mealq are allprq-Par. *d in tho ordinary way , bat the £ is eateir entirely raw. Dr. Broy-
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Greencastle Press
Greencastle, Indiana, US
Wed, Oct 30, 1878
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Indiana H.
IN, USA 16 Nov 2023
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