Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-02-23
Story Of a Horrible Tragedy.
Murder Of a Husband.

| think it was IN the year 1889, that
a physician whose name need not he re-
pca,ed here, fed from below Quebec to
Vermont, where he was speedily arrested
on charge Of foul and cruel murder, al.
legged to have been by him committed in
Seigmory near the ST Lawrence he
was accused Of having taken the life Of
an es,,ble gentleman, a young and
wealthy Seignor, the father Of two fine
children, at the instigation OF their moth.
er, then under twenty four years Of age.
woman Of refined manners, good edu.
cation, remarkable beauty, and arislo-
cratic family connexions.
The only question mooted in the Yer.
mont tribunals, was, whether the law OF
nations, in the absence Of special treaty
authorized the S:ate authorities to seize
persons taking refuge within their terri.
tories and deliver them over to foreign
power to be tried for life. The Republi.
can courts decided that it did not. The
physician was, of course, released. and
when Gov. Van Ness became Collector
OF Customs at the port Of New York, !
urged him to relate all the circumstances
he could recollect, including the law
points. The memoranda still preserve.
Many years elapsed; | returned to
Quebec, and to public life. and being. on
business in Quebec, requested persons Of
advanced years and undenbted veracity
residing in aud near the place where tie
murder had been committed, to narrate
the facts jus, as they occurred. Well
may we excIaim. Truth is more strange
than fiction
Mrs - was on visit 10 Quebec,
where she met with DR. -, whom it
is said she was acquainted with before
her marriage; they agreed that her al
fectionate husband should be poisoned,
servant woman who had been long up
on the seigniory under its feudal chiefs,
was sorely tempted with heavy bribe to
20 down 10 - and administer poison
to hesmaster, and she went; stopped at
the manor house, gave him enough OF the
poison in some beer to sicken, but not to
kill relented returned TO her mistress at
Quebec, and told her ,ha, she could not
find i. in her heart to further iniure the
seignior her conscience would no. per.
nit she could not do it.
Dir and the lady were Of course
displeased with her. and they finally con.
claded .ha, he must 90 down himselfand
do their dreadful work; he accordingly
crossed the S, Lawrence, travelled along
in his cariole to - where he called
upon the seignor, asking him 10 take
drive with him in his cariole; and they
went to the barn Of farm not Tar distant
to see some cattle, where the doctor sud.
denly struck the seignof on the head
with the butt end Of his heavy pistol till
he became senseIess. The murderer
then dragged him back to the caricIe, laid
him in'the bottom Of it. ps6 the robes on
him, and then sat in il with his feet upon
the body. From thence Dr. - drove
to the beach, intending to bury his VIC
tim in the ice; on his way however the
seignor recovered his senses so far as to
scream and moan family. Some Of the
kabifaas met the cariole, and asked what
the doctor had got in his carriage. who
replied, "A pig he had bought. and was
taking home, and whicn he kept under
his feet to prevent his escape
At the beach the buchery was com.
ple.ed, but the murderer had so mangled
the body that the blood ran down from
his cariole, and left red track or streak
upon the snow, extending great dis.
tancs from the spot where the corpse was
hid, buried under huge pieces OF ice, on
the south shore Of the great river Of Can.
ada.
Terror speedily took hold Of the strong
man he felt the whole guilt ofhis dread
ful position, and putting his horse to its
utmost speed, reached Point Levi at two
o'clock next morning. where he stopped
at poor mans house. and asked the
wife to let him lie down and res, on bed
but not to touch hi. sleigh aud robes as
he hadju come from surgical operation
the blood from which had been spilled on
the furs. He thus rested until four,