The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-03

The Missouri Horror-Further Par.
ttculars OF Ia Butchery and Barn~
ing Of a Creole Family.
rFrom the Washington county. No., Journal,
November st.1
On Monday morning our community was
shocked beyond description upon learning
that q family OF French Creoles-Dayid Ia.
pine, his wife Louisa, and their child. to-
gethcr with Mrs. Lapine's sister, Mary
Christopher, and her child, five in all-had
been most brutally murdered, in their
cabin, a mile and a half north of Potosi, and
their bodies burned to shapeless masses of
cindef ana ashes In q co~nflagration Of
the building. Mr.. Lapine was o very old
and innocent citizen, who had been for
many years engaged In mining in the ya-
rious lead-fields in this vicinity. Some
three years since he married a woman of
like origin rs himself, but who had not q
good reputation among those of their class
IN society. Their marriage has resulted in
the birth of one child, one of the victims OF
the cruel massacre. Mary Christopher, the
sister, has also been an inmate of their
cabin during the union.
Sheriff John T. Clark, DR.. j. A. Bell, and
Justice Moloney, accompanied by a party
OF citizens, repaired to the spot as soon as
the alarm was given, where o most revolt
ing and horrifying sight awaited them, that
OF q mass OF undistinguishable ruin where
the cabin OF the victims had stood, and un.
mistakahle evidence of the preparation of
one OF the most cruel and bloody TRACE
dies known to the history OF any civilized
country. Investigations among the ruins
of the building disclosed remnants of
the bodies of the five victims of
| tho fanIish N n.a " ~,x1$a1r
consumed by the flames as to render
them unacceptable until after q critical
examination by DR.. Bell. Sheriff Clarke,
assisted by several of our most valued citi-
zcns, Immediately commenced making ar
rests in the neighborhood in quest Of some
clue to the perpetrator of the horrid crime,
and which were soon crowned with entire
success. The most fruitful witness was
Leon Jolly, 4 boy Of about fourteen years
of age. On being arrested he informed the
sheriff that he had witnessed the murder of
Lapine and the four other members of his
! family or last Saturday night, the 10Th inst,
ut a late hour, by his brother, Chas. Jolly,
and Jno. Armstrong that they had come to
town that night, procured a jug of whiskey,
and on their return had stopped at Lapine's
cabin, burst the door open with an AK stolen
| for the occasion, and had killed the entire
family. He stated that during the commits
| W. VI JUS u W ~ was uoU DCl sllitGSu "
enter the door of the cabin, but witnessed
it ali through 4 crack in the wall. Having
! done their bloody work, the two fiends set
fire to the walls of the cabin, and fed the
flames until the building was consumed.
This occurred about Il o'clock on Satur-
| day night, rs nearly as can be ascertained,
and the murderers remained in the neigh
borhood until an early hour On Monday
morning, when they undertook to make
their escape. On Monday evening Sheriff
Clarke, with two citizens-Messrs. Amasa
Fri>sell and VIM. Ii. Blaine-set out,
mounted, for Jefferson county, on a trail
which it was thought the prisoners had
taken in their efforts to reach Rush
Tower, and cross the Mississippi river.
a brief and well-directed pursuit, how.
ever, did not afford them any trace
Of the object of their search. Return
ing to Hematite, they next proceeded to
the house of Mrs. Dodge, mother of the
two murdered women, who 1--we about a
with the utmost delicacy the fearful news
to her, great was their surprise at her
stoical manner and Indifferent reply =
We'll. / knew they were bad girls, but !
think the two men (ArmStrong and jolly
have done enough now they ought to be
taken up" After similar conversation
with the women, the party returned
W lHC HOuSC VI Joulo OOlN1 oAt
could hear nothing concerning them.
About 8 O'Clock Tuesday the pursuers
returned to Hematite, and thence to
De Soto, where they mounted themselves
and set out for italian settlement, about
TWO miles northwest of Rush Tower. On
the trail they were greatly facilitated by
the guidance and kind offices Of Mr.. w.
Mccormick, a citizen of the country.
The gentleman's judgment was that the
! f,,,; -, t.a. y,.n,tlI snn,tnr M lutn~ nanRn
their way to the house of Bellacamba
Lucas, IN Italian, with whom Jolly had
lived for Il time, or else at the house OF q
NIr. Mays, about a mile distant from it.
! he party repaired to Mr.. Lucas's place at
about t O'Clock in the afternoon. at this
rendezvous they were met by several cltl-
Zens, who at once enlisted in the effort to
capture the fusitives. \ consultation re-
suited in the approach Of Lucas's house by
four Of these citizens-James IRWIN, Noble
Irving, John Armstrong mo relation to
the pursued, howeTer), and Robert Snow
dell. Having made the necessary dis
positions they soon realized the re-
ward OF their search as not far distant,
upon hearing the cautious approach of two
men TO the house, (the voice Of one OF
whom was instantly recognized as that of
; Charles Jolly.) AS soon as the two had en-
tered the house the pursuers divided,
passing two to the either side of the house,
and awaited their opportunity. This soon
occurred, when Armstrong and Jolly had
seated themselves at the supper table,
Simultaneously they entered at opposite
doors of tue dining-room, and before the
surprised murdercrs could rise from
their seats each was seized from
behind and his hands firmly bound
with cords. The astonished prison.
ers stoutly denied their identity and
protested against the unceremonious treat
mcnt to which they were subjected, until
they were confronted by the party from
Potosi, when they became silent and hope
less. They were removed to the house Of
one of the captorS, Mr.. James Irwin, where
they were guarded during the night, and
from whence they were brought to Potosi
yesterday and lodged in Jail. The remains
OF the murdered family were carefully gath
cred and brought to town in a box, in
which they were buried in the town ceme-
terry yesterday.
A DARING RAscAL-DoinJs Of the Most
dccou, n1;sbeG Horse- Thief ON RecOrd.-A