The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-10-28
The Langmaid Tragedy.

CONCORD, n. H., Oct. % On the day
La Page was arrested at Suncook, Detect
i've Dearborn and Officer Hiltreth search
ed his house and found two razors and a
knife, all very sharp The latter had a
blade three and q half inches long. They
also found piece of cloth covered with
blood, as if bloody hands had been wiped
upon it. Three young girls have stated to
them that they were chased in the woods
by La Page previous to the Pembroke
murder. This morning the officers named
arrested La Pages wife, who confessed to
them that she formerly lived with La Page
ut Chester about 40 miles below Montreal
and that about five years ago her sister,
y years old, went out one afternoon about
> o'clock to get the cows. AS she was
putting up the bars to the pasture she was
seized by a man who wore black mask,
with cye-holes in it. During the struggle
that ensued she pulled the mask off and
discovered that it was Joseph La Page.
She was knocked down, severely beaten,
rayished and left for dead
After committing the outrage La Page
was arrested by desperate fighting, and
escaped while the officers We're tying his
legs. For some time he lived in the woods
IN the day time, going home to sleep in
the barn at night.
Coroners II H. Farnsworth and c. B.
Smith OF St. Adams, VT, have been to-day
in consultation with the detective 1t is
said that about two years ago, while at st.
Adams, La Page went 80 miles away to
the house Of a female cousin and that he
outraged her and fled with a horse 1t is
known that the murderer of the Ball girl
Wore moccasns at the time of the crime,
and it is also known that La Page wore
Them that day. A short time previous to
the murder he inquired of a girl what road
Miss Ball took in returning from school on
Friday nights. On the day following the
murder he could not be found, but when
subsequently arrested as he was trying to
run away his face was badly scratched,
which he eXpleined by saying he had been
poisoned by ivy
The mask found near the body OF Miss
Ball was brought here to-day 1t was fast
Cned together with birch withes in such a
way as to fit the head of the wearer, max
INC q complete mask for the head and face.
Birch withes were found in the path lead
ing to the spot where the body of the Ball
girl was found. On the day following the
discovery of the body of the Langmaid
girl at Pembroke, birch withe was found
tied around pine tree close to where the
body lay. La Page is said to be an expert
in making withcs. He had been known
to chase girls at St. Adams 1t is said he
left there to 90 to Suncook without any
ostensible business. In her story to the
officers to-day his wife stated that he had
made attempts to ravish his own daugh-
ter, ID years old, since living in Suncook,
but was prevented by her interference.
She states that they have all been afraid of
their lives. She processes to know moth
ing that duplicates him in the crimes at
St Adams and Pembroke, though after
what has happened she considers that he
was capable of committing both She
says that the shirt which he wore on the
day of the Pembroke murder is missing
that she washed it, but noticed nothing
about it, except that one sleeve was torn.
1t was taken from the line, she says. The
detectives say Mrs. La Page is woman
heart-broken and WORKOUT by grief and
abuse. La Page denies all the knowledge
OF the murders, and claims that he made
no attempt to escape from jail in this city
lie says that the bricks had been taken
from his cell wall before he was placed in
1t. lie was heard digging the bricks out,
however, by some persons connected with
the Jail.
Detectives Sargent, Dearborn, Hildreth
and City Marshall Connell are actively
engaged in working up the case. They ex-
press confidence and the belief that La
Page is the murderer of Josie Langmaid,