Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-29
From the st. Albans Messenger.
La Page.
HOW He CANE TO BE SUSPECTED OF
THE EvIDENCE-AN ALLEGED CONFESSION
he Is BELIEVED To BE TIE MURDERER OF

|
he Is BELIEVED To BE TIE MURDERER OF
MISS BALL AND MISS LANGMAID.
The evidence against the Frcnchman now
in Concord Jail is accdm alating every day.
tending to prove him guilty Of the murder
OF j oslo Langmaid aud Naric,tc Ball. Our
best lawyers, on Tearing tho testimony de-
tailed. agree in the opinion that he commit
ted both deeds if he did either, and think
that little proof is lacking to carry convie-
ton of his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hitherto, prudential reasons have required
that some of the circumstances against him
should be withheld from the public. but
there seems to be no good reason now why
they should longer be kept secret. hence we
will briefly state how he came to be suspect
ed, and the main facts that have since been
discovered, having bearing on the case.
Shortly before the murder, Mr.. Fowler.
chairman Of the board of selectmen. of Penn
broke, hired man, subseq uently identified
as La Page, to work for him. When they
were all in at tea. Mr.. ''owler's daughter,
mate of Josie Laugma came in and was
observed by La Page. After tea, when hitch
ing up horse to go TO the village. MIR.
| F0wler's son was asked by La Page who the
girl was, and being answered that she was
hiss sister, he next inquired where she had
come from. The answer was, from school.
and the academy on distant elevation was
pointed out. Passing along the road to-
gether towards the village. hen they reach
ed the new road which branches off towards
the academy. La Page inquired of young
Fowler ii she went over that or the old road,
and was answered, unsuspeetingly, that the
scholars from that direction usually took
the new road, through the woods. The
| bushes alongside this new road are very
thick, and tho scholars in passing had been
in the habi; of hiding and springing out to
brighten each other. The next day, or at
least soon after young Fowler had his talk
! with La Page, as he or some other lad tour
informant Is not quite certain whO) was
/ going 10 school, he caught an indIstinct
| view Of shat he supposed to be one OF his
mates in the bushes, and shouted to him
that he cOnldn't brighten anybody, fo- that |
was played ont" When he arrived at
| the academy he Wa, ast0nisned 10 see there |
the very boy whom he supposed he had |
passed IN TIE bushes
On the day Of the murder which was al /
most Immediately after this, Miss Fowler. /
just before entering the woods. waited for |
JOsio to come along; alter waiting some |
time, some neighb0r came along with car
rage, and concluding that josie had pre-
eedei her, she got in and went to school, |
thu, probably s1ylng her iiio Ii was not |
ten minutes alter that, probably, before 1
the Atal deed was committed. When ar
rested La Page manifested no surprise, made |
No inquiry what it was for, and volun-
tariiy handed the detective his small pocket
knlie-a circumstance that il considered |
suspicious.
With some things that have trAuspired
since his arrest the plblic are familiar. a.
for instance, the fact that he was arrested
here last year. at the instance of Mr.. Lang.
because he had q scratched face. bat was
discharged for want OF proof to connect him
WIKI the murder ; the fact that since has
confinement at Concord be has made two
desperate attempts 10 break Jail the fact
that heis hard, cruel husband and father;
the fact that his wife has testified tha: he
outraged and LETT Tor dead her sister. -
Years old, at Che-ley. in Canada. just be-
fore coming 10 St. Adams. and the tac: that
on the day OF the Langmald murder he was
roaming through the woods in Pembroke,
ami that the attempt t. prove that he was
At another place, five miles from the scene.
has proved complete failure. His wife
and daughter have now testified that some
time since their residence at SuncOOk. be
has und rtaken to outrage the latter. and
Was prevented only by their united strength
It has been a-certained here that his house
On the East Hill was 80 situated that he
could 40 to the scene Of the murder with
out being in sight OF any house or road for
more than three rods. 1t will be recollect-
cd that searching parties Just after the muir
der found tran. In the woods and some |
t~l Is broken from stump that trail ran
towards hiS house. The max was fastened
with w.thes he Is found to have been e1-
pert in m. -inf lena The witnesses who
testified last year Chat they had noticed the
scratches On his face before the murder. have
now, by more searching inquiry. been
lonnd 10 have been mistaken or false. Il
has been learned. toe, that he chased two
women. OF girls. On the Elst Hill, whose
names are Withheld. but who Will testify if
occasion arises Al this looks bad, but it
i not the worst.
John Real says that when Ia Page was AZ
work Tor him one day, 10 a field alongside
the road leading from Miss Balls boarding
place 10 he's -chool-house. he saw her pass
ing and remarked that She looked good
enough t. mug" or words to tha: effect.
and Mr. Ba.s daughter will testify that
some ;ine before the murder Ia Page went
10 their house. and Temarklng that he did
not see the school teacher 20 TO her board
ing place Friday nights, inquired where she
towards Mr.. Pages Learning that she went
to Mr.. Pages be evidently had al the III
formation tina, he desired
Nothing beyond these circumstances, Of
any material Importance. has been discover
Ell here, but many little things. tending 70
c3rrohorate these and to disproye some of
the testimony of L. Page and his friends
given last year. are constantly accumulat-
ing Justice I4rnsworth says that instead
of al. clues running out a they have IN all
former inquiries. all seem T. run in towards
one objective point, and that j. Ia Pages
guilt. People Will low put together the
facts aud jadge Tor themselves.
BASE BALL Tho Arcties. Of this city.
were badly "a: down upon" in their match
wita the Rustic. Vi Essex Junction on the
latter grouud., saturday. Only five in
ming ~ers played, and the score stood IS
for tie Rus;ies to $ for the Arctics. Sweet
axe the uses Of adversely
The funeral of the late Hon. David P.
N,ye. took plleeAt St Paal's church. Tues
day, thc Rector. the Rev. Z. X. Atwill.
ofisating. and Mos-rs \ l.. Catlin, J1 d.
Hatch, ". II wilkins. f C. Loomis, vii
ham L S.rons, n Parker. Eli Chittenden
and Dan Lyon. acting as pall-bearers Mr..
Atwil made few appropriate remarks in
reference to the life and character OF the de-
ceased ami the choir furnished some very
fine MUSIC. The remains were inferred i'll
Lake View Cemetery.
n Ia VI