The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-28
THE EKILLING OF JAQUETTE
BLASIUs PISTORIUS GUILTY OF
MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
His Violent Tlrado Against the Judge and Counsel
The History Of Ills Crime as Told by Witness

The History Of Ills Crime as Told by witness
Philadelphia, March 2I.-Blasius Pts
torius, the German priest, was to-day
found guilty ofmurder in the first degree,
and now awaits sentence of death. A mo.
ton will be made for a new trial. The
crime of which he was convicted was the
killing of Isaac Jaquette, Montgomery
County farmer. Pistorius, who is man
of scholastic attainments. noted lin
guist, and who left Germany because Of
the attacks of the iron handed Bismark
on the ultramontanists, came to this
country in 1875, expecting to obtain the
pastorate of Church in the West. He
stopped in Montgomery County to visit
his brother, John Pistorius, who is carry.
ing on the Scott farm on Stony Creek,
near Norristown, Pa. John Pistorius's
land adjoined that of Jaquette, and a
dispute arose as to trespasses by Jas
quette' cows on the Pistorius fields. One
day boy named Harry Muloch brought
Jaquette's COWS to water at Stony Creek,
which Jaquette claimed TO be the boun-
Diary line between his farm and that of
John Pistorius. This claim was contested
by John Pistorius, and when the boy
brought the cattle down to the creek he
was warnd away in his brothers name
by Blasius Pistorius, who stood pistol in
hand on the other side ofthe stream. The
boy ran back and called Jaquette, who
came on the scene in great anger, and
picked up two stones. The pistol was
discharged, the priest says, by accident
and Jaquette fell mortally wounded, dy-
ing few days afterwards. Pistorius has
been in Jail since July "a, 1875, The trial
concluded to>day with the result given
above. The charge of the Judge was
very unfavorable to the prisoner, and the
jury after brief absence broughtin their
verdict. The prisoner gave way to vi,
olent fit of anger and in loud voice
abused the Court, his counsel and all
who had anything to do with his convic-
ton. Pistorius was before tried and con-
victed ofthis murder. Since May s, 1876,
the hangman's moose has been hanging
over his head, for sentence of death was
then passed upon him. The Supreme
Court ordered that he should be tried
anew, and in order that he might no! suf>
fer from the popular prejudice which was
said to exist against him in the county
of Montgomery change of venue was
granted and the prisoner was brought to
this city. The once>condemned priest
has a determined look about his face,
and when he smiles he clinches his teeth
and his gray eyes glitter. Three years
Of confinement have not blanched his
cheeks, and his frame is unshrunken.
His hair is gray and scant, and all his
features are strong and prominent. When
questioned as to substituting a plea of
guilty of manslaughter" for his first
plea Of mot guilty." he said, mo; am
an innocent man, and will stand my
trial though itresult in death sentence" ."
The most circumstantial account of the
murder was that given in the testimony
of William Pollock, as follows:
l lived on the oath of July, 1875, on
the Scott farm, occupied by Isaac Jas
quette; on the morning OF July "a was
threshing oats, and shortly before noon,
when putting the horses in the stable, l
heard voice calling Isaac Jaquette;"
Jaquette said, whats the matter here?"
and the boy said that Pistorius had driv~
en- his COWS from him and threatened to
shoot him; Jaquette said "What in the
name of sense is the reason can't let
my COWS be watered on my land?"
ran from the stable towards the creek
and saw Jaquette and Pistorius almost
opposite each other, and Pistorius said,
"I'll shoot you;" Jaquette said. "It's
queer | can't turn my back" and then
stopped and picked up some stones, when
Pistorius pointed the pistol at him; ia
quette walked along the creek short
distance and then dropped the stones, he
then walked up the bank, and when he
did PiStorius dropped the pistol to his
side; Jaquette walked to within four feet
of Pistorius, when the latter turned the
pistol upon the former; Jaquette grabbed
for the pistol with his left hand, and it
was turned round from its first position,
and almost instantly the shot was fred
Jaquette fell back into the creek, saying
as he fell, 81 am shot," Jaduette was in
his shirt sleeves, and defendant was in
summer dress wearing carpet slippers:
when Jaqette fell he tried to get out of
the water, rising to half sitting posture,
and he said. William, come help me
out; he has killed me-" I drew him out of
the water, with Maggie Chandler and
Harry Boiler, whom sent for a doctor
and help; he rested on my arm, and he
said, "The sun is hot; get me my hat,
which l started to do, leaving the deceas>
ed resting upon one arm; when within
few feet Of Pistorius, nearly at whose feet
the hat lay, he pointed the pistol at me
and said, Don't touch the hat" Jaquette
called out, "I'm gone;" | went to him,
putting my hat over his face. and then
asked Pistorius to help me to place
the wounded man in the shade, and
Pistorius said, "He may lay there and
die" motioned to him to put his pistol
in his pocket, and he said, "a shoot no
more;" his brother John soon after ap-
peared and asked Blasius what he had
done, and the latter answered in German,
II shot him" John said it was right; Ja>
luette, hearing Johns voice, said, John,
see what you have done;" John replied,
you ought to have been shot long ago;"
about that time the help came, and one
Of the number a man named Ernest, had
a shotgun, and l said to him, "Take
charge of that Dutchman, and if he at
:empts to escape blow his brains out"
Iaquette was taken off and soon after put
% bed, from which he never arose. Wit
ness then testified how he helped to un-
dress the deceased, and identified the
shirt produced as the one worn by de.
ceased that day; had seen Blasius about
MS Brothers place; never spoke to him.
U,rTrr nnnAErO MOT Tuc