The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-10-30
by Telegraph 10 the Sentinel /,

Tor the usual avccltions OF "a Gsv md "a, I
ing grateful that he had r>sss, through an
other night safe from ro' obsy murderer,apd
tramps, our usually .ald and opis. city wss
ANNIVERSARIES WIT. the report that a whole
iamiY Oh peo'.e in our vicinity had been
rutniessly m >rdere'l IN cold blood without a
<arniV OF the dread fate which
o'eioA them The rumor few from one
al <ther, ~ I'D 1t was discovered to be no
70 Sc alarm as messenger had reached the
therit's' .esidence at o'clock, notifying him
that I'd family of John ID. Vscelet, consist
Ing Q himself, wife and two children, had
bee n murdered during the night The
NInerifFs deputies and Justice Heidenrich,
acting coroner, Immediately proceeded TO
TIE SCENE OF THE MURDER,
which was q farm four miles east OF the city
belonging TO W. Wise, and occupied by
VaceIet as a tenant The farm is situated on
the Evansville railroad, the track being only
300 yards from the house, which is an en-.
oient, ramsaackle affair consisting of three
rooms, and Is about three quarters of mile
from the main road which leads from the
city in that direction. The approach 10 the
house is through a dense forest of scrub oaks
by wagon road not much used. The house
is surrounded on the north and east by this
forest, and on the south and west are The
fields which were cultivated by Vscslet be-
fore his untimely taking off. 1t is gloomy,
lonely place, and the nearest neighbors are
half a mile distant. Your correspondent
reached the scene at 10 o'clock and found
500 or 600 persons collected from the city
and neighhorhood, all busy discussing the
. horrible tragedy which had been enacted at
our own doors.
THE MURDERED FAMILY.
John D. Vacelet the murdered man, is So
years of age. has lived In this vicinity for 80
years, having for many years previous to his
going on the farm filled the position OF sex.
ton a. the Catholic cemetery and janitor of
the cathedral. His character was good, and
he had no enemies and harmed nobody. He
was simple, snsophisticated man, retain
ing much of the primitive simplicity of the
ancient French settler, and pursued The even
tenor of his way in the limited sphere he
moved 10, at peace with his neighbOrs and
contented with his lot. His wife was so
years of age The two sons, Frank and John,
aged respectively 16 and II years, wers stout,
hearty looking fellows. Pierre Proves, the
suspected murderer, is 45 years OF age, weighs
perhaps $50 pounds, has nothing specially
murderous in his expression, but has quiet,
stolid look. He came here as a stranger in
February last, and was hired by Vacelet TO
assist him in his farm work. He represented
himself as only short time from France,
and speaks no English.
PRovosTs ACCOUNT.
He says that he was awakened about half
past 3 o'clock by noise in the house, and
saw four or FIVE men struggling with the in
mates. He Immediately jumped out OF a
window and ran 10 Eugene BTu5 ties hOu e,
half a mile distant, aud inform ed them VIII 1T
was going on. Bruetle, his wife, sou aud a
neighbor, accompanied by Provost, returned
to Vacelers after preparing and eating break
fast, reaching there at o'clock, nearly an
hour after Provost reached Bruetles and
seeing the conditioned affiirs immediately
dispatched a messenger to the sheriff. The
house consists of three rooms Provost sud
the two boys occupied one room, the boys
sleeping on high bed and Provost on a
trundle bed, the old man and his wife occu
pylng another room, which was used as q
kitchen. The other room, a small one, was
used as a lumber room.
TIE BLOOD STAINED AXES.
Three axes and pruning fork were found
In the room. All os them had blood on
them, but only one axe bore evidence OF
having been used in the bloody mss acre.
1t had blood and hair on it; the others only
had blood on the sIdes, not on the edge or
poll. The tive boys were discovered GA the
bed with their heads terribly crushed and
gashed. There seemed to have been 10
struggle upon their part. Vacelet was lying
in the doorway between the two rooms,
evidently having heard the asslssin as he
dispatched his two first victims, and had
come in to discover what was the matter.
There he was met by the murderer, and his
body presented fearful and sickeniDg ap
pearance. There were nine gashes on the
head and face and three on his arm, shout
ders and breast. There had evidently been
bed, with five CHASTITY cuts on her face and
head and one across the throat, seyeriDg the
iugular vein as If done by knife. She bad
evidently not moved while the struggle wa.
going on between her husband and the muir
derer. Perhaps she lost her senses and died
without suffering.
CHASTITY FIGHT
The whole scene was enough to make tn'
heart of the stoutest man quake with terror
and cause the most hardened 10 SIZED g tear
The floor ran with blood; the bed clothes
were soaked with it. The walls and ceiling
were spa,tered with blood and brains
looked like a slaughter house. The Trisone
appeared cool and calm, aud although FIRE
quent threats were made both in French al,
English to hang him, he did not loss IN
Ha ran N Rruptiafa hauSa " itI