River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-27
THE PUCASSET MURDERERS.
A Visit to tie Prison i'm Which the I'M
itatOr Of Abraham Is Confined.

A letter from Barnstable, Mass. in the
Ne1U York Fleming Post, says: The court
house and jail are just now places of I'M
wonted interest, for in the hall of the
former will soon be tried the two unfor-
tunate and misguided people vino are
confined in the latter, Mr.. and Mrs.
Freeman of Pocasset. 1t is possible in
this neighborbood to learn good deal
about these two persons; and visitor
to the Jail who happens TO have previous
ly known the situation of their cells can
avail himself OF the opportunity to see
them. Though the officers are under
the strictest orders not to point them out
"a rule that is never transgressed by
them-it is impossible for their identity
to be concealed. freeman, who at first
talked freely with the visitors. has taken
different turn, and conceals himself
so far as possible by placing himself in
the only spot where he cannot be seen,
by planting himself to the wall between
the grated door and the window, both of
which are SO open that the whole inter-
Tor Of the cell is visible; here on the APP
proach of strangers he stands till they
have passed on. His furniture and cell
is like the others, there is the narrow
cot covered with gray blanket, stool
and few books and papers, but in his
case there is more abundant quantity
of some kind of literature, and large
bible lies on his window sill; he was sing
ing in low voice, and we were told
that he was still in the same mind as
when he sacrificed his child. He is &C.
scrlbed by those who were often in the
habit of seeing him as they did other men
as having nothing noticeable in his de-
meanor, going about his business and
daily carrying the mail to and from the
station as anybody might have done,
and he has nothing coarse or rough
about his appearance. 1t is said that
in the height of his fanaticism he not on
ly believed that the child would be rails
ed from the dead, but had the ambition
of being himself the prophet of new
dlspensatlon, suggestion which sheds
new light upon his motive.
Mrs Freeman. who is one of four women
out of the nineteen prisoners whom the
jail numbers as its present inmates, is
widely separated from her husband as
the construction of the building permits;
and as the two were the first occupants
(the Jail having been just completed
when the crime was committed,) the
pleasantest room was allotted to her.
1t is nicely kept, her narrow cot having
its two meagre pillows covered with
''shams," and the wall is hung with some
scripture tablets. She is not however,
confined to it, but is allowed to go about
the jallor's rooms, and do such work as
she chooses; and she impresses every
one who comes in contact with her as
woman of admirable qualities, in man.
ners lady, refined, intelligent, and SEN
sitive. She is small and slight, of fair
complexion, and the color comes into
her face and settles in a hectic spot on
each cheek, making her beautiful to
look at; her hair is auburn, and she has
brown eyes which fill and float with
tears like those of a child, as she talks
of her trouble the tears drop and roll
down as one sees child. But the re.
markable thing about the woman is that
her countenance has the expression
which is not of the common word we
live in. Her strange belief, and her
thoughts and devotions for these sever
al months since her home was broken
up, her loss, and the awful way of it.
her separation from her husband and
only child have had their effect, and che
locks as If she had lived apart from the
ways and thoughts of other peoples
experience. Her face" says one wo-
man, "bewitches me-" and another said
at sent cold shivers all over me to look
at her." Thus far, though she weeps
much end her eyes run over at word,
she says that she is sustained, yet can
not see why God let her husband do as
he did, and she adds, "But if it was
not right why did not God stay his
hand?" So this martyr to fanaticism
meekly goes her ways, sweet and un-
murmuring; but how she will stand the
test of sarcasm and ridicule, of keen ex-
animation and cross questioning in the
presence of Judge and jury who recog-
nize no such inward testimony, and be.
fore the bar of justice which surely
awaits her during the coming winter, re-
mains to be seen.