The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-04-26
POMnaI Center.


We give the fuller particulars, below
from an exchange y--ED.
Wednesday afternoon about O'Clock
the village of POwnal Center was thrown
into heated state OF excitement over
the suicide OF Joseph Towslee. Abou,
ne-half mile west bf the village. on the
road leading to North Pownal. standing
on the north side and little off the road
is the home of Mr.. Towslee.
At about half-past four Wednesday
afternoon, Mr.. TOwslee came into his
house and ask. d his wife where the gun
was and said there was q skunk out in
the bushes rear the wall by the side OF
the road.
His wife told him, it was in the closet
near the stove Stepping to the closet
he brought out the gun, sent his son to
the pantry, on one Of the top shelves
where the ammunition was always kept.
for :he powder and shot.
loading his gun, being careful to put
in large charge Of shot some of them
being "bnckshot," he stepped out the
door, his son following him he told him
to keep back as he would scare the
skunk"
Mr.. Towslee walked quietly along the
front side of the house stepped inst
around the corner on the west side. rest
ing the stock OF the gun on the banking
OF the house, placing his head over the
gun so that the muzzle came just over
the temple, and by the aid OF a stick
which he had just cut a few moments
before, sprung the lock. and with a ter
rifle report from the gun the life Of
Joseph Towslee was ended. The charge
from the gun entered his head at the
left side near the temple taking an up
ward direction and literally blowing the
top Of his head off. His hat was blown
a distance of some ten feet together
with parts of his skull and brains which
we're scattered about the spot. In
falling to the ground his head leaned
down the hill his legs perfectly straight.
with one hand tightly clinched to the
gun about three inches from the muzzle.
1t wac this position that he was first
seen by his son hrrry a bright lad OF
twelve years who. having heard the re-
port from his fathers gun, supposed he
had shot the skunk. ran out the door
only to find instead-the dead BODY OF
his father. The boy did not return to
the house to tell his mother but ran to
the nearest neighbors and aroused them,
but before any of them were given time
to respond to the boys call and break
he news to his mother, which he had so
much dreaded to do, she had been called
out by her little hoy three and one-half
years old and shown the dead body Of
her husband.
This must have been to the mother Of
the little fellow. who had Just called her
TO see her husband lying dead, killed by
his own hand and almost in her very
presence, a most sickening and soTrow-
full sight.
Mr.. Towslee was a man OF more than
ordinary ambition, a man who was very
much attached to his family and
thought great deal Of his home but
who of late had conceived that his fam
lily were turning upon him, conspiriDg
against him. and laying plans to deprive
him Of home.
He had told his wife on one occasion
that this was the case, and that the best
thing for him to do would be to end his
| lie, this he had OF late threatened to do
repeatedly, but his wife thought be ter
of it as she knew his disposition and alec
knew that none OF the family had ever
turned their back upon their father,
During an attack of heart disease a
short time ago Mr.. Towslee requested
his wife that his body be buried quietly
from his house. making special request
hat his body be- kept out Of the church.
and that Bipti,t clergyman officiate at
nls funeral.
de did no appear unnatural on Wed
nesday. In the morning he went over
20 The farm Of his sister Mrs VIM. Jack.
sons, where he had been working for
he past three weeks, returning about
nlne O'Clock IN The morning. The rest
OF the day he spent regularly about his
place. Mrs. VIM. Moulton who lives
next door was in the house few min
utes before the shot, but did not notice
anything strange about him only upon
recalling her visit she remembers him as
very quiet and seemed to BE- in deep
study and looked pale. II was in every
respect a most remarkable, cool and de-
liberate suicide,
Ten minutes before he fred the fatal
shot, he walked past the very spot. out
across his garden TO some bushes that
grew up by the side of the fence, took
out his knife and cut off a small limb
that would answer the purpose, turned
around, and trimmed the twigs off on
his way back to the house. This was
the stick used to spring the lock of his
gun, careful to leave a small crotch at
the end to fit " ell on the little iron trig-
ger.
He stood his stick up against the cor
ner Of the house and then went in after
the gun, loading it just as deliberately,
came out being a man that used tobacco
he cleaned his mouth OF the quld, as It
was found only few feet distant where
he had thrown it just before he had fix
ed the gun for his own death, all Of
these things show how carefully he
worked out each plan.
Mr.. Towslee married thirty years ago
the daughter Of Harry W. Myers a
wealthy farmer in Pownal. Mrs Henry
Mason Of this town is a sister OF Mrs.
Towslee,
Nine children, most OF them men and
women grown, mourn the loss OF their
father,
Joseph Towslee was one OF eleven
children. Two brothers. Othenial and
David Towslee and two sisters Mrs. VIM.
jackson and Mrs. Ida Morgan. all living
in Pownal, survive him. The deceased
II L