The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-04
A DOCTORS ODD CRIME.
Robs Patients Grave and Takes the
Body to Ills House

nOpo u TaufenIS Grave ana Tak0S the
Body to His House
From the Philadelphia Record.
The grand jury has reported in the Chit
tenden county court bill against DIR. Pate
naude of Winooski, VT, for robting the
grave of Miss Katie Collius. This in con-
nection with the recovery of the body after
dark last night. makes a complete chain of
evidence in one of the most CHASTITY crimes
ever committed In Northern Vermont
Katie Collins was an attractive young
woman in the employ of James Madden of
that city. She became i'll and was taken TO
the residence OF her father, James Collins,
near Colchester Point, some distance from
Winooski, where she was attended by DIR.
Patenaude OF the latter place She died
after several days. and her body was in
TERED in the cemetery in the rear of the old
French Catholic church
Several days after the burial marks
showed that the grave had been robbed A
trail showed that the body had been
dragged some distance, and the sexton said
two young men had asked the location of
the grave. He pointed it out 70 them and
after joking together a few minutes they de-
parted. The fact was after ward developed
that these young men were R. Durfresne of
the Winooski paint works, and a com
panion named Snyder Durfresne bad been
intimately associated with Dr. Patenaude
for some time. and warrants were issued
for the arrests of them and DIR. Patenaude's
hired man, Deforge. Durfresne and Synder
were apprehended, but the doctor and his
hired man had run away 30 st. Johns,
P.Q.
There had been various mysterious
rumors abroad in relation to the rooms oc-
cupied by Deforge, the doctors assistant
up three flights in Watson's block, on Main
street in Winooski and Chief of Police
Demas ard Deputy Sheriffs Reeves and
Wheeler broke into the place They found
the room very scantily furnished. and in the
center of one of the dark rooms a large spot
on the floor had been newly cleaned. In an
adjoining room was discovered a womap's
corset.
The officers learned that the body had
been taken to the place. and after an ex-
animation had been made embalming fluid
had been injected into the veins by Charles
Reeves, an ex-undertaker aud friend of DIR.
Patensude, who is also missing.
Lawyer II. N. Deavitt of Winooski, who
is counsel for Patenaude, made an offer to
the authorities to return the body of the
young woman, pay all expenses and inclose
the remains in new casket. if States At
torney Forster would drop the matter and
| allow his clients and accomplices to return
without fear Of molestation, but the offer
was spurned.
AS no trace Of the body could be found,
| a prominent physician Of the city wrote to
Patenaude in behalf of the girls family.
Last evening word was received that the
body was buried in the woods of Shweston.
about two miles southeast of Winooski
where 1t was found.
The remains were wrapped in large
piece of coarse sacking, with no other COW
ering in the way of coffin or box, and
| were slightly decomposed, but not to an
| extent which rendered them unacceptable
The body was brought to the cemetery and
quietly reinterred.
The maximum penalty for the crime
charged against Patenaude is ten years.
There is a suspicion that the grave was
desecrated to conceal another crime.