Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-01-18
HOLE IN HIS HEART.
Louis lausSier Stabbed
at a Dance.
HAD A SPARRNG MATCH.
Theory That Murder Was Premedi
tated Remarkable Developments.

LENoXDALE, Mass, Jan. ls.-A grand
concert and ball" given by the colored
people Of LenoXdale Friday evening ended
in stabbing affray, as a result Of which
Louis Laussier,a young Frenchman, today
lies dead, while Charles Edward Adams,
alias Charles Edwards. colored, is held in
custody, charged with the murder. Len
oxdale is little village nine miles from
Pittsfie Id, and has population OF rather
lively tendencies.
Laussier was carried helpless 10 the
home of John O'Brien, the blacksmith
with whom he boarded and in whose shop
he worked. There he complained OF pain
In his chest. and il was discovered that he
had very small cut OH his left breast.
A doctor was summoned, who announced
upon examination that the man was not
seriously injured. Nevertheless. young
Laussier lay in bed all day Saturday, ut
tering scarcely an ineligible word, and
despite the opinion of the doctor, he died
yesterday.
what Happened at the Dance
Is thus related by Laussier's friends: It
was colored folks affair. Young Laus-
sier strolled into the hall, a little place
over the postofiice. in company with his
friends Louis and a friend got To boxing
and Adams came up and wanted TO try IL
himself Laussier rather prided himself
on his cleverness, so he boxed with Adams
Some Of his friends saw that Adams was
getting the worst of it and was growing
angry.
Finally the boxing ended with some hot
words. Later on Laussier and one of his
masculine friends were waltzing about to-
gether when they were pushed against
Adams and his colored partner. Adams
was mad and the two men fell to blows
And Went Down to the Floor.
After brief bit Of scufiiing the men
were separated. Laussier at once com
planned that the colored man had bitten
his finger and also of n sharp pain in the
breast.
After being taken home he could give
no explanation of his wound 4 very
ssmali hole, as ii made by stiletto, was
seen in his vest and two flannel shirts
Meanwhile, Adams had been chased
from The hall He ran swiftly from his
pursuers and hid in the coal shed OF the
LenoN Coal company near the railroad
track. He was brought back to the hall
and given into the custody of Constable
Bryant, who took him TO Lee
Saturday he was arraigned in the Lee
court. charged with assault with a dan
gerous weapon, an. Judge Casey hAed
bail at $1,000 to await the result of Laus.
sier's injuries.
Adams says he was not drunk when the
affair occurred, but he had been drinking
cider He admits having been arrested
several times for drunkenness and once in
Pittsfeld some months ago for distu, bing
the peace.
Medical Examiner Charles c. Holcombe
OF Lee made an autopsy yesterday upon
the body Of Laussier, which shows the
ease To be one of the most peculiar in medi
cal records. The
startling Result Of the Autopsy
was given by DR.. Holcombe as follows: A
small cut was found NJ the union OF the
stern,im and the third rib Turning back
the tissues the examiner came across n
broken piece Of knife blade, one inch long,
embedded below the level of the rib This
blade pierced the walls of the chest and
penc, rated the ri9ht ventricle of the heart
1t tremained in the heart and at each pull
sation the wound enlarged. Three quarts
Of blood. showing internal hemorrhage,
were taken from the left cavity of the
chest The other organs of the victim
were in healthy condition. The blade
WAS from an ordinary pocket penknife. In
the doctors opinion. II was turned over
TO Directive Pease.
Detective Pease and Sheriff Cutting of
Lee brought Adams to the county jail at
Pittsfeld last evening. The theory the
officers have makes the case OF far more
gravity than was at first supposed.
II is said that they have evidence that
tends to establish premeditated murder
The theory is that after Adams had the
first quarrel with Laussier, he went out
side the ball, returned with an open knife
up his sleeve, purposely angered Laussier
and stabbed him To the heart as they
clinched