The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-04-10
Attempted to Force His Way Into
the House.
EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF MRS.
LORD WITH FORMER HUSBAND.
He Has Suspended Sentence Hanging
Over Him for Threatening Murder
The Fear that he Might Commit Vio-
lence Evidently Well Founded-H How
Mrs. Lord Escaped From the House
She Presents Her Story.
Especial to the PRESS.)

sllle, y pTll S.-hcaueTS OI lH0
PRESS will remember the arrest of John
V.Souci of Montreal for threats uttered
against Mrs. Lord of this town, who was
formerly wife of Souci's. The man was
arrested in Portland and in the court was
sentenced, but had his sentence suspended
on condition that he leave the place and
go hack to Canada. .Souc1 is man with a
dangerous record. and although he left
town there was reason TO believe that he
had not aband doned his.intention to revenge
himself on his former wife and also upon
her mother whose life he had previously
threatened.
These fears proved we'll founded for he
appeared in this village and chosing the
time when he knew Mr.. Lord would be at
his work he boldly app1 cached the house.
He knocked at the door ard tried to en-
ter, but found it locked. as Mrs. Lord had
been appIehensive for some time. He en-
deavored by threats 10 gain admittance but
they proved unavailing, and he then at
tempted to break in the door.
a DRAMATIC ESCAPE.
As may naturally be imagined the woman
was thoroughly frightened. being alone
with only her helpless child in the house.
and with man battering at the door from
| whom she expected little mercy. The sound
of approaching wheels caught her ear and
as the team drew up by the house sheyquiet-
| ly.slipped out of another door, and with
the child in her arms, rushed to the road
and begged to be taken to Yarmouth. When
her husband and che neighbors started to
hunt down the man, he had disappeared.
He has not since been seen, but the family
are in state of nervous terror expecting
that he may show UP at any time. and liv-
| ing as they do a mile aid a half from the
~yillage, they fear he has an opportunity to
| commit crime if he SO desires. MRS.
Gauthier. the mother of Mrs. Lord, came
| out to pay visit 10 her daughter, but did
| not dare to remain after hearing the story
| of the occurrence:
| MIR Lord notified Marshal Trickey of Port
land. of the event, and the officers viii
doubtless he on the lookout for souci
Mrs. Lord has felt deeply the stories cir
oulated by Souei during his imprisonment
andsin justice her statement of the cast
| is printed below:
! MRS. LORDS STATEMENT.
Yarmouthville.M Maine, q pril Sth, 1895.
To the Editor:
Dear Sir-Having read in the papers the
stories told by the scoundrel souoi, allow
me, please. to publish my side of it. 1t
runs follows I was born in Mon treal,
Canadas and when was seven years old .
my mother sent lie to convent to be edu-
Gated. l graduated when l was fifteen
| years old, having been in that convent eight
years. left that Institution in the sum-
| mer. and got acquainted with Souci. that
same summer. he being a man about
forty three years OLD. His first wife had
taken me with her to visit him in peniten-
tiary seven miles from Montreal. where he
was serving sentence OF five years for
horse stealing, etc. l then heard that it
was the second time that he was put there.
! never had seen the man before that. Souci
never paid my board in the convent. and
supported my family, AS he claims he has,
| for the good reason that he did not know
| the family. My mother and brothers worked
| hard to give me- good education without
any thanks to Mr.. Souci. His first wife
died that same year. and he married me
when he had been but three months a wild
| over. and l was not sixteen years old, q
child you may say, unconscious of what
was doing, but to my sorrow and shame
| found it out too late.
| He began to abuse me when had been
married but two weeks and when my first
cb1ld was dying. and l was then in a very
delicate condition, he strangled me until
my tongue hung out, and was blue in the
face, right in front of my father and moth,
| er. He was very cruel, indeed. and then
| and sentenced 10 five years i'm
4
| the day before he was sent to the penjten-
tiary. worked all the while, visited hin
| as often as the rules of the institution
would allow me. ] took him the delicacies
that my pur Sc could afford. was good
young wife to lin. but it was of no use, he
would beTalways. cruel. and threatened me
| several times to Kill me when he would
come ut,and Ibeing discouraged and frigh-
tened, thought it would be best to get away
from him. So. before his time was up ]
| came to Portland with mother and my
| brother, now respected citizen of Port
land; (bear we'll in mind that that was not
| a runaway affair." The ex-soldier
referred to in soucis story. sailor OF
the English navy. Hs came with US here
| to lind work and a horae. Souci came aftel
me and asked me to live with him in Var.
mouth. He would be awful good SO did
| try him, but after five weeks he deserted
me after abusing NE in every way posi- BILE
| So came back to my mother and applied
for an absolute divorce, which was granted
me without any trouble. After while
was married to r. ". Lord. legally, by
Rev. Mr.. Phelan of Portland. have lived
happily with my present husband until the
other day, when that ex-convict Souo
| comes and makes trouble. lie mas threat
| el.e t o kill me and my husband if did not
| go back with him, which wantthe public
| to understand that l have no intention OF
| poing. He was arrested for the third tir,e
| after WAS married. for stealing horse
and committing assault on a girl clever
years old. for which he was sentenced tt
| five years in the penitentiary, which ex
| pired the l4th of last March. My only chile
is fourteen months old instead Of six years
old. as Souci said. My husband is vel
liked and respected citizen Of Yarmouth
He has worked in the mill four years, where
he has no enemies. He is a loving husband