The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-06-07
Horrible Crime of a Former I'm
dertaker, Who Also Tries to
Kill Fourth Child.
NOTIFIES THE CORONER
After Poisoning Two of His Little
Girls and Preparing Them
for Burial.
WATTS FOR THE POLICE,
Then Shoots Another Girl,
Wounds Son and Puts a
Bullet in Himself.

ROSELLE. n. j., June 6.-After killing
three of his children and wounding
fourth. Joseph NJ. Pouch. at one time an
undertaken shot himself through the head
to-day and died in few moments.
Pouch lived I'm a little cottage with his
four children. Yesterday he shot two of
them and embaimed their bodies. He/took
the other two to an upper room with him.
Meanwhile. he had mailed a warning to
County Physician Wescott who. upon re-
ceipt of the letter. notified the police
When the officials knocked at the door of
the Pouch cottage to-day Pouch shot and
killed his little daughter and wounded his
sole remaining son. He then shot himself
and died the police forced. an entrance.
The boy will recover Pouch is believed
to have been insane.
Pouch, who was about ffty-two years old
was the son of wealthy undertaken in
Brooklyn. When the elder Pouch died some
years Ego he is said to have left his entire
estate 10 i brother of the central figure in
to-day's tragedy. This fact is believed to
have made Pouch morose. He had been
twice married. The first wife obtained a
divorce and has been remarked. His sec
ond wife died two months ago. Her death
GREWSOME SIGHT.
The letter to County Physician Westcott
was mailed this morning. 1t informed the
doctor that he should proceed TO Pouch s
house. as there was something doing in his
line" DIR. Westcott notified Marshal Hen
Messy. who. with Policeman Minney went
to the Pouch home. When they knocked at
the front door there was a few seconds of
sfI
In the front room upstairs. The two Off
GERS broke down the front door and went
upstairs, where they came upon the body
OF Pouch. He was still breathing, but died
IN a few seconds The room was lighted,
and In the far corner the police found AL
pert Pouch. ten years of age with a bullet
in his right side He alive. but uncon-
scious Albert was hurried to hospital,
where the bullet was extracted. His
chances of recovery are. excellent Beside
him lay the dead body of his sister Minnie
five years old. She had been shot in the
breast
The police in exploring the house forced
entrance into rear room on the first
noor-- There they found laid ont, IS if by
two other little girls. They were Lillian,
aged seven years, and Grace, aged eight
cen months. Their mouths were burned
were the marks of fingers. showing that
besides having the poison poured into their
mouths by their father they had been
caoked- a physician said they had been
dead at least twenty-four hours
Albert said. after recovering conscious
ness at the hospital. that Sunday morning
his father took his two sisters, Lillian and
Grace, into the room where their bodies
were found. and sent Minnie and himself
10 the upper part of the house Albert
never saw Lillian and Grace again. and
does not yet know their fate. He says his
father told him he had locked them in the
back room. Albert and Minnie remained
locked in the front room Sunday after
nf tod
OF the time their father was with them
Albert says that he and his sister were
seated In corner this evening. He thinks
his sister was asleep, leaning against him
when there was a rapping on the front
door His father than rose from his chair
and shot them both.