Evening journal., 1904-06-07
KILLS
THREE CHILDREN
Takes His Own Life With Pc.
lice at the Door.
WOUNDED SON LEFT TO TELL TALL

Joseph Pouch Of Roselle, N. j., Lays
Out Remains Of Little Girls First
Slain and Then Waits a Day Before
Shooting Other Daughter and Son.
Rosele, \, j., June 7.-After killing
three Of his children and wounding al
fourth Joseph NJ. Pouch, at one time
an undertaken shot himself through
the head and died in few moments
Pouch liYed in little cottage with his
four children. He first shot two OF
them and embalmed their bodies. He
took the other two to an upper room
with him. Meanwhile he had mailed
warning to County Physician West
colt, who upon receiving the letter mott
knocked at the door of the Pouch cot
tage Pouch shot and killed his little
daughter and wounded his sole remain
ing son. He then shot himself and
died as the police forced an entrance
The boy will recover.
Pouch was a nephew of the Pouch
who built the Pouch mansion in Brook
lyn. He was fifty-two years old. His
father was a wealthy undertaken in
Brooklyn. When the father died some
years ago he is said to have left his
entire estate TO a brother Of the man
who figured in the tragedy here. 1t is
said that since he was cut off in the
will Of his father Joseph Pouch had
been soured and morose.
The death Of his wife made Pouch
even more moody than before, and, to
add TO his troubles, he ran a nail int
his foot. three weeks ago while AZ
work in the Singer machine works in
Elizabeth. where he was employed He
had been limping from this injury ever
since.
In the morning Pouch mailed a letter
which was received in the afternoon
by the county physician 1t was dated
from this place and told the doctor hc
should come here as there was some
thing doing in his line. The letter tolC
just where the duty Of the doctor lay
The physician at once telephoned t'
Justice Willie of this place, and he in
formed Marshal Hennessey, who, Will
Policeman Kinney, went to Pouch'l
home.
Shot Himself as Officers Knocked.
When they knocked az the front
door there was a few seconds of 81
lence, and then three shots were heard
in the front room upstairs. The two
officers threw themselves against the
front door and broke it down. Running
to the second floor, they found the door
to the front room locked, but II yielded
10 their rush As they stumbled into
the room they came upon the body OF
Pouch. lie was still breathing, bu
| gasped his last in a few seconds.
In a far corner the police found Al
bert Pouch, ten years old, with bulle
just below the ribs in the right side
lie was alive and conscious. Besid
him lay bis sister Minnie, five year
old, dead. shot in almost exactly tn
same manner.
Albert was hurried TO the Elizabeu
Central hospital. where the bullet wa
extracted. and his chances Of recover
are excellent. He revived and told tn
story of the last thirty hours In IN
house
Meanwhile the police in exploring tn
house forced the entrance into rea
room on the first foor. There the
found laid out as if by an undertake
the white clad corpses of two othe
little girls. They were the bodies q
Lillian Pouch, seven years old, an
Grace Pouch, eighteen months old
Their mouths were burned with cal
bolic acid, and on their throats wer
the marks Of fingers, showing that, b.
sides having the poison poured int
t their mouths by their father, the
were choked.