Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-04-08

The Trial Comes of 81 Al
~ Walker On April
IT,. 10Th - i.
Among the, important matters 10,
the grand jury to-. consider IL the oest
of William Chounard who wass bound
over to the grand jury on the charge
Of murder in the arst degree, having
shot his wife inca: brothel Ut Casl
Lake, on the night t,of jan 96 last,
says Cass Lake special to the Duluth
Herald. The shooting awasi not In.
stantly fatal, and Chounard was ar.
rested aud confined in the village lock
up at Cass Lake until after the
woman's death, which occurred in the
hospital at Duluth, two nights after.
wards. A>coroner's jury held an in
quest over the remains and found that
the deceased came to her death from
revolver shots fred BY her husband,
and Chounard was given hearing
before local justice, charged with
murder in first degree. He was bound
over to await the action of the grand
jury at the spring term Of court, and
later taken to the county Jail and
placed In charge Of Sheriff Hardy,
where he is now.
Chounard's crime was exceedingly
cold. blooded and just what defense he
will set up is matter OF conjecture.
For some time previous to the shoot
ing Chounard and his wife had been
living In a house Of i'll repute In Cass
Lake, Mrs. Chounard being the land
lady # the house and her husband q
musician. The woman was fairly
good looking and had several ad-
mirers, which fact caused Chounsrd
to become extremely jealous of her.
For month previous to Jan. 2 Chou
nard had quarreled nearly every day
with his wife and upbraided her for
what he considered was undue famil-
iarity with other men. These differ.
enees led to dislike Of each other to a
certain extent, and on several occa-
sions, 1t Is said, Chounard hsd pro-
missed his wife good licking. The
husband also began drinking heavily
and 1t was also noticed that he was
under the influence of liquor good
deal of the time.
On Tuesday evening, Jan. 26, Mre.
Chounad came over town from the
house where she was an inmate and
visited several places in the village.
At one Of the places she was met by
Chounard. who upbraided her. &C.
cused her Of unfaithfulness, and pro-
missed her "licking when he got her
home. It was noticed that he was
much intoxicated. Chounard and his
wife left for the house shortly after
10 O'Clock, and about II the shooting
occurred. From the testimony Of eye
witnesses, given at the inquest, Chou
nard and the woman became involved
In q quarrel behind the bar of the re
sort, and he pulled revolver and
shot her three times. After the first
shot was fred Mrs. Chounard asked
her husband to remember their little
girl, but he was unmoved by the ap-
peal, and fred two more shots, all
three took effect and result ed in her
death. Although Chounard was much
intoxicated, be coolly walked cut Of
the room, concealed the weapon with
which he had done the shooting. and
returned to the house.
Mrs. Chounard, after the first shot.
started for the front door. in an effort
to get out, and the second and third
shots were fred as she was fleeing to
place of safety. She went into an
adjoining house, where were two
physicians, who attended to hel
wounds. The shots had been fred
very deliberately, and at vital por.
tions Of the woman's anatomy, denot.
ing the intentions of Chounard to kill
his wife. The next morning after the
shooting, when Chounard's wrath had
cooled, and he began to realize the
enormity Of the crime he had com
mitted, he cried like q child. and
stated that he was sorry.
Chounsrd has employed A. r. Lar
con Of Brainerd as his attorney, ani
it is more than probable that the de-
Tense will net up the plea that Chou
nard was so much under the influence
of liquor at the time Of the shooting
as not to have been aware Of what h.
was doing or that he was mentally I'M
balanced, and that when he did tn
shooting he was not responsible fol
bis acts.
William Chounard was born q
years ago, at Gravelville, near Little
Fails, his father being Peter Chou
nard, known in that vicinity al
| tTroooovod 0ofo ond his coo&ho,