The San Francisco call., 1908-08-11
KILLS WIFE WITH
HEAVY PITCHFORK
Peter Palassou, a MiIkman,
Crushes Skull of Woman of
Life Long Devotion
Maniac Strikes Fatal Blow in
the Presence of Their
Two Children

Peter Palassou, a French milkman
| living ON his ranch in FELTON, street
near the San Bruno road, brought 80
years of stormy welded life to close
yesterday by killing his wife. A blood
| stained pitchfork, the crushed and bat
tered skull of his wife and the state
ments of his two children. who were
working in the loft of a barn at the
time, went to show that death was the
result of vicious and brutal attack,
prompted by q moments unreasoning
fury. The wife was 81 years old.
When arrested he shrieked out in
Mysteries that he had done nothing,
committed no crime; but when the first
flush of terror and flight had passed
he declared he had knocked her down
by slapping her face and that in fall
ing she had injured her head against
the stone steps of the barn.
DEED COMMITTED IN BARN
The deed was done In the barn of the
ranch shortly after o'clock yesterday
morning. The woman was helping her
husband spread the hay for the cattle
The two children, Auguste and Helen,
were In the loft above pitching down
hay to the father, who stood on plat
form with pitchfork in his hand. The
four worked in the silence of the work
ers OF the very early morn. In the dim
lantern light they could hardly see
themselves. The silence was broken
by the growing tones of the husband,
finding fault with the wife. The chill
dren looked at one another, shrugged
their shoulders and went on with their
work. 1t was an old story, this quar-
reling, this continual finding fault and
abuse. Then they heard their mother
reply In patient defense of herself.
The voices in the darkness below
ceased for an instant. Suddenly the
woman's shrek echoed through the
barn. They heard something smash
and body fall. The boy flew to his
mothers rescue and the girl followed
close on his heels. The father was
found standing by the mother, his
pitchfork on the ground, and the
mother lay unconscious the blood
flowing from her head, reddening the
hay.
ACCEPTED YEARS OF ABUSE
The blow struck yesterday was the
last Of many. For 80 years the woman
had accepted the abuse, the stormings
and beatings Of her master. Uncom-
planning, devoted, she remained by him.
From morn till night she worked for
him. 1t was she who MIXED the cattle
In the dim dawn; she cleared away the
remnants of the last meal. She had
worked away the beauty and spring of
her youth and then, gray haired, worn
and bowed, she tottered on working,
ever working. She saw her husband
gamble away the household money-I
and worked harder There were seven
children to care for, and she worked
still harder. And he took it all with
out thanks, without appreciation.
When gripped by sudden and insane
anger and his fists would go smashing
into ner racer she would crawl away |
TO weep in bitter loneliness. The time
came when even the well of her tears
was dried, but she worked on.
DROVE SON FROM HOME
She saw her husband drive her eldest
son from the home, and the bowed head
was bowed lower. She saw her daugh- !
ter Marie driven from the house by
ner husbands anger, and she accepted !
ms oictum. Then came more abuse, |
more beatings. And still she worked on. |
The two children, Auguste and Helen.
told the story yesterday. They spoke
In fiat. Unconditional voices, like chill |
dren whose lives had been one dull |
grind 1t was the story of a patient. |
awful martyrdom of s2 years, of a love
which passed all understanding.
on the morning of her death PaIassou
complained that she had left the door
OF the barn open. She said nothing and
worked on Then he passed the bounds |
and accused her of clandestineIy meet
ing other men. The gray head snapped |
back, and she answered him. Then
came the blow.
RECEIVERS CONSCIOUSNESS
The husband gazed on her as the how |
dashed water on the poor, old face and /
apparently satisfied, harnessed up his
horses and swung out of the ranch to |
deliver the mornings milk After ALI |
she was only unconscious and when he /
returned would be we'll as ever-at her
work. The woman recovered her CON
sciousness, threw her hand over her
eyes and staggered to her feet.
Her son helped her to the house. but
she never spoke q word. Her daughter
seeing the pain in her eyes, cried out
In alarm, but the mother paid no heed
Even death she took without COM |
plant. She went to her bed, Law down
and In a few hours died, without a
word. To the last she had held bv him
Palassou was taken to the central
police station. His children refused n
see him, but they went in mourning to
the morgue, where the mothers bodvI
lay, the anguish of her death lessenad
however, In the knowledge that her
work was done and her last blow re-
ceived. Then, weeping, they returned
to the home Of their desolation and
found the frightened cattle budding
away in one corner of the barn. away
from the patch of hay, dyed red with
their mothers blood.