Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-05-14
VICTIMS OF AoMlcloAL MANIA.
Christine Bau Shoots Stranger, Then
Kills Herself.

IN TIE groin ana lntesiines at ten q CLOCK
last week Tuesday evening. Miss Bau
then turned her revolver upon herself and
killed herself instantly with bullet in
her forehead. The tragedy occurred on
State street opposite the state house.
Neveaux, who, did not know the girl, was
walking up the street and met her nearly
opposite the entrance to the state house.
She opened fire on him and killed herself
inside of half minute. People who
heard the shooting rushed to the scene
and found the girl dead and Neveaux ly-
ing upon the sidewalk. He was hurried
to the hospital bleeding internally. She
and Neyeaux were entire strangers and
anyone who had met her at that time
would probably have Jared the same at
her hands.
When the young woman left her home
in Barre there was not a sign in her ac-
tions to indicate mental arrangement.
She was starting out to go to the resi-
dence of Mrs. John Oliver where she was
to meet Mrs. Oliver. They had planned to
go out on shopping expedition. That
was the last the family of the unfortu-
nate girl heard of her. But she never
went to Mrs. divers house. Later,
Mrs. Beu went to the residence of Mrs.
Oliver to see if her daughter was there.
Then the truth became known that the
young lady had disappeared.
There at once arose the suspicion that
the girls absence might mean something
wrong, and so a search for her was instr
tuted Golda Douglass, a brother-in-law,
went to Montpelier, it having been
thought possible that she had gone there.
While he was looking about that city,
the news that young woman had shot
man and then killed herself on lower
State street came to him.
1t is probable that the change began to
steal over the girl while she was on her
way to Mrs. divers, and that, impelled
by some mysterious power which she was
incapable of resisting, she went wher-
ever her fancy directed and took either
an electric car or one of the steam trains
for Montpelier.
Soon after arriving there, she went to
the store of Wheelock & Dawley and
there purchased a revolver of Herbert
Wheelock. Some time in the afternoon,
a perpossessing young Woman came into
his store and asked for revolver. There
was nothing strange in her actions, and
rs she appeared to be perfectly sane he
had no hesitation in selling her the
weapon. Miss Bau bought 32-caliber
revolver and box of cartridges. The
the money which had been intended for
her new hat. Where she spent the re-
mainder of the day up to the time of the
tragedy is not known, but it is probable
that she wandered about Montpelier in
the daZed condition in which the mania
rendered her.
When the girls clothing was searched,
Grand Juror Bailey discovered a note in
her pocket book, which was written to
inform her parents of what she intended
to do. This letter is revealed, not to con-
tribute more sensational features to the
tragedy, but to explain the motive of the
girl, and to show that she was moved by
an insane impulse which her nature could
not resist. 1t Isl
"Mr. and Mrs. c. Bsu, 81 Franklin ST.,
Barre, VT.
dearest Mamsie and Pspsie:
"Just few lines to say that when you
receive this / hope / will be dead.
ssFor you know a living sorrow is
worse than a dead one.
ssAnd / am one. Oh, il you knew
what have suffered and tried and fought
and struggled to defeat this dreadful kill
ing fever, but in vain.
ssFor days and weeks / have tried to
overcome it for your sakes, but at last i
can control 1t no longer. Oh, | hope and
pray to die tonight. / hope to kill some
one first and then myself.
s.For know / will never be different,
it is in me. And tell you, dear ones,
cannot.
Goodbye. Love to all.
"Your loving daughter,
christine Bau."
On Nov. Z, 1905, she wandered away
from home during an attack of the NAL
adv which came to such terrible results
now and went to Woodsville, n. II. Aft
er taking supper in one of the hotels
there, she went out on the street and
without apparent provocation shot j. b.
Burt, fireman on the Montpelier d
Wells River railroad, one shot taking
effect in the hand and another in the leg.
Charles Goneo was also wounded, getting
ball in the leg just below the thigh.
Both men recovered. When asked why
she did the shooting, the girl replied at
the time that she did it for fun, admit
ting that she had never seen either man
before.
The girl was adjudged insane and was
placed in jail at Concord, N. H., and sub
seuuently was removed to the Vermont
asylum at Waterbury. After being treat
ed there for about a year, she was re-
leased and returned to Barre, being in
her normal mind at the time. Since then
SHE had appeared to be all right mentally.
Once before the Woodsville shooting,
Miss Bau had been attacked with the
same homicidal mania and left her home
and went to White River Junction, where
she attacked trainman with knife, but
did not injure him very much. After
that she was paroled in the keeping of
| her parents, who had kept strict watch
over the girl in an endeavor to discern
the slightest indications of recurrence
of the disease, and Miss Bau did not aft
erwards go away from home alone.
Miss Bau's father is well-known pho
tographer in Barre and she came of an ex-
cellent family. The tragedy occurred
within five rods of the Pavilion hotel,
which was filed with supreme court peo-
pie. Miss Christine was respected
| by all who were acquainted with her.
She was young woman of attractive APP
pearance, a pronounced brunette, with
dark eyes and hair. In the HeddiDg
Methodist church she was hard worker
and took great interest in everything