The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-06-04
MURDERS WOMAN
IN VESTIBUiE OF
WILL AGE CHURCH
MRS E. H. ORVIS OF OAKFIELD
FOND DU LAC COUNTY, SLAIN
BY GRANT POOLE.
POSSE CAPTURES MURDERER.
Prisoner Tells of Love for Victims
Daughter, but Claims That He
Was Hypnotized.
HE is BELIEVED TO BE INSANE

| he 10 BELIEVED ~ DE lNoANE'
! FOND DU LAC, Wis, June Ii Spe-
cial Mrs. l.. II. Orvis, wife of one OF
! the most prosperous farmers in Fond du
Lac county, was shot and killed III the
vestbule Of the First Methodist church
ut Oaktield Sunday morning just ut the
close Of the services, by Grant Poole, Il
young farmer.
In the pandemnnium that followed,
Poole plunged through the crowd and
escaped to the woods surrounding the
little village, but was captured ut .
o'clock in the evening by a posse of farm
crs and officers near Kogersvlle. He gave
himself up to one of the posse, William
Braatz, and was taken to the Fond du
Lac county Jail to avoid a lynching.
Mrs. Orvis had me hypnoti3ed and |
Away, felt that | was going to be placed
under the spell whenever | was near her
and she had her eyes fixed upon me-
declared Poole in his cell at the county
Jail this morning.
Poole wept continuously as he paced
from one end of the little barred room
to the other.
"Oh, this is terrible. TERRIBLE he
moancd. Il realize now what an awful
thing have done. but am not to blame.
When | saw Mrs. Orvis in the church
yesterday morning Il black cloud APP
pcared in front of my face. | did not
want to shoot, but some uncomfortable
impulse made me do it,
Fled to Escape Lynching.
Il remember of firing one shot, but
they say fired three. Maybe | did. |
was then seized with an impulse to es-
cape. | found myself in the woods near
Oaiiield. and it came to me then that |
had shot Mrs. Orvis. | knew that the
people would kill or lynch me and I
fled toward Ladoga, where | gave myself
up to the searching party.
Yes, | was afraid they would shoot
me- and that is the reason why | threw
down my revolver and consented to 30
with them.
Il loved Grace Orvis, but | never
meant to kill anyone on that account. !
did not dislike Mrs. Orivs, and | know
that | am insane ut times. Ny head
has never been right since | tried to kill
myself, and there is another thing which
| cannot explain. | was seated at the
table when | suddenly felt desire to
end my life. | do not know why |
did it. | always carried u revolver be.
cause | knew that someone was chasing
me-"
Maurice McKenna, poole's attorney,
believes that the young man is insane
and is confident that he will be placed
in an asylum. Those who know Poole
Il M ha ll-p md
could run for miles without firing him
sen. This accounts for the long chase
which he gave to hls purSuerS after the
crime in Oakied.
Is Held Without Bail.
Poole was arraigncd in court for his
preliminary hearing this morning. An
adjournment was taken until Thursday,
Jane II. and the prisoner is being held
without bail
Poole waited in his pew until the con
gregatIon began leaving the church,
where the bonediction had just been pro
nounccd by the pastor. Rev. Sabn Hal
Scy. who was for years the pastor of the
Grand Avenue NJ. T.. church in Milwau-
kCe and for ten years in charge of the
Division Street NJ. T.. church here, be-
lore committing the crime. He fell in
behind Mrs. OrviS who was just then
greeting all of her friends with gracious
SillllFN as SUe ltSNti OUT OF me ,tliCt.
In the crowded Vestibulc, Poole drew Il
revolver and fired three shots at the
woman. Two Of the bullets went wild,
on, of them striking the door and other
narrowly missing Mrs w. Atkins. \
third struck Mrs. Orvis in the back.
The ring of the shots mingled with the
final notes of the organ pustude.
Mrs GrvS sank to the floor The
women o. the congregation turned their
attention to raviylng her. but there their
effort were unav"iling \ doctor reached
her side ir a short time after the shoot
ing Gad after a few minutes examination
pronounced that life was extinct.
Shrieks Like an Animal.
II the meantime, Poole, with n cry
that sounded more like that of an infu-
rated animal than anything else, spranc
from the church and ran toward the
/ ledge. The country surrounding Oak
/ field is an ideal place for a fugitive TO
4 hide The ledge is honeycombed with
/ ones self, and Poole got into the dense
4 woods before the villagers, WHO were
near the church ut the time of the muir
4 der, could organize posse.
/ There were threats of lynching and
farmers, aided by Sheriff George L.
\ Dana ana detectives from tbs city, took
/ MP the murdercr'S trail toward Ladoga.
\ heard when Il farmer discovered Poole.
/ II was feared that he would attempt to
/ kill some member of the pursuing party
ana the sheriff and the detectives had
! difficulty IN restraining the farmers from
firing ut the murderer and killing him on
/ the spot.
Poole then came ont Of his hiding and,
4 throwing down his weapon, and holding
. his hands in the air said:
Don't shoot"
Poole was then handcuffed and taken
to the Fond du Lac county Jail There
were many threats Of lynching among
( the angry villagers of Oakiield but they