Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-06-05
MURDERS WOMAN
IN VESTIBULE OF
VILLAGE 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.

FOND DU LAC, Wis, June 1.-[Spe
| cial. Mrs. e. II. Orvis, wife of one of
the most prosperous farmers in Fond du
Lac county, was shot and killed in the
vestibule of the First Methodist church
at Oakfeld Sunday morning, just at the
close of the services, by Grant Poole, d
young farmer.
| In the pandemonium that followed,
Poole plunged through the crowd and
| escaped to the woods surrounding the
| little village, but was captured at 9
o'clock in the evening by a posse of farm
ers and officers near Rogersville. He gave
| himself up to one of the posse, William
| Braatz, and was taken to the Fond du
Lac county Jail to avoid lynching.
Mrs. Orvis had me hypnotized and
always felt that [ was going to be placed
under the spell whenever l 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.
| ooh, this is terrible, terrible" he
moaned. 81 realize now what an awful
thing l have done, but / am not to blame.
When | saw Mrs. Orvis in the church
yesterday morning black cloud ap-
peared in front of my face. l did not
want to shoot, but some uncomfortable
impulse made me do it.
Fled to Escape Lynching.
II remember of firing one shot, but
they say l fired three. Maybe I did. I
was then seized with an impulse to es
cape. 1 found myself in the woods near
| Oakfeld, and it came to me then that l
had shot Mrs. Orvis. 1 knew that the
people would kill or lynch me and I
fled toward Ladoga, where l gave myself
up to the searching party.
Yes, | was afraid they would shoot
me, and that is the reason why l threw
| down my revolver and consented to go
with them.
II loved Grace Orvis, but 1 never
meant to kill anyone on that account. I
did not dislike Mrs. Orivs, and 1 know
| that | am insane at times. My head
has never been right since l tried to kill
myself. and there is another thing which
| | cannot explain. | was seated at the
| table when l suddenly felt a desire to
end my life. / do not know why l
| did it. | always carried a revolver be-
cause 1 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
| declare that he was a great walker and
| could run for miles without firing him
| self. This accounts for the long chase
| which he gave to his pursuers after the
| crime in Oakfeld.
Is Held Without Bail.
Poole was arraigned in court for his
| preliminary hearing this morning. An
adjournment was taken until Thursday,
| June II, and the prisoner is being held
| without bail.
Poole waited in his pew until the con-
| gregation began leaving the church,
where the benediction had just been pro-
| nounced by the pastor. Rev. Sabin Hal
Grand Avenue M. E. church in Milwau-
| kee and for ten years in charge of the
Division Street M. e. church here, be-
fore committing the crime. He fell in
behind Mrs. Orvis who was just then
greeting all of her friends with gracious
smiles as she passed out of the edifice.
| In the crowded vestibule, Poole drew a
revolver and fred three shots at the
woman. Two of the bullets went wild,
one of them striking the door and other
|
third struck Mrs. Orvis in the back.
| The ring of the shots mingled with the
| final notes of the organ postlude.
| Mrs. Or7is sank to the floor. The
women o& the congregation turned their
attention to reviving her, but there their
effort were unayailing A doctor reached
her side in a short time after the shoot
! ing and after few minutes examination
pronounced that life was extinct.
Shrieks Like an Animal.
! II the meantime, Poole, with a cry
that sounded more like that of an infu-
rated animal than anything else, sprang
| from the church and ran toward the
ledge. The country surrounding Oak
| field is an ideal place for a fugitive to
caverns where it is possible to conceal
ones self, and Poole got into the dense
woods before the villagers, who were
near the church at the time of the muir
der. could organize posse.
There were threats of lynching and
farmers, aided by Sheriff George P.
Dana and detectives from this city, took
up the murderer's trail toward Ladoga.
! Suddenly cries of There he isl were
heard when a farmer discovered Poole.
1t was feared that he would attempt to
kill some member of the pursuing party
and the sheriff and the detectives had
| difficulty III restraining the farmers from
| firing at the murderer and killing him on
the spot.
Poole then came out of his hiding and,
throwing down his weapon, and holding
his hands in the air said
Don't shootp'
Poole was then handcuffed and taken
to the Fond du Lac county Jail. There
were many threats of lynching among
| the angry villagers of Oakfeld, but they
were persuaded to permit the sheriff to
| take the man 10 Jail alive.