Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-06-05
MURDERS WOMAN
IN VESTIBULE OF
VILLAGE CHURCH
HRS, E. H. OPVIS 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 IS BELIEVED TO BE INSANE.
! FOND DU LAC, Wis. June 1.-[Spe-
cial. Mrs. f. 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 Oaktield Sunday morning, just at the
close of the services, by Grant Poole, i
young farmer.
! In the paudemonium 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 Il posse of farm
ers and officers near Rogersvilie. He gave
himself up to one of the posse, William
Braarz, and was taken to the Fond du
Lac county Jail to avoid a lynching.
Mrs. Orvis had me hypnOti7ed and l
always 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 tie other.
oh, this is terrible. terrible" he
moaned. Il realize row what an awful
thing | have done. but | am not to blame.
When | saw Mrs. Orvis in the church
yesterday morning a black cloud APP
Feared in front of my face. l did not
want to shoot but some uncomfortable
impulse made me do it.
Fled to Escape Lynching.
81 remember of firing one shot, but
they say ! fired three. Maybe l did. [
was then seized with an impulse to es-
cape. | found myself in the woods near
Oakheld, and it came to me then that l
had shot Mrs. Orvis. | knew that the
people would kill or lynch me and
fled toward Ladoga, where 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.
L loved Grace Orvis but l never
meant to kill anyone on that account. !
did not dislike Mrs. Orivs, and l know
that l am insane at times. My head
has never been right since l tried to kill
myself, and there is another thing which
table when l suddenly felt a desire to
end my life. | do not know why |
did it. | always carried a revolver be-
cause l 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 i'll 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
gTCgatIOn began leaving the church,
where the benediction had just been pro
nounced by the pastor. Rev. Sabin Hal
sey, who was for years the pastor of the
Grand Avenue N. 4. church in Milwau-
kee and for ten years in charge of the
Division Street NJ. Z. church here, be-
lore committing the crime. He fell in
behind Mrs. Oryis 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 fired three shots at the
woman. Two of the bullets went wild,
one 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 postlude.
Mrs. OTviS sank to the floor. The
women oE the congregation turned their
attention to reviving her, but there their
effort were unayailing. 4 doctor reached
her side il, a short time after the shoot
I'D
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
hide. The ledge is honeycombed with
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 a 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.
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 Oh
the spot.
Poole then came out of his hiding and,
throwing down his weapon, and holding
his hands in the air said
Don't shOotn'
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
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