News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1909-08-11
PASCAL THE MURDERER SHOOTS
HIMSELF
His Dead Body Found Near Home of Victim
With Top Of Head Blown OH

'"h aoP vi uCdu DiVWH VII
The most exciting man hunt ever ex,
perienced in Caledonia county came to n
sudden close Sunday afternoon when the
body OF Joseph Pascal, who brutallv
murdered farmer Charles Perkins at the
latter's home in South Walden last week
Tuesday, was found within 60 rods of
the murdered mans house. The fugitive.
evidently having decided that escape was
impossible and that arrest meant certain
death, ended his life with a 1855 calber
rifle bullet, the gun being found beside
the body. The bullet, which entered at
the temple, practically lifted off the en-
tire top OF the head. 1t is thought that
the man had been dead about As hours
when found.
The body was discovered by George
hayes, farmer, who was in search of
his cows at the time. A physician, who
was at once summoned, stated that the
man had in all probability been dead for
two days, the body being badly decom-
posed owing to the hot weather
Inc selectmen of both the towns of
Hardwlck and Walden were notified as
1t was not known definitely in which
town the body lay. The body was then
removed to Pascals late home where the
funeral services were held Monday.
Inc hndlng of the body ends a man
hunt IN which practically all of the men
residents OF the vicinity in which the
murder was committed took part, about |
% OF men having been on the trail since
Tuesday night.
The residents of South Walden, es-
peclally the women, have been in a state
OF terror for the last five days. 1t was
believed that the man, who
was known to be desperate character,
especially when in liquor, would never
be taken alive and it was feared that he
would shoot one or more of his pursuers
before ne could be shot down. The find
ng OF his body has come as a great re-
STORY OF THE CRIME
Pascal and his brother Corliss returned
lome. Tuesday from Morrisvile, where |
hey mad obtained quantity of liquor. {
osep.h Pascal, on entering the house, be- /
an beating his wife, who ran to the |
ome OF neighbor. The husband then q
vent to the home of farmer Perkins, ,
where he believed his wife to beconcealed,
nd demanded that the woman be turn
d over to him. Both Mr.. and Mrs Y
erklns told Pascal that his wife was 4
OF there, but he insisted upon entering 8
lie mouse and upon being refused broke d
>veral windows. He then went home II
nd secured his loaded rifle, returning to
he Perkins house and demanded his wife, II
=clarlng she had been secreted by the ii
d people. ii
Mrs. Perkins was in another room IL
hen the man entered the house with la
e declared intention of making search,
I'd he was received by Mr. Perkins.
Mrs. Perkins stated later that she
ard some words pass between the men ca
Id that she heard shot fired, followed
her husbands exclamation: Don't, q,
G, don't" She then rushed into the "
ON and seeing Pascal there was so
ghtened that she hid in the woodshed
til the man had gone. ~ She then re- vi vi
rned and found her husband lying "
ad. The bullet passed through his
'lst, but 1T was disclosed at the autopsy La
at death resulted from blow on the gu
est with the but of the rifle, three ribs
ing broken and an artery leading d. Je
lily to the heart being ruptured Sn
| he murderer later returned to the
rklns home after Mrs. aPerkin's son ~,
d daughter-in-law and two children Ri RI,
d gone there, and attempted to shoot m,
I'm, but found his ammunition was
1austed. 4
Pascal then went to his home secured llls
IRE ammunition and escaped into an cot
mense swamp in Cabot. A posse was Tie
mediately organized and the search \
IS continued until Sunday afternoon. OF
>hree shots were heard Friday night Lee
the vicinity where the body was found We
/ it is believed the man ended his life ple'
that time. J
lrs, Pascal, who has been living in HUI
ror lest her husband should return Mr..
kill her before he could be captured, Mas
removed to the home of married Gun
lighter in East Hardwick. A
"