by Laurel | April 18th, 2013
18 April 1900
Murderer Gagne Was Insane — Narcisse Gagne, the wife murderer and would be suicide, who died Thursday night at the House of Providence Hospital during a terrible struggle, in which he seemed to be trying to get away from pursuers, was declared insane at an autopsy held yesterday afternoon. He was insane at the time of the tragedy and had been insane ever since. the membrane enveloping his brain was inflamed into an unquestionable case of meningitis. The autopsy was held yesterday afternoon at 2 at the undertaking rooms of A. F. Gingras of 47 High Street by Medical Examiner Frank Holyoke, assisted by Dr. John P. Shine and City Physician M. J. McIntee. The possibility of the death being due to a blow from the club of the policemen in the early morning struggle at the hospital was said to be too remote for serious consideration. The result of that blow was only a shin wound. Gagne, it is said, would have probably never recovered from the attack of meningitis. What caused the disease the medical examiner does not say, though it was said not to have been of long standing. It is known that one of the causes of the disease is alcoholism. Otherwise the organs of the body were found in good condition, except the stomach. The mucus membrane of the stomach was congested with a catarrh accumulation. This decision comes as something of a relief to those who feared that the city had been the scene of a vicious murder.
The annual reception and exhibition of P. H. Kelly’s dancing school pupils took place at the city hall last evening, several hundred gathering. The exhibition was one of the best given by his pupils and reflected great credit on Prof. Kelly’s training. The program contained 20 numbers of all the variety of dances given by the pupils: Tambourine, minuet, Russian peasant, La Violets, sailors’ hornpipe, rainbow, La Petite and Pas de Fleurs. A feature of the program were “Coon” songs and black dancing given bu Grace and Stella Moffat. Solos were given by Mary Wall and Kittie Connor and a duet by Mary O’Connor and Abbie Williams The dancing was enjoyed to an early hour this morning. [Note: please take this description in the context of 1903.]
The case of Katherine Arcamo came up in the Police Court yesterday. She was sent to the industrial school at Lancaster for stubbornness. Lewis Maskowitz was tried for peddling without a license, and pleaded guilty, but his case was continued for sentence until this morning. Frank Johnson, charged with being a vagrant, was held, his case being continued until today. Felix Charest was given 20 days in jail for drunkenness, not being able to pay his $6 fine. Two other “drunks” also appeared in court yesterday morning.
More electric lights for Holyoke were voted by the Board of Public Works at a meeting held last night. There will be 175 new arc lights in localities mapped out by the board. It was also voted to place incandescent lights under the dry bridge. It was voted to ask for bids for the year’s supply of coal, the bids to be in by 7 p.m. the 28th. Also to accept the bid of G. E. Russell & Co. for the iron gates for the Elm Street school house.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
