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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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Detroit Free Press
Friday, 8 July 1859

         Murder in Delta County, Mich.
            from the Mackinac Herald
            
         Much excitement has prevailed in our village for
       a few days owing to the shooting of ISAAC BLANCHARD,
       at Seuilechoix, on Saturday morning last, by AUGUSTUS
       POND. The accounts are as yet somewhat vague, and the
       facts, as far as we have been able to learn, are as
       follows: 
         On Friday night last, the deceased with two others,
       went on board a small trading vessel lying in the har-
       bor, and remained there till about 3 o'clock in the
       morning, drinking and playing cards. They then came
       ashore, and went to POND'S house to obtain something
       to eat. POND'S wife gave them some bread, and they
       went away. After going around to some of the other
       houses, they returned about daylight to POND'S house,
       and went up between his house and fish shed - the lat-
       ter a small building used to store fish, and as a
       sleeping room for the men. One of the three went into
       the fish-house, while the other two - one of whom was
       the deceased - passed along on the outside of the shed,
       and pulled off some boards from the roof. POND, who
       was either lying in wait, or hearing the noise, came
       out of his house, the door of which was onl a few feet
       from the shed, and instantly fired, hitting BLANCHARD
       upon the left arm, breast, and neck, killing him al-
       most instantly. The gun was a common double-barrel
       shot-gun, and was loaded with coarse shot. From the
       appearance of the wound as described by Dr. Bailey,
       who attended the Coroner's inquest, the gun was heavily
       loaded, and, when discharged, the muzzle could not
       have been more than ten or twelve feet from the person
       of the deceased. 
         After the shooting, POND did not attempt any justi-
       fication, nor did he even go to see the body, but at
       once made vigorous efforts to escape. He was pursued
       by four or five men, overtaken in a few hours some-
       where upon Lake Michigan, and brought down to Mackinac,
       where he is now lying in jail awaiting his trial at
       the next term of the District Court.
       
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