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- Jean Pierre Bessette, (Peter Bassett), son of Edouard and Julienne (Monty) Bessette, was born 23 Jun 1845 in St. Jean l'Evangeliste, Quebec, Canada. He was baptized 25 Jun 1845 in St. Jean l'Evangeliste, Quebec, Canada. He emigrated to Ludlow, Massachusetts in Sep 1883. He died 19 Apr 1918 at the former Bridgewater State Farm, Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, age 71 years. He was buried 22 Apr 1918 in St. Mary's Cemetery, Middleboro, Massachusetts. He married Sophie Lamontagne, daughter of Charles and Josephine (Gautheir) Lamontagne, on 30 Aug 1865 in St. Mary, Champlain, Clinton County, New York. She was born about 1850 in Champlain, Clinton County, New York. She died 26 Dec 1889 in Ludlow, Hampden County, Massachusetts.
Cause of death for Jean Pierre was chronic endocarditis. He also had epilepsy for 30 years prior to his death. He has no marker on his grave and no records as to which lot he was buried in.
1870 Federal Census of Champlain, Clinton County, New York
Peter Bassett 28 M New York Captain on lake boat
Sophia 21 F New York Keeping House
Rosina 3 F New York At home
Horace 2 M New York At home
Jessie 5/12 F New York At home
1880 Federal Census of Champlain, Clinton County, New York
Peter Bassett M 38 CN CN CN Boatman
Sophia F 30 NY NY NY Wife
Hannah F 13 NY CN NY Daughter At school
Horace M 12 NY CN NY Son At school
Jessie F 9 NY CN NY Daughter
William M 8 NY CN NY Son
Nellie F 7 NY CN NY Daughter
Victoria F 6 NY CN NY Daughter
Lewis M 1 NY CN NY Son
1920 Federal Census of Ludlow, Hampden County, Massachusetts
Andrew Low 50 M VT ST NY Head Foreman Jute Mill
Anna 52 F NY CN NY Wife
William 26 M MA VT NY Son Machinist Tool Shop
Louis Bassett 44 M NY CN NY BrotherL
Victoria 43 F NY CN NY SisterL
(ST - Scotland)
Springfield Republican, December 28, 1889
The Wife-Murderer Still Alive.
His Son Discharged for Lack of Evidence
Medical Examiner Shepard’s Report.
John Bassette, who crushed his wife’s head with an ax at Ludlow Thursday morning, is lying comfortably at the city hospital, guarded by a police officer. The wound in the abdomen pierced the lining of the bowels and there is danger from peritonitis. There is a chance, however, of his recovery. The police believe he was shamming Thursday night when he pretended to be unconscious, as he spoke intelligently whenever he wanted anything, but refused to answer questions. He was brought in from Ludlow on a mattress and taken to the jail, but Sheriff Brooks refused to admit him, as no commitment papers had been made out. The Ludlow authorities then made an appeal to the police, and he was sent to the hospital. An officer has thus far been detailed to guard him, but Marshall Southmayd notified the Ludlow selectmen yesterday that he would not be responsible for the prisoner after this morning. They must also provide for watchers and other expenses of his keeping at the hospital.
A search was made of the Bassette house in Ludlow yesterday, and a most important piece of evidence was found in the knife with which the man stabbed himself. The weapon is a large jack-knife which was tucked carefully away under the commode. The large blade, which bore evidence of a recent whetting, was stained with blood. Constable Trombly also brought in the bloody ax, a hatchet and a hammer which he found concealed in the house. The officer had with him Horace Bassette, the married son of the murderer, who had been arrested on suspicion. Horace was submitted to a careful examination and then discharged. He said that his father appeared at his door about 3 o’clock in the morning and asked him to watch with his mother while he went for a doctor, as she was ill. Horace went down to the bedroom where his parents slept and found it dark. He called his mother in low tones two or three times, but as she did not answer, he supposed she was asleep and went into the kitchen where a lamp was burning. He fell into a doze and was awakened by the arrival of Constable Trombly. He got made when the office said his mother was dead, but soon found that it was true. From the gash on the head he believed that an ax had been used, and he immediately searched the premises, finally discovering the bloody weapon on the cellar stairs. He had no intimation that his father had stabbed himself until he went out to look for him. Horace said the old folks were the only members of the family who slept on the first floor. He wa married and had two children, his married brother had one child, there were three sisters and a 11-years-old brother all sleeping in the same house. After hearing the particulars, Judge Bosworth declined to issue a warrant for the man’s arrest. Should J. Bassette, the murderer, live, he will tried in the Springfield police court, which has jurisdiction in Ludlow. The justice in Ludlow will, however, conduct the inquest. Officers are now satisfied that there is only one plausible theory – that Bassette killed his wife and attempted suicide before he dressed himself to go out.
Medical Examiner Shepard’s report on his autopsy of the murdered woman was sent to the Ludlow justice yesterday and in substance is as follows: I found a contused void-shape wound on the right side of the head above the temple, 2 ½ inches long, and a longitudinal wound 1 ½ inches to the left of the larger wound. There was an extensive fracture of the skull just under the contused wound of the scalp. The fracture involved the outer fourth of frontal bone, right side, the squareous of the right temple bone and lower border of the right parietal bone; also a transverse fracture between the frontal and parietal bone, extending over the top of the skull from right to left. The cranial cavity contained seven blood clots. The cause of death was a fracture of the skull form a blow of some blunt instrument. Dr. Shepard says further that the women bled most profusely; the left side of the body was covered with blood and the sheets and other bedding completely saturated with it. The wound bled freely even after his arrival – eight hours after the murder. Only one blow was struck, he says, the second or transverse fracture being consequence upon the major facture.
Springfield Republican, January 18, 1890
Springfield
Report In The Bassette Murder
Charles F. Grosvenor, the trial justice of Ludlow, who held the inquest December 30, on the death of Sophia Bassette, find that the woman came to her death about 3 o’clock the morning of December 26, form a blow inflicted by her husband, John Bassette, with some blunt instrument, and that she died instantly. On the evening of December 25, the report says, the wife and husband attended certain church services in Indian Orchard village, and after their return with other members of the family passed the evening at home socially and in amity. At about 11 o’clock the couple retired, laughing and conversing, together to the bedroom on the first floor of the house. No evidence appears that Sophia Bassette was again seen until 4 o’clock the next morning, when she was found dead by Police Officer Trombly. She was lying on her bed in the room to which she had retired with her husband the previous evening. She was in a natural position, and there was no indication in her attitude that she had made a struggle. Her head was bloody and wounded, the skull being crushed in such a way as to indicate that a blow from a heavy and blunt instrument had been inflicted. There was no one present in the room with the body. Her son, Horace Bassette, was in an adjoining room when the officer went to the house, and accompanied the officer. The husband was in a house in another part of Ludlow at the time, and was reported to be under the care of a physician to whom he had applied to attend to wounds from which he was suffering. The husband had previously called Officer Trombly and stated that he had killed his wife. Accompanying the report was the finding of Dr. J.A. Shepard, the medical examiner, who held an autopsy December 26, assisted by Drs. Hannum and Holland. On the right side of the head above the temple was a contused ovoid scalp wound about 2 ½ inches long and two inches wide. There was also a longitudinal wound an inch long and 1 ½ inches wide. Death was caused by a fracture of the skull.
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Bassett Family Association Database
Abt 1850 - 1889 (~ 39 years)