The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-08
sHOCKIVa TRAGEDY AT ALBANY,
A Member OF the constitutional Com
VentiOn Shot Dead in StanWIx HalI---
A Woman I'm the Case.


A Woman In the Case.
Albany, n. Y, June 6.
This city was thrown into an unusu-
al commotion :on Tuesday night last,
over tragedy at StanwiX Hall. The
circumstances OF the case, as near as
they can be gathered, are these: At
about So o'clock, Brigadier General
/ Cole, of Syracuse, stepped up TO Hon.
| L. Harris Hiscock, q member of the
last legislature, and u delegate to the
/ present sitting Constitutional Conyen-
ton, and charged him with having
committed criminal outrage upon his
wife, while he (Cole) was absent in the
war. Following up this charge, he i'm
mediately Grew pistol and shot Mr..
| Hiscock in the head; the ball entering
just above the right eye, lodged in his
brain. General Cole then turned to
the bystanders and said "he was salts
fled. This man." he declared, "had
ravished his wife, and he was content
with the deed he had committed" He
/ also stated that he knew that death
only awaited him for committing the
deed. "H5 was ready to die" he said, ,
and then called for policeman him
self Mr.. HisCOck fell TO the floor, the
| blood pouring out of his wound with
great proiusion. The immense loss of
blood soon satisfied every person that
IL was impossible for him to live long.
Medical assistance was Immediately
secured, and everything that was pos
sible was done to save him. He linger-
ed about half an hour; but few min
utes past o'clock, it was announced
that he was dead.
| Mr.. Hiscock has been member of
three successive Legislatures, and was
last winter Chairman of the Judiciary
| Committee of the Assembly.
| Evidence elected by the Coroner's
| jury summoned on the body of Mr..
Hiscock is somewhat contradictory in
regard to the point whether Gen. Cole
spoke to Mr.. Hiscock before he fired
the pistol or not. One witness declares
that he told him that he (Hiscock) had
raped his wife, and that he (COle) had
the evidence in his pocket, and shot
| him. Another person standing close
| by, states that Cole walked up and fired
the pistol without saying word, when
| he turned to the bystanders and said:
This man bounded my wife for year
and then raped her, and he had the evil
deuce In his pocket" slHpping his
hand on his breast coat pocket as he
made this statement.
One of the singular facts connected
with this affair is that his wife arrived
in Albany Monday afternoon, in COM
pany with person by the name of
John L. Cuyler, the latter registering
her name as "Mrs. George Cole, of Sy-
raCuse," and his own Immediately un-
der hers. They were given separate
rooms. About an hour alterward Mr..
Cuyler called at the office, and said that
Mrs. Coles husband had arrived, and
placed "Dr." in front of her name.
Mr.. Cole is a brother of Seuator Cole, OF
California, while his wife is sister of
Nf nn 10,
delegates to this Convention elected on
| the ticket from the State at large, and
hailing from Tompkins county. This
adds still additional interest and eX-
citement to the whole affair.
There is an intense feeling against
Cole, and it is asserted that he was in
no way justified in committing the rash
act, even from his own statements. His
wife was sent for, and went to the sta
tiOn house TO see him, and her state
ments there do not give the idea that
there was any force or compulsion on
the part of Mr.. Hiscock in the criminal
intercourse. Mr.. Hiscock was wild
over with two Children-a quiet, inof-
tensiye man and universally liked.
STATEMENT OF COLE.
The cause of the tragedy is this: I
had friend L. II. Hiscock; l thought
him tho best friend had in the world;
have a wife and two children; she is
as pure as snow, or was before he be-
came acquainted with her, in 1864; /
was in the army, first as private and
last as major-general; / was in the
army five years during the war. In 1864
my wife was taken sick, and expected
TO die, and sent for this lawyer to make
her will, knowing Linn to be friend of
mine. While she was in bed he came
and lifted her up, and kissed her. All
this time he expressed a world offriend-
ship for me, and sympathy for her
After her recovery he came again. One
evening he came under the guise OF
business when the family with whom
she boarded (relatives of hers) were alb
sent, When he started to leave, she
started to the door to bid him good
night. He threw his arms around her,
and endeavored by all means in his
power to have criminal intercourse
with her, she demonstrating, and pray
ing him TO desist, which he finally did,
but not until after shamefully insulting
and exposing her. She was still weak
from the result of her sickness. He
then went away, and she sank to the
floor with shame and exhaustion,
fearful to make any alarm, as he
had been there so frequently be-
fore, and false opinions might
"a
of the consequences II should know
it; he afterwards called again, and ex-
pressed so much sorrow for his conduct
that she did not make any exposure.
After that he continued to call, and en-
deavored by all means in his power to
seduce her, and even made similar
| forcible effort again. She, oppressed
| with feeling OF shame and guilt for
having permitted him to kiss her, and
! fpr h oxyfF, hn
terview, did not dare TO make an ex-
| posure. This was repeated number
of times, she resisting and preventing
| the full accomplishment of his purpose
and he making efforts at all times to
overcome her by excitinl her passions.
| At last upon threats of exposure to me-
he desisted for time. After my return
from the army l had occasion to visit
! Washington about four months since,
| and while was absent he went to my
house and solicited her again, beseech-
ing her that she would submit fully.
To this she made an indignant refusal,
but was still not relieved of his impor-
tunities, he taking every opportunity
to annoy her, but he never fully accom-
plished his purpose. AT this time 1, as
a husband, felt that there was some
/ thing wrong in regard to my wife, be-
cause she seldom smiled, and seemed
broken hearted during all these three
years. Only week ago last Monday
he met me in the street and asked me
| when was going away again, which
he had done at previous times, and
therefore noticed 1t. His guilty man
ner awoke the first suspicion in my
mind as to my wife's virtue. Upon
that, after my return to New York, /
wrote friend asking him If he had
ever seen any Improprieties be-
tween Mr.. Hiscock and my
wife. He replied that he had seen
suspicious circumstances. Immediate
/ ly came home on Sunday morning last,
and learned the above facts from the
| lips OF my wife herself, when l found
that he had betrayed the love OF my
| wifeIand defiled her person, and when
I tod nd