The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-07-02


l-Chapman's position in the bed.
2-Martin's position In the bed
This house is a common wood structure,
box shaped, located on the southeast base of
the hill on which the town of Forman is butt,
and about sixty yards from what is known
as the old mill. Ii stands out alone on the
ground, and is without the protection of a
fence. In the house are two rooms, sepa.
rated by a common board partition. The
room indicated in the diagram as contain.
ing bed, was occupied by Norwegian
named Martin, in the employ Of Chapman,
and Chapman himself. The other room
was occupied by Mr.. S. P. Jackson and his
wife. The window sills of the house would
reach to the chest of an average-sized man
standing fiat footed on the ground surround.
ing the house. On Saturday evening after
dusk both Martin and Chapman were in
their room. About ten o'clock Martin
went to bed, leaving Chapman sitting in a
chair reading newspaper. About eleven
o'clock Chapman laid aside his newspaper
and left the room. Martin thinks he was
gone not over three quarters of an hour.
When Chapman returned, he, too went to
bed, and, as was his custom, left the lamp
dimly burning. Martin knows nothing
more until he was aroused by the sound of
the pistol shot. He found the room in utter
darkness, got out of bed, struck match,
lit the lamp, and found Chapman lying
motionless and unconscious, the brain
oozing from his head. The ball-3S cal.
ibre-entered the brain at a
point on the top Of the head above the
right ear, and ranging downward lodged in
the region of the right nostril. twas cut
out by DR.. Geo. W. Bratton, Of Vienna
Mr.. Chapman lived until 4 o'clock, but in
those three hours showed no sign of life.
The shot had paralyzcd him. Martin
ran to the store, about sixty yards of,
and walked Messrs. Morris and Eoren-
the latter Chapman's nephew informing
them of what had occurred. They of
course fastened to the spot, and found Mr..
Chapman in the condition described. An
examination Of the premises revealed the
fact that the party who had done the
shooting was short in stature, as block
about foot in length, was found under the
window sill of Chapman's room; this
block enabled the assassin to cac' w.,',
~" window, pull aside t'a lo.ou' o
3ot'pg orr' D ho', M ~.
q, d, cra,, Il Y.
o. flesh was 40. burncu ~
;ic w'rdoa "a showed
oecn scor he'd. Mare b" ..c
WAS IL. out hy tac lcNs',op q By
the shot; but othe's assert lhnt FL. cad
EArdiy have happened, IS ne tsbo o,
Which the !amplwas burning, was two or
three feet from the bed, and not in the di.
rection of the shot, Whatever tracks had
been made in approaching and departing
from the house were Obliterated by the
rain which subsequently fell Jackson and
his wife did not hear tie shot. These EN-.
brace all the circumstances of the killing
itself
When it became noiscd abroad the great
est excitement prevailed, and continued
from Sunday morning up to last night at
eight o'clock. A coroners jury was sum.
moned and very large number Of wit
nesscs examined, but nothing was elected
that would furnish tangible clue to the
pcrpc,rator Of the dastardly act. Mr..
Chapman was about As years Of age, did
business in Vienna, Carbondale and other
points in Southern Illinois, but at the time
of his death was dcvoting his attention
mainly to the interests Of the Chapman
Lumber Mill Company, Of which he was
President lie was also senior member CT