The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-09-09
CHISHOLM MURDER.
FIRST DAY OF THE TRIAL.
Startling Evidence Given by Mrs.
Chisholm-Intense Interest
Manifested.

De Kalb, Miss, Sept. S.-The hear
ing of evidence in the trial of Henry J.
Gully for the murder of Cornelia CHS
holm April 20, 1877, was begun to-day.
Seventy witnesses, 80 for the. state and
38 for the defense were sworn and ex-
cluded from the court room. Mrs.
Chisholm was the first witness. She
testified that an excited crowd Of men
entered De Kalb on the evening of
April %, III; it was largely increased
the following morning; Sinclair, then
sheriff, arrested her husband on the
morning of the Doth; he asked to be
placed under guard at his own house,
and also asked an instant investigation
of the charges against him. Armed
men kept coming around the house;
Sheriff Sinclair conversed with them
and then talked to Chisholm; Chisholm
told the crowd syou cowardly scoun-
drels, you will kill me before evening,
but before you do it, l will make some
of you bite the dust.'' Sinclair came
to my husband about II O'Clock and
said: "They say you must go to jail"
Mcclellan, myself, my sons, Clay, john
ME and Willie, and my daughter, Cor
nelia, accompanied my husband to the
Jail. We were clinging to him to shield
his body; Mr.. Moseby and Mr.. Over
street went inside the Jail with this
party, and the door of the lower floor
of the Jail was locked behind them;
the family went up stairs, and the door
was locked on the inside; 1 was sent
home by my husband on an errand;
heard firing as came back toward the
jail; saw old man McLelland fall,
pierced by several buckshot behind the
jail; pushed inside the jail and found
the stairway crowded with men; Rosser
was at the top of the stairs and VIM.
Gulley was trying to break the lock of
the upper door with an axe; my daugh-
ter, Cornelia, son, Johnnie and Mr..
Overstreet were holding the door on
the inside; my daughters face was
bleeding; Rosser said to my daughter:
"D-n your soul, will blow your
brains ont if you don't get out of the
way Rosser fired the first shot
through the broken lock, which
severed my sons hand from his
arm; the door was here broken
open and my little boy fell, shot through
the heart. Some one inside then fired
and Rosser fell dead. Two men caught
him by the heels and dragged him
down stairs. My husband was bewil-
dered at the death of Johnnie. and
my son Clay carried the dead boy down
stairs. Csrnelia and father then came
down stairs. Henry j. Gulley came
up and raised his gun, when 1 closed
the grated door at the bottom of the
stairway. My daughter clasped my
husband round the neck just as Gulley
fired through the CRATES in the door.
My daughter screamed, 81 am shot"
Judge Chisholm opened the door, and
as he stepped out Henry Gulley came
out of an adjoining room with another
gun and fired at him, and he fell. Clay
and myself assisted my husband in
reaching home. My daughter was
blesding in the ia, ,e, and her eyes were
blackened by blows. She was shot in
the wrist, in the ankle and heel. She
was shot by Henry Gulley. She died
on the 18th of May from the effects of
her wounds. Mrs. Chisholm produced
Cornelia's bracelet which was broken
and driven into her arm; also five buck
shot that were taken out of her body.
On the cross examination she stated
that she begged Rosser, by the God
that made him, if not her who bore
him, and the wife whom he loved, to be
satisfied with the blood of Gilmer and
Mcclellan. He replied: "John Gulley
had wife, and he would shoot any
woman who stood between himself and
Chisholm