Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-09-12
The CbisoIm Tragedy.

| TRIAL OF HENRY ,. GULLY-MBs. cHIso1M TELLS
THE TERRIBLE STORY OF RIOT AND BLOOD on
THE WITNESS STAND.
The trial of Henry ]. Gully for the murder
Of Cornola Chisolm April %. 1877, opened at
DeKalb, Miss, Tuesday, with ~ wit
nesscs, 30 for the State and IS for the de
Tense, who were put under the rule and ex-
cluded from the courtroom. Mrs Chisolm
testified
"An excited crowd of men entered DeKalb
on the evening of April IS, 1877, and it was
largely increased on the following morning
Sinclair then sheriff, arrested my husband on
the morning Of the 2gth. He asked to be
placed under guard at his own house and be
sought an instant investigation of the charges
made against him. Armed men kept coming
around the house. and Sinclair conversed
with them and then talked to Judge Chisolm.
My husband said to one of the crowd, You
cowardly scoundrels, you will kill me before
evening, but before you do it I will make
some Of you bite the dust Sinclair came to
my husband at about II o'clock and said
They say you must go to Jail Mcclellan,
myself, my sons, Clay, Johnnie and Willie
and daughter Cornelia, accompanied my hus-
band to jail. We were clinging to him to
shield his body Mr. Moseley and Mr. Over
street went inside the jail with the 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 Oh the inside
was sent home by my husband on an er-
rand. l heard firing as | came back toward
the Jail and saw the old man Mcclellan fall
pierced by several buckshot behind the jail.
rushed inside the jail and found the stair
way crowded with men. Rosser was at the
top of the stairs and William Gully was try
ing to break the lock Of the upper door with
axes. My daughter Cornela, son Johnnie
and Mr.. Overstreet were holding the door on
the inside. My daughters face was bleed
ing. Rosser said TO my daughter, Damn
your soul will blow yaur brains ont If you
don't get out Of the way. Rosser fred the
first shot through the broken lock which sew
cred my sons hand from his arm. The door
was here broken open and my little boy fell
/ shot through the heart. Some one inside
! fired and Rosser fell dead Two men caught
him by the heels and dragged him down
stairs. My husband was bowildered by the
death Of Johnnie l and my son Clay carried
the dead body down stairs Cornelia and
father came down stairs. Henry ]. Gully
came up and raised his gun. / closed the
| grated door at the bottom Of the stairway
! My daughter clasped my husband around the
! door My daughter screamed. I am shot
! Judge Chisolm opened the door, and Us he
stepped out Henry Gully came out of the ad-
! joining room with another gun and fired
| again at him, and he fell. Clay and assist
| cd my husband in reaching home. My
| daughter was bleeding in the face. Her ewes
were blackencd by blow, and She was shot
in the wrist, in the ankle and in the heel
She was shot 10y Horny Gully. She died on
the 18th of May from the effects Of her
wounds" Mrs. Chisolm produced Cornelia's
| bracelet which was broken and driven into
| her arm, also FIVE buckshot taken out Of her
! body. Gross ,2amin,d sLe stated that she
| begged Rossor, by the God that made him.
| the mother who bore him and the wife whom
| be loved. TO be satisfied with the blood Of
/ Gilmes and Mcclellan. He replied, John
! Gully had a wife, and he would shoot any
| woman who stood between himself and CHS
| ohm" The defense asked the question Did
! You not know that Cornelia died from the ef-
| feet Of an operation :" Witness said she did
not When asked if SltriG Sinclair was not
overTowertd by the mob, she said Size could
not tell whether the sheriff commando the
mob or the mob commanded the sheriff. In
relating the story Of the death Of her son
Johnnie Mrs. Chisolm tainted.
DR.. Chamberlain, who waited on Cornolia
Chisolm. testified that she died from the e.
fects Of her wounds, that one Of the bones Of
her leg and two Of the bones Of her arm were
broken by buckshot, that she was wounded
in the face by some blunt instrument, and
that no treatment could have saved her life.
Charles Rosonbaum testified that he came
to town with Gilmer, in the custody Of Dep
uty Sheriff Britton, followed TO town by eigh,
armed men. He saw many others in town
with guns. As We walked toward the jail,
said he We saw VIRGIL Gully shoot Gil1utr in
the back Gilmer hollerod. "Oh Lordy, I'm
killed and ran down an alley, where he was
followed and dispatched by the shotgun of
Virgil Gully Rosenbaum corroborqtcd the
statement Of Mrs. Chsolm as to the scenes in
the jail. At the alarm of fire witness ran out
of the Jail and did not see the shooting Of
Chisolm and daughter