Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-09
THE CHISHOLM MURDERS.
Mrs. ChishOlm's Statement.

DEKALB, Miss, September S.-The
hearing Of the evidence in the trial Of
Henry J. Gully, for the murder Of Cor
nelia Chisholm, April 20, 1877, was be-
gun to-day. Seventy witnesses, - for
the State aud 3S for the defense, were
sworn and excluded from the court
room.
Mrs. ChrishOlm was the first witness
that testified. She said: An excited
crowd Of men entered Dekalb on the
evening Of April 2S, 1877; il was largely
increased the following morning SIN
clair, who was then sheriff, arrested my
husband on the morning Of the 18th.
He asked to be- placed under guard at
his own house, and besOught 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 one crowd,
"You coward!y scoundrcls, you will
kill me before evening, but before you
do it will make some Oi you bit" the
dust" Sinclair came 10 my husband
about II o'clock, and said. They say
YOU must go to jail Mcclellan, myself,
and my sons CLAY. JOnnic and Willie,
and nv daughter Cornelia accompanied
my husband 10 Jail. We were cllnging
T. him 10 shield his body. Mr.. Mosely
and Mr.. Oyerstreet 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 on
4. \ l.Nsf ~ lft
band on an crrand. ] heard the firing
as ! came back toward the Jail; saw old
man Mcclellan fall, pierced by several
buckshot, behind the jail; rushed in
side the Jail aud found the stairway
crowded with men. ROsser was at the
top Of the stairs, and Vim. Gully was
irving 10 break the lock OF the upper
door with an axe. Ny daughter Cor
nelia. my son Johnnie and Mr. Over
street were holding the door on the in
side. Ny daughters face was bleeding.
Rosser said to my daughter, oh
your soul, ! will blow your brains out
II YOU don't get out Of the way"
BOsser fred the first shot through
a 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
fired and Rosser fell dead, and two men
caught him by the hoes and draig d
him down stairs. Ny husband was De-
wildered at the death OF Johnnie. and
nv son CLAY carried the dead boy down
stairs. COrnelia and her father came
down stairs; Henry J. Gully came up
and raised his gun. ! closed the gratef
door at the bottom Of the stairway.
Ny daughter clasped her husband
around the neck; Gully fired through the
CRATES in the door. Ny daughter scream
ed: 81 am shot" Judge Chisholm
opened the door and as he stepped out
Henry Gully came out Of an adjoining
room with another gun and fired again
at him ana he fell. Clay and | assisted
my husband in reaching home Ny
daughter was bleeding in the face, her
eyes were blackened by the blow.
She was shot in the wrist,
in the the ankle and in the heel; she
was shot by Henry Gully, and died on
the 18th Of May from the effects OF the
wounds. Mrs. Chisholm producer
Cornelia's bracelet, whey was broken
and driven into her arm; also h'e
buckshot taken out Of her body. cross
e1amined-She stated that she begged
Rosser, by the God that made hlm, the
mother who bore him, and the vile
whom he loved, to be satisfied with the