The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-10-31
A CURIOUS CASE.

AND a MORE CuRIoUs vERDIcT.
Conclusfon Of the Inquest on the Body
OF MA here's A. Gueck-A Star
Chamber Investigntfon-A
Few Criticisms
The coroner's jury in the case of Mrs.
Theresa Gueck, whose sudden death
has attracted SO much attention, recon-
vened yesterday and resumed the TAX
ing of testimony. !
DR.. Barkwell was the first witness
called yesterday, and proceeded to give
his knowledge Of the case. A LEADER
reporter was present taking notes, as
was eminently right and proper, but
his presence was objected to by the,
female jurors. Owing to the nature Of
the case the physiological terms used in
the evidence were plain. Hence the
presence of men became intolerable.
The coroner and the witness couldn't
be done without, sc their presence was
accepted as grim matter of course
The LEADER reporter suggested,
when he was requested to retire, that
coroner,s Investigations were, public.
ond +ha noor1a nod . r;oh+ 20 tnov ~
the testimony. Then Coroner Lee
promised that the testimony should
be furnished the LEADER at the con-
clusion of the inquest. With this un-
derstanding, the reporter withdrew.
At a late hour last evening the coro-
ner failed to appear, as he had PROM
ised, and our reporter sought him at his
work, and asked for the testimony.
The coroner replied that he had con-
eluded not to publish the evidence, and
therefore refused to give it. He would
give the verdict, however, and here it is:
We thejurors empannelled and duly
worn Dy W. =. Lee, coroner Oh Lara
nn;re into the canss, If the deafb Of
Mrs. Theresa Gueck, now lying dead at
her residence on Fifteenth street, do
ind from the testimony OF the W.T.
n y G,,sor name 70 d hsr deaah Nv ;ntar.
nal Injuries caused by mechanical means
unknown to the jury.
MARY Z. GRAHAM,
H.
ae isabella W1LroRp. =.
AUGUSTA HUFscmnDT,
SARAH CASPER.
This most remarkable verdict is not
as clear as the people have a right to
expect. 1t has to be interpreted. One
might well imagine that the deceased
came to her death from the effects OF
trying to swallow a sword. Bal
enough. II verdicts are to be SO mod
estly worded as TO appear unintelllgibie
it would seem desirable that female
jurors be empannelled no more. The
people pay for coroner's inquests for the
purpose OF ascertaining III cause OF
sudden n violent deaths and pointing
u the guilty persons. But this jury
has done nothing OF the kind. 1t may
be that insufficient witnesses were
brought before them, but they had the
privilege OF demanding more, untiithey
were satisfied. The jurors were acting
in a public capacity, and as such their
actions are open 10 pubic criticism.
But. we fear that the coroner made the
worst mistake in empannelling a female
jury.
AS the verdict stands, b public
doesn't know whether the deceased
died from an accident or from injuries
inflicted with criminal intent; n Il
with criminal intent, for what purposef
aad who is the guilty person. or is it
sulcide9 The people have enough tes-
timony on The outside to justify them
In the belief that there are circum-
stances connected with the case thai
should Dc made pubic. but they may
possibly De mistaken. Atany rate, the
coroner n the u T haven't aiiayed the
prevailing suspicious.
Coroner Lee conciuded that ne "wouio
not pupiish the testimony." ferhaps
couionst nave puplisheo tnat OF any
| tho pouonoparu Nouopoparo ,,ou.Uu