Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-11
CHIsOLM TRIAL.
The Kind of Testimony for the PrOsscu-
tiOn.

The hearing of evidence in the trial of
Henry j. Gully, for the murder of
Cornelia Chisolm, on April 20, 1877,
began to-day. Seventy witnesses, 81
for the State and 38 for the defense,
were sworn and excluded from the
courtroom.
Mrs. ChisOlm, the first witness, tes-
titled that an excited crowd of men
entered DeKalb on the evening of
April %, 1871 1t was largely in
creased the following morning. Sin
clair, then sheriff, arrested her hus-
band on the morning of the 29th. He
asked to be placed under guard at his
own house, and besought instant in
vestigation Of the charges against him.
Armed men kept coming around the
house. Sheriff Sinclair eonversed
with them and then talked to CHS
olm. Chisolm told one crowd " You
cowardly scoundrels, you will kill me
before evening, but before you do it |
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 husband to jail. We were cling
ing to him to shield his body. Mr..
Moseley and Mr.A 0verstreet 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 the inside. | was
sent home by my husband on
an errand heard firing as
came back toward the JAIL saw
old man Mcclellan fall, pierced by
several buckshot, behind the Jail
rushed inside the Jail and found the
stairway crowded with men. Rosser
was at the top Of the stairs and VIM.
Gully trying to break the lock Of the
upper door with axes. My daughter
Cornelia, son Johnnie and Mr.. Over
street we're holding the door on the
inside. Mydaughter's face was bleed
ing. Rosser said to nv daughter
Damn your soul, | will blow your
brains out it 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 fred and Rosser fel
dead. Two men caught him by the
heels and dragged him down stairs
My husband was bewildered at the
death of Johnnie. | and my son Clay
carried the dead boy down stairs
Cornelia and father came down stairs
Henry j. Gully came up and raised
his gun. / closed the grated door al
the bottom of the stairway. Ny
daughter clasped my husband around
the neck. Gully fred through the
CRATES in the door My daughter
screamed, 81 am shot" Judge Chisoln
opened the door, and as he stepped out
Henry Gully came out of an adjoining
room with another gun and fred again
at him, and he fell. Clay and | assist
ed my husband in reaching home.
My daughter was bleeding in the face
her eyes were blackened by the blow
she was shot in the wrist, in the ankle
and in the heel she was shot by
Henry Gully; she died on the 10Th of
May; she died from the effects Of the
wounds.
Mrs. Chisolm produced Cornelia's s
bracelet, which was broken and
driven into her arm; also five buck
shot taken out OF her body.
Cross -examined-She stated that
she begged Rosser, by the God that
made him, the mother who bore him,
and the wife whom he loved, to be
satisfied with the blood of Gilmer and
Mcclellan. He replied, John Gully
had a wife, and he would shoot any
woman who stood between himself
and Chisolm."
The defense asked witness, did
she not know that Corpelia died from
the effects of an operationg Witness
said that she did not know. In relat-
ing the scene connected with the
death of her son Johnnie, Mrs CHS
olm tainted. When asked if Sheriff
Sinclair was not oyerpowered by the
mob, she said she "could not tell
whether the sheriff commanded the
mob or the mob commanded the
sheriff"
DR.. Chamberlin, who waited on
Cornelia Chisolm, testified that she
died of the effects of her wounds /;
that one of the bones of the leg was
broken, and two of the bones Of the
arm, by buokahQt, and that she was
wounded in the face by some blunt
instrument, and that no treatment
could have saved her life.
Chas. Rosenbapm testified that he
came to town with Gilmer, In custody
with Deputy Sheriff Britton was
followed to town by eight armed men /;
saw many others in town with guns.
AS we walked toward the jail saw
Virgil Gully shoot Gilmer in the
back. Gilmer hollered "0h, Lordy,
I'm killed " and ran down the alley,
where he was followed and dispatched
by the shotgun of Virgil Gully
Rosenbaum corroborates the state
ment of Mrs. Chisolm as to the scenes
in the Jail. At an alarm of fire the
witness ran out of tho Jail and did
not see the shooting of Chisolm and
daughter.
The Maine Election.
Cincinnati Commercial, 9th.l
Maine did not 90 Yesterday as IL