Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-17
The Chisholm Murder Trial.

The eyes of the whole country have been
turned toward this remarkable trial--that
OF Henry j. Gully, for the murder Of Corne
liza Chisholm, at De Kalb, Mississippi April
10Th, 1877. The hope was almost universal
that the presence Of that distinguished law
yer, Lieutenant Governor Woodford of New
York, might do something toward securing
fair trial aud a just verdict. Mrs. CHS
holm, the first witness, testified as follows
"An excited crowd Of men entered De Kalb on
the evening Of April 10Th, 1877 1t WAS largely in
creased on the following morning; Sinclair. then
sherlf, arrested her husband on the morning OF
the 18th; he asked to be placed under guard at
nus own house and besought an instant invcstiga-
ton OF the charges against him; armed men kept
coming around the house, Sheriff Sinclair con-
yersed with them and then talked TO Chisholm
ohisholm told the crowd; You cowardy scoun-
drels, You will kill me before evening, but before
you do II will make some OF You bite the dust
Mrs, Chisholm said: Sinclair came to my hns-
band at about eleven o'clock and said They say
you must go to jails Mcclellan, myself ny sons
Clay, Johnnie and Willie and my daughter Cor
nelia accompanied my husband to jail; we were
clinging to him to shield his body; Mr.. Mosely
and Mr.. Overstreet went inside the jail with the
party, and the door Of the lower floor OF the Jail
was locked behind them; the family went mp
was sent home by my husband on an Grand ;
heard firing as came back toward the jail saw
AN old man named Mcclellan fall, pierced by sew
eral Dnckshot, behind the Jail rushed inside the
lall ana found the stairway crowded with men
Rosser was at the top of the stairs trying to get
the lock off the upper door with an AK; my
daughter Cornelia, my son Johnnie and MIR. over
street were holding the door on the inside, and
my daughters face was bleeding; Rosser said TO
my daughter, - your -, I'll blow your
brains ont II you don't get ont OF the way Ros-
ser fired the first shot through the broken lock,
seyering 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 bewildered Mt the death Of Johnnie; and my
son Clay carried the dead boy down stars; Cor
nelia and father came down stairs Henry J. Gully
came up and raised his gum closed the grated
door at the bottom of the stairway; my daughter
clasped my husband around his neck; Gully fired
through the CRATES in the door; my daughter
screamed Il 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 and he fell; Clay and assisted
my husband in reaching home; my daughter was
bleeding In the face; her eyes were blackened by
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 her wounds
Mrs. Chisholm produced Cornelia's brace
let, which was broken and driven into her
arm; also five buckshot were taken out OF
her body.
Many other and corroborating details were
brought out, and the trial lasted five days.
The jury, after only half an hours delibera-
tion, brought in verdict of "not guilty"
1t will thus be seen that, as was anticipated