The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-10-19
THE cooKERILL-sLAYnACK rRAa-
EDY
Evidence aaaaoea :. me Coroner. In.


EDY.
Evidence Adduoed 1t the CoroEerss In
quest.
ST LOUIS, Oct 14-The lnauest on
he remains of Colonel Slayback opened
about 3 O'Clock this afternoon in the
criminal court room, and continued IN
til after dark. William I'll. Clopton.
who accompanied Colonel Siayback to
the Post Dispatch office, testified TO
about the same effect as his statement
telegraphed last night, stating distinctly
that Col. Siayback was shot while he
was IN the act OF takiag his coat off, and
his former statement that
Slayback was No; armed, ANA therefore
could not have drawn q revolver.
Tue other principal witnesses wer,
John M. McGuain, Shusinese manager,
and Victor I. Cole. foreman, who were
in the room when the shooting took
place. Their testimony did not differ
materially from their statements al
ready telegraphed. Both testified en-
phatically that Slayback drew a re-
yoiyer as SOON as he entered the room !;
that he and Clopton advanced on Cock
Grill. the former holding his pistol at
short aim and pointing toward Cockerill;
that Cockeriil uttered the words and
gave the warning as telegraphed last
night; that quick. brief tussel took
place; that Cockerill fired; that Clopton
closed with Cockerill and only released
his hold on him when McGuffin placed
the pistol he had taken from SIayback
to his (Clopton'sl head and told him to
DO so or he was dead man. McGuffin
PRODUCED THE PISTOL.
he took from Slayback, silver handled
revolver of the British bulldog pattern,
thirty eight calibre. 1t shows signs of
beng worn in warm weather, the cylin-
der being rusted by perspiratioD. Mr.
Cole produced Ccckerill's pistol. 1t is a
black handled Smith and Wesson reVolv-
er, forty calibre.
Several other witnesses were examined
but their testimony was not material.
COL. coCKERILI.'s STATEMENT.
Colonel Cockerill then read a state
ment under oath, the substance of which
is that at a reception at the rooms of the
Elk club, of which Cockerill is presi-
dent and Slayback was a member, on the
night of September 30th, Colonel Stay
hack, in the reception room of the club,
used violent languarge towards the Post
Dispatch. charging its editor with
being a blackmaller, and making
serious charges against the pa
vitcd Slayback into the library room and
asked if he intended to apply the term
blackmailer to him. He answered that
he did not, but entered upon another Ii
ride of abuse against the paper. Then
suddenly closing and locking the door
OF the bedroom, he said To Cockerill
You have brought me in here to bull
doze me, and now we are alone and man
to man, l tell you that If the Post-Dis-
patch ever attacks me or assails nv
character l will go to your Office and
kill you"
81 WILL TAKE THE LIFE
OF aRy man who employs newspaper to
to abuse and injure me-" He spoke of
his partner, Mr.. Broadhead, who is a
candidate for congress in the Ninth dis
trict, and the charges which had been
made against him, repeating several
times that he would shoot anybody who
would publish such things about him.
He further said that Cockerill would be
held to account for the course of the
paper, and declared that before the cam
paign was over he (Slayback) would go
on the stump and from house to house
denouncing the Post-Dispatch and break
up its business. Cockerill assured him
that he had no intention to bully
him, that he had simply asked for an
explanation that was due him, that he
entertained only friendly feelings for
him, that he had never written against
him and hoped he never would. After
further conversation Slayback became
quiet and they shook hands and went
into another room, drank together and
parted most cordially. Cockerill then
said that from the malignant attack
made upon the Post Dispatch by Stay
back at a political meeting Friday night
he was satisfied he would
EXECUTE THE THREAT
to denounce this paper from the stump.
He regarded it as an open defiance,
which would call for some response from
the Post Dispatch. He did not write
anything himself, but simply reproduc-
Slayback by John NJ. Glover, year
ago.
Colonel Cockerill then gave the fol.
lowing account of the shooting; A few
minutes past O'Clock l was sitting al
my desk talking with MIR. McGuffin,
business manager, and Mr.. Cole, fore
man. The door was closed. My pistol
was lying on my desk, for had intend.
ed to place it in my pocket on changing
my coat and leaving the Office. Sudden,
ly the door opened and two men entered
closing the door behind me. was fac
ing the door. I recognized Colone,
Slaybsck and Mr.. Clopton, a lawyer who
had few days before assaulted two
members of his profession In a private
office. I realized that was to be as
saulled, and rose from my chair. Col
onel Slayback's bearing was that of a
MAN BENT UPON VIOLENCE.
His first words were: "Wcll, l am
hara Ha cts In 1, &
coat / was in the corner next to the
front window. Instinctlvely / moved
my hand to my weapon on the desk
He saw it and suddenly readjusted his
coat and said, as that for meg" at the
| same time throwing his hand to his hII
| pocket. My reply was. mo, sir" but
| secured my weapon as he drew his He
presented it at the time and heard him
cock it. ] shouted, Don't do that
At the same time, while
HIS WEAPON WAS POINTED AT MY BREAST
!! fred. believing myself dead man. ]
knew nothing Of the effect of the shot
for he closed with me and thrust his re
volver against my side. At the same
time Clopton caught me from behind
and tried to wrest my pistol from my
shouted to Mr.. McGuffin, Don't LEI
Slayback's pistol from his hand and
pointed it at Clopton's head, under
the, impression, 1 presume, that hC
was trying to shoot me. At that instant
Colonel Slayback released his grasp or
me, and / realized for the fret time
that he had been hurt. / left the room
while Mr.. Clopton was calling for a
doctor. My head was bleeding from @
cut received when I was forced against
the window in the scuffie. then went
into the lower Office to wash myself
THE JURY's VERDICT.
The jury, after being out about hall
an hour, returned verdict that Stay.
back came to his death from the effect
OF internal hemorrhage caused by "a gun.
shot wound in the chest inflicted with 8
bullet fired from a revolver in the hands
of John A. Cockerill
The physicians who made the posi-
mortem examination testified that the
ball passed through the lungs from the
left to the right and severed the aorta in
its passage, which produced the hemor-
rhage.
Afler the verdict was rendered Cole
mel Cockerilf returned to his cell in the
calabOose, where he will remain until
Monday, when his counsel will make
application for his release on bail.