Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-08-03

was the next witness and testified: am
a resident of Juneau. Dodge Co, was
acquainted with John A. Wyman. He
was no relation of mine but had been
-. L. L {

a resident of Juneau, Dodge Co, was
acquainted with John A. Wyman. He
was no relation of mine but had been
living in his family for two years.
Counsel for the prosecution objected
to testimony of witness as to suicide of
John Wyman being admitted.
The testimony was admitted by the
court under protest from them
The material part of the further testi-
mony of the witness Isl as follows: Wyman
had been to Beaver Dam and returned
about half past four in the afternoon. |
was making window frames at a bench
near the stable. He had been in the
house and came down by there and he
stopped and talked to me few minutes
about ten minutes. He turned from
me and went down through the gate and
latched it after him and went into the
horse stable and | heard a shot fired and
| turned from my bench and | heard
another shot fired and somebody make
some noise as person would make that
had been hurt and ran down the Hill
toward the gate. In going down |
passed window and Just came to a
stop and looked in. | saw him stand
ing facing the door, which was Open
He had a pipe in his left hand holding
on by the lapel of his coat; in his right
hand he held q revolver. | cried to him
John, for Gods sake what are you try
ing to do?" run around through the
gate and around to the barn door. As
| did so two more shots were fired and
when | got to the door he was on his
feet and staggering little sideways,
first east and then north. turned and
run back toward the house Here wit
ness described his summoning others,
continuing, as got to the barn door he
lay face down and | stepped in and
| turned him over on his back. He
gasped two or three times after turned
him over. AS turned him over saw two
holes in the left side below the shoulder
| blade. As | turned him over | saw
| large revolver in his hand, SO calibre
| (Revolver was here produced in court
with loaded and empty shelly. Body
was taken into the house in about an
hour. Began to stiffen when we took
him in the house so we had to cut his
vest and shirts from him. When body
was first turned over there were four
holes in the clothing Two burned to-
gether. The two upper ones were sep
arate. put the fire out as | turned
him over. Holes were about the size of
Il silver half dollar, the lower one was
larger. This constituted the material
part of witness direct testimony.
| Cross-eXamina tion-Should think the
shots were fired as quick as man could
cock and fire, it was all done in no time.
There was blood on the stable floor that
came from the wounds in his breast
when he was lying on his face. All bled
afterward, u little from the front and
from the back. Saw the pistol in WV
mans hands that morning when he put
it in his pocket to kill dogs that got
among the sheep at the farm.
BENJAMIN LESTER.
was the next witness called. Live in
the town of Lima, about half mile
| from Sisley's. Was there on the morn
ing the body was found Here witness
gave in detail how he came to go there.
l was the first person of the neighbors
to get to the body. Mrs. Stout made
some remark but | made no reply. Lew
said: ''Oh, ma, what have | done that
she should do this?' That was all
heard at that time or at any other time.
Witness then gave description of the
position of body differing in no way
from that given by other witnesses.
Thought right hand was six or seven
inches from the handle of the pistol;
might have been further. Don't think
it was. Were burned fragments of dress
above the corsets. Dress was up about
two-thlrds of the way from her shoes to
her knees. Showed her bare legs some
four or five inches. Think right LEG
showed little more than the left. |
think dress was six or eight inches high
er on upper than lower side. Couldn't
see as grass was burned. | looked at
the time particularly. Grass around
her shoes was five or six inches long,
seemed to stand up around the shoes.
Did not think grass around the body was
more than two or three inches high
seemed to be very short. Noticed an
ironwood about five or six feet away,
might have been farther. Don't know
as it stood over body. Staid about fif-
teen minutes and started for Mr.. Hale's
but came back again and remained
nearly through the day.
In answer to questions as to charac-
ter of defendants witness said he had
never heard anything against them
Reputation is good so far as know.
Dissemination Had not heard
anything said about their character,
| good or bad, before the tragedy. Ham
ilton was given to telling big stories
never could tell two alike.
Body was laying fiat on its back pref
ty near as if she was lying on level
floor. Was about fifteen or eighteen
inches slope toward her feet.
MIR. j. II. HOLCoMB
next took the stand and testified TO hay
ing been foreman of the jury at the time
the inquest was held on the body of
Mrs. Sisley and gave minute and de-
tailed description of the proceedings on
the ground. Principal points in testi-
mony were that witness found Lew in
bed room and got him out doors and
| learned his story. Examined body
carefully for wounds; afterward held mp
the hands of the deceased so Jury could
see them and called their attention to
fact that they were clear and clean
Were no powder marks upon them. |
| looked for dirt under the nails thinking
she might have grabbed for the ground
when the shots were fired Did not see
any dirt; hands were clean. | picked
up the pistol from off the body When
| picked it up looked into the cylinder
and told the jury there were four emp
ty cartridges and three loaded ones.
When | told this to the jury / passed
the barrels around that was loaded, half
cooked it and passed the barrel around.
| then and there cooked and recocked
the revolver to see if it was in perfect
repair. II was in perfect order. Then
unclasped it and took cylinder off from
the spindle, held it up so the jury could
see it, and then passed it to Mr.. Gard
ner, think. Went up stairs after jury
had been up. Examined the bed The
clothes looked as though they had been
examined. Jury said they had been
there and lett clothing in that condi-
ton. Don't know but did catch hold
of the tick and raise it up and look I'M
der it.
Witness stated that Sisley told him
that they were going up home the mex.
| day-day body was found-and get
their things and she said: Lew we will
not 60 if my head don't get any better.
HERMAN GAssER
was the next witness, being recalled by
the defense. Saw the pistol on the body
and think Mr.. Holcomb picked it up.
! Think some one raised the question as
to whether cylinder would revolye and
Mr. Hocomb cooked it and it seemed
! TO reYolve all right. Think after Mr..