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

was tit ncAi NltHcSs calitu anu teSLlileu
TO being constable at Platteville and
the person charged with the summon
ing of the jury for the inquest on the
body of Mrs. Sisley. Reached the ground
about twelve o'clock. Went Down and
took look at the body short time af-
ter arriving, did not remove the cloth
only enough to see head and face. Did
not see pistol and never saw it on or
about the body. Saw the body after the
cloth was removed, general description
of body was the same as other witness
es. Saw the pistol after the post NOR
tenn and saw 1t cooked. Handled it so
far as to know that the cylinder would
revolye with cooking. Tried it N.Y.
self
Cross-examination--Don't know who
put pistol on table, think it was Mr..
Gardner. A shower of rain came up
almost Immediately after the table was
carried there. Had to move the table
and | never saw the pistol until the next
day. Looked at the pistol and cooked
it before the rain. Cylinder was in its
pl;.~e. Did not take it apart, don't
know whether anybody else did or not
Cooked it couple of times, thought it
cooked very easy. Did not notice any
difference between the cooking of pistol
that day and the next.
E. J. GARDNER
was called and testified substantially as
follows. Am justice of the peace for
the county and also for the city of
Platteville. Held an inquest over the
dead body Of Mrs. Emms Sisley on the
fourteenth and fifteenth DAYS of June
last in the town of Lima. On the morn
ing of the fourteenth met Robert Ham,
ilton in Plattevillc. He was Horseback
and inquired for Charles Weittenhiller
Told him had not seen him and he said
perhaps could tell him what TO do and
said Lew Sisley's wife had shot herself
that morning. | did not know Lew
Sisley or his wife, but asked him to come
up in my office. He did so. He was
very much excited and did not explain
matters very clearly. | told him to go
home and see that the body was not
moved and would come as soon as |
could and hold an inquest. | issued a
precept for a jury and q subpoena for
doctor. and placed them in the
hands of Constable Bentley. We
started out about twenty minutes
to twelve as near as | csn recol-
lect. When we got Oh the ground we
found the body lying about seventy
five yards east of the house and behind
stump. Body was covered with a
| sheet or something like it. There was
probably fifteen or twenty persons there
standing or sitting around. | inquired
for Hamilton and asked for further par
ticulars about the people i'll the house.
L issued a subpoena for the persons in
the house and also for all persons who
| took part in the cbarivar, all that
could learn the names of. ! am not
much acquainted with Hamilton, | be-
came acquainted with him about year
ago | think, in Mr.. Carter office where
| drew up some papers for him. Some
one informed me that the parents of the
dead woman had been sent for but had
not come vet. So we waited quite a
little while. called the jury together
and told them to gather all the informa-
ton they could from persons on the
ground. told them | wanted them TO
90 through the house and also look
through the woods and look over the
ground thoroughly. Finally got tired
of waiting for Bickford's folks and call
ed the jury up to the body, also the
Doctor, said we would proceed to ex-
anime the body. | told the jury to
come up and see the exact position OF
the body, and look it thoroughly over
before they moved it. | pulled the
brush away that was over it and | got
on the inside and lower side of the body,
down hill from it. The jury came up
around it and some of them over it. /
think it was Holcomb that took the sheet
off but am not positive. They looked
/ at it moment or two before making an
examination of the body. Holcomb
took up the revolver which was lying on
her person about as low down as her
thighs and somewhat sunk in the folds
of her dress. The handle of it was point
ed towards her right shoulder, | would
Judge. Her right hand was towards her
body and fingers slightly clutched.
! Fingers were together as near as
can recollect. Her left arm was cx-
tended by her side on the ground.
took the revolver from Mr.. Holcomb.
think he first took it up and looked at
| it quite few moments. He told us it
was an American Standard revolver,
twenty-five calibre, had four empty
shells in it and three loaded cartridges
think he cooked the revolver and after
examining it a minute handed it to me.
/ 1t seemed to be in perfect order, but
don't remember what was said about
| it. | took the revolver and laid it on
| the table that was sitting close by in the
| shade for the purpose of writing on.
had the revolver in my possession and
under my eyes all the time. just before
| started taking the testimony of Hamil-
ton shower of rain came up SO thought
it best to 60 to the house. Igrabbed up
| the revolver, papers and books, what
ever / had on the table and started for
the house, got little wet before | got
into the house. was quite little shower
Revolver got little wet about as much
as my papers. | took the things in and
laid them down on stand in the bed
room down stairs. The house was
crowded and was compelled TO stand
by an open window, | laid the revolver
on my books on stand close To the open
window and they got wet there little.
The window was put in before the
shower closed Took the revolver with
me to Platteville when adjourned the
inquest that evening and brought it back
the next day. When inquest closed |
still kept it in my possession until ! was
subp9naed To Lancaster on this exam
nation, but IN the meantime quite a
number of persons called to see and did
see it, at the hotel on the street anil ut
my Office So many were looking at ii
! thought it was best to take it apart
and did so. kept it apart most all the
time until produced it here in court.
That is | kept the cylinder from the
frame work II seems TO me now that
/ had it apart at inquest, one part on one
pile Of manuscripts and that | had put
it together after / came into the house
lust after the shower of rain or just be-
fore, don't know which. ] think the
pistol would revolve with cooking. !
wouldn't swear positive but | think it
would Did not discover anything
wrong with it while it was in my posses
sion. Probably fifty persons saw it in
PIatteville / don't know who ALL
When brought it up here to Lancaster
part of the time it was under the scat
and part of the time in my pocket
When | got home couldn't open il
up to put in cylinder and was afraid /
would break II and did not put cylinder
back any more and brought it up here
second time apart. After some trouble.
described at length by witness, the rust
was removed from the spring and the
cylinder put back in its place. When
| first erof it there was nothing to pre-