Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-04-23


Evidence OF poisoning Theory OF SUI
eide Advanced
Word was brought TO the city last
Friday about noon that Sam Hail was
dead. that he had died in great agony
at his mothers. four miles north OF
Lancaster and that the theory OF SUI
eide had been advanced. Mr. Frank
Hall.a brother Of the deceased, brought
the startling news. Squire BALDWIN,
upon hearing recital Of the facts IN
the case so far as Frank Hall could
rive them, decided to have the matter
investigated by coroner's jury. lie
accordingly issued summonses Tor SIX
Jurors and placed them in the hands
Of deputy P. j. Schloesser Tor service.
The news. ..Sam Hall has killed
himselfl'' was quickly passed from one
to another and soon excited knots OF
men were discussing the matter on
every street corner. The recent trou-
BILE with his wife. her arrest. imprls-
onment and discharge, a. well i.s that
of Fal Mccartney, were reviewed.
The extra copies of the HERALD con-
tanning the write-up of the domestic
infelicity were well-nigh exhausted by
persons anxious to rea or re-read the
account.
shortly after one o'clock the justice,
jury. reporters and Others started for
the scene of he tragedy. The party
was composed of Justice Baldwin,
Deputy Sheriff Schloesser, District
Attorney Lowry, Jurors r. B. Sho-
walter, Delos Abrams, Luther Basford,
Theo. Calvin, H. g. Nathan and j. H..
Reed, Doctors Godfrey, Cronin and
Clementson. Reporters Goldsmith and
Wagner, the editor of the HERALD.
Drivers Decker and Lickle and Geo.
Reed. The road to Mrs. Halls lies
directly north from Lancaster, past
Whitcomb school house.
Near the Grant bridge and about
one mile from Halls, Sans wife Kate,
and her mother. Mrs. Gillbery, were
overtaken on their way to the inquest.
All arrived at the point of destination
about 2:30 o'clock ready to investigate
the mystery of Sam Halls sudden
taking off.
INQUEST AT THE HOUSE.
A low fence, made up of boards,
rails, poles and brush, trended away
from a gate standing open on one side
of the road down past a fioorless stable
matched with straw Within the gate
a yard surrounding storm-beaten
house with here and there stunted
oak and mournful stalks standing
brown and shriveled in the spring
time sun. hopelessly lifeless except
when stirred into ghostly rustlings
and cleakings by a passing breeze
evidences of last years garden. A
newer house stands beyond the first.
Both are rugged. somewhat barren
habitations with certain landmarks OF
the poorer farmer
Around an open door was a group
of white men and one negro who be-
longed to the house or had come from
neighboring farms who stood with
grave faces watching curiously the
arrivals from town. As we tarried
for few moments in the yard. Mrs.
Kate Hall with her mother Mrs. Gill
berry, who had walked from town,
pressed through the crowd of men
and entered the open door. The
crowd followed them and presently
paused in room which combined the
three features of parlor dining room
and bedrooms. To the left in one
corner was bed neatly covered with
white spread; to the right in an
alcove another bed upon which re-
posed the remains of a strong young
man.
Sam Hall lay upon his back in his
shirt-sleeves as he had died. A quilt
had been pulled up over the lower
part of his body as far as the arms
which were folded low down over his
breast, leaving exposed broad chest
protected with blue shirt and blue
black vest and strong neck and face,
the latter having light mustache.
The eyes being partly open, together
with red bruises upon his forehead.
nose and chin, gave him the appear
ance of not being dead. An aged
mother sat in the room, her furrowed
face shocked into awful silence and