Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-10-02
VAS # suicide.
VIM. Fl. Leppard's Lifeless
Bod Found on the River
Bank.
No SHELL N TaE Gun FOUND BESIDE
HE DEAD HAN.
Said to II We Had Another Vile IN
Canada


Republican Leader.
The finding oi a body of ma1 on the
bank of Pine river, one and one-nali mi es
northeast OF this city Sunday morning last
caused startling sensation.
The body proved to be that OF VIM. II.
Leopard, who borrowed a gun from his
brother-in-law, j II Moriord, last week
Thursday, leaving home at o'clock. He
had not been seen since. The body was
first discovered by little Wesley Beach, who
was returning from driving some cows to
pasture The authorities were at once no.
titled and Justice Shelf impancled a jury
consisting Of the following gentlemen; Geo
w Long, H. Randolph, \. j. Rose. Bert
McCarry, c. II Kingsbury, Will Was,en,
who visited the place where the body was
found 1t still lay in the same position as
when first seen by the boy.
The body wa, living partially on a stone
at the rivers edge, the legs acros, the stone
and an old fashioned iobert rifle by his side
with the barrel in about live inchc, OF sand
No shell was found in the rifle which led
many to believe that he might have come
to hi, death by foul means.
An interview with hi, wife, father and
,tepmother, brought to light strange chain
oi circumstances. His wife states that they
mad been married five months; that he had
always been kind and loving husband and
chat no trouble of any nature had ever tax
n place between them Two or three days
before he went away, he told her that he be-
iieved he had been given poison. He had
been over to hi, ,tepmother's that day. v a.
lick to his stomach and vomited when he
came home He had been acting queer ard
at one time went to one OF the neighbors to
borrow a gun, but would not say lor what
purpose.
His stepmother, who is a German. say,
that Will had very bad temper and that
she was very much in dread OF him. She
said that William was married about Is
year, ago, at the age OF p. to woman by
the name of Catherine Soule, in Quecnsyille,
Canada, but never got divorce from her;
that about two or three week, ago letter
came for William from his first wife which
said that he must come there or she would
come here. The letter was burned by the
old man, and that she wa, cautioned never
to say ANYTHING about it.
The father SAYS that he was told that his
son had divorce; that the letter that he
saw did not say that hi, first wife knew he
was married again, nor did she say that she
would come here. The old man got little
mixed and said this woman was not living
in Canada now, but some where near Port
Huron he could not remember the place.
The present wife, who is in a delicate con-
dition said that she never knew Of her hus
band drinking and he told her he was b
% years OF age.
The only suspicion that points toward
foul play is the absence Of the shell. The
doctors say that the shot would cause in.
slant death. \ po,tmorem examination
wa, held Sunday night by Dr,. Roberts,
Wheeler and Kennedy. il was found that
the bullet entered the right temple, taking
an inward, downward and backward course,
lodging near the base OF the brain.
The inquest was held before Justice Shelf
Monday. After the testimony of Mrs. VIM.
Leopard, J. H. Eoriord, Drs. Wheeler and
ROBBERS, an adjournment was made until
Tuesday The inquest was continued Tues
dav and after taking the testimony OF Mr.
and Mrs. Jane, Leopard it wa, found
necessary To again adjourn until Thursday
nm order to give the doctor, time to make
proper examination OF the stomach Moth
ing new WAS brought out bnt the old people
seemed to be some what frightened and
acted as though they wished to conceal the
facts regarding the letters from his first wife
Some contradictory testimony was given
but it was thought not to have much bear
ing ON the case.