The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-08-24
coRoNER'S JURY.
Report Of the Proceedings and Finding Of the
Finley Inquiry.

The coroners Jury IN the Finley
case held its closing session last Mon
day evening and brought in a verdict
at 800 p. m. 10 the effect that Robert
Finley came TO his death from a pistol
wound received during quarrel with
S. {. Bennett The witnesses exam
ined were; Nose Cayia, Arthur Fin
ley, Mrs. Robert Finley and Jacob
Bauer Jr
The stories told differ but little
from the detailed statement made in
these columns a couple Of weeks ago
Mrs. Finley was in the garden back
Of the house and neither saw nor
heard the shooting. Her little
daughter told her Of the affair first
and She FASTENED to her husbands
side after he had been shot
Arthur Finley,a bright boy about
fourteen years Of age, was present at
the beginning Of tile quarrel He told
how his father secured his revolver
and put it in his pocket 5ut did not
see him touch it after lac started the
argument with Bennett. lie states
that Bennett struck his father first
but had no implement in his hand:
that his father returned the blows
and forced Bennett over towards a
small pile OF plankS where Bennett
fell and his father got on top Of him
He did not see the shot fired nor did
he see Benefits revolver. lie saw
the smoke and then his father arose,
saying as he did 50: sim shot. Who
shot me- Arthur He saw Cayia
standing By the side Of the two men
but could not say If he had hold Of his
father at the time as he arthur had
left his first position and was hasten
ing To his fathers side when the shot
was fired. When asked if Bennett
bad anything Ia his hand when be
struck Finley the boy answered No,
and stated further that he thought
it was ring on Benefits finger that
cut his fathers face
Arthur isa very bright little boy
and tells clear, straightforward
story without any hesitation Or
changes.
Esther Finley, little sister Of
Arthur, was present and questioned
some about the affair but she was so
young that the jury made no exhaust
i've examination She stood inside
the Finley yard across the railroad |
track and quite distance from the
contestants. She corroborated her
brothers. testimony but made no adj
ditlons.
JNwb Bauer was the most import
ant witness he drove up TO the
zee house to get load Of ice while the
dispute was In progress. He saw what
he thinks was the first blow struck
and saw Bennett strike {. Hethinks
IL was the first blow from the fact
that lac drove around the ice house
and when he first saw them they were
arguing and they were still arguing
when hc finished backing his team up
10 the ice house door Bennett struck
Finley: then they punched each other,
Finley forcing Bennett back TO the
planks. The two men went down,
Finley On top. They continued the
fighting; Cayia came TO Benefits
assistance and cndeavored 20 pull /
Finley on Here the witness was
trine confused In his first story he
stated while hc tCaya) was trying
TO pull him or the shot was fired
One Of the jurors asked: Ibid Cayia
have hold OF Finley when the shot
was iiredY" and the witness replied
II don't know
Continuing his story he says that he /
did not See Bennett fire the shot nor
did he see the revolver until Bennett |
arose when said the witness: Cap
tain Bennett put his pearl-handled |
revolver In his pocket and started
of. - How do you know it was a
pcarl-handlcd revolver" queried NJ.
s. Sanders, foreman OF the jury. In
reply 70 this question the witness was
not quite clear just how he did know
that fact but he was certain that he
saw pcarl-handled revolver in Cap
tair Benefits hand and was Of the
impression that when Captain Ben
nett arose he was holding his revolver
By the barrel SO that the handle was
Ia plain view and that after he arose