The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-07
COLEMAN ON RACK
Alleged S. D. Murderer Keeps a
!: = Pretty Cool Head.
ADMITS HE HELD INSURANCE
swears His Brother Lived Some
Time, When Postmortem Indi-
- Gates. Instant Death.

Special to The J Journal: r.. 49, =
Faulkton, S. D., May 7::-An inquest to
inquire into the tragic death of Edward
Coleman is now in progress here. G. A.
Morse, John Darby and Harry Bach are
the jurors, Dr.. William Edgerton,, .coro-
ner presiding. ....f: ). - - 49,
! The first witness called was Joseph P.
Coleman, brother of the dead man. :, He
told a straightforward story apparently.
He and his brother Edward were alone
at the ranch at the time. Edward was
in the house while he was outside and
about $50 feet away from. the building.
He was doing some work when he heard
the report Of a gun in the house. On
rushing in to learn the cause he found
Ed sitting in a chair and the gun on the
floor. ,,f....-' :. .-".
Ed looked up and said "Joe, I am
shot," After that his mutterings- were
unintelligible except when he asked to-
be helped into bed. After reaching the
bed he again spoke clear enough to, pc
| understood, and asked Joe to go to
neighbours house for assistance They
| were the only words spoken that the
witness couldaunderstand. The dying man
did not explain how the accident, if such
| it was. occurred. =, : .=-4. {.
! Joe left his brother in dying condi-
| ton on the bed and went to a neighbor's
for. assistance. The distance was about
| a mile and a quarter. When, he and the.
nelgnDOES IeluIIleu, Eu, accOluluS " JOo .
| testimony, was still alive. Joe further
/ stated, in answer to questions by the
| states attorney, that he held $4,000 in
surance payable on his brothers. life,
| taken out in January, 1902, and that: ne
| hal, a few days previous to Eds DEATH
made application for $1,000 more. and it
had been accepted by the Northwestern
Mutual of Milwaukee, through Agent
! Burnette of Aberdeen ... Ill. 49,. >
J.: Heart and Rib Exhibited.
. Neighbors who were called in after the
death of Ed Coleman could give no light
| on the manner of. death as Ed was dead
when they arrived. They had viewed the
remains and helped to dress and put the
body in a box and load it on lumber
wagon, all at Joe's request.
| A great sensation was caused when
Coroner Edgerton took the stand and eX-
| hibited the heart and rib, which were
taken from the body during the post
norton, examination at Melette, where
Joseph Coleman had taken the body pre-
paratory to sending it east to his par
ents The post-mortem examination up
sets the story that the rifle ball passed
. through the body. 1t was clear, TOO, that
the ball must have entered the body from
the back. The: heart was also pierced by
the bullet, and the large artery leading
from the heart was punctured, showing
| conclusively that the wounded man must
have died instantaneously and could not
have. spoken word after the bullet en-
| tered his body. .-..4.a 49,. =
-Coroner's Jury Says Murder.
! The coroner's jury in the Coleman case
brought in findings this afternoon to the
effect that Edward Coleman met his death
by a gun shot fired behind him a nd that
death was not accidental or with suicidal
intent. Joseph Coleman is under arrest