Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-09-05
DEATH A MYSTERY.


dence taken at the inquisition held over
the remains of John Fulweiler, who
met violent death at Stratford week
ago, brought in verdict that deceased
met his death through violence" 1t
is said that four of the jurors held that
the man had been murdered, while the
other two considered it a case of acci-
dent, Notwithstanding the fact that con-
vincing evidence was offered tending
to show that it was not case of acci-
dent. Fulweiler was found at an early
hour on the morning of August 21st,
lying beside the railroad track near
Stratford, his skull fractured in several
places and his shoulder broken. His
body was partially warm and blood
was still oozing from his wounds. A
revolver lying near his side contained
five empty cartridges. The nature of
the wounds, the position in which the
body lay and the fact that il had not
been cut up by passenger train, as
would undoubtedly have been the case
had tie man met death on the track by
being run over, aroused the suspicion
OF the Stratford authorities and they at
once called upon the sheriff and district
attorney for an investigation, which
was conducted
1t was at first stated that Fulweiler
had the evening before participated in
alo ct
bische's hall, and it was thought that if
such were the circumstances a motive
might be found for murder. After trac-
ing the story to its source it was ascer-
tanned that it was practically without
foundation. Some of the girls had re-
fused to dance with him and this may
have ruffled his temper, but there was
no fight in or near the hall so far as can
be learned. Fulweiler went to the hall
at an early hour in the evening with his
employer, Mike Smolske, and had
little loose change in his pocket, per-
haps less than dollar. During the
evening he borrowed several dollars
from Smolske. He drank considerable
liquor during the evening, but it does
not appear that he was intoxicated
least not up to the Kentuckian's idea of
the standard of intoxication. He re-
mained at the place until all others had
gone home, except the proprietor. The
lights were turned out at about 800
a. m. and the hall locked up and Full
weller started for home. His move
ments from that time are not known.
From the appearance of the body, the
character of the wounds and the fact
that there were no signs of struggle
in the neighborhood or any imprints in
the sand near where the body lay, it
is believed that Frlweiler was set upon
by two or more persons and killed with
a club or other blunt instrument, and
his body carried to and thrown beside
the track, to give the impression that
he had been killed by train. Physi-
clans who examined the wounds gave it
as their opinion that they were not
inflicted by train, and some of the
WtOhSSoCS oLJ JIG In4ucSb bCSltilcu bIldL
the man had remained at the hall until
the last train had passed through the
village. Several parties are positive
that they heard a number of revolver
shots fired in quick succession shortly
after three o'clock.
If the man met death from accident
there certainly are circumstances which
would denote otherwise. At the pres
ent the manner of his death is not
known, but it may be cleared up some
day. If he was murdered it will leak
out some day, for in the words of
Shakespeare, murder will out"
After the inquest, the body was re-
moved to Marshfield for burial on
Wednesdays the funeral being held
that afternoon. OF Fulweiler the
Marshfield Times says:
Deceased was member of we'll
known family of hunters and trappers,
the members of which have resided
here for over twenty years. His par
ents now live near Stratford and he
had been employed in clearing land a
short distance east of that town.