The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-09-14
FORMER SHERIFF'S
ESCAPADE ASSUMES
A DEEPER GRAVITY
Relatives of Supposed Suicide
Accuse Plotner of Murder
ing Him.

Mitchell, 5. D.. Sept. 11.-To a GROUP
of newspaper men this morning =. w.
Plotner responded 10 some Questoqs
concerning the letters h o he Is al
legged by the Quinn family to nave
written to q party in Sioux CITY WIN
the iGea Of arranging for the DOING
away of Peter Quinn.
One letter, written on the letler-
head of the former sheriff, gives the
details as to the matter Of putting
Quinn ont of the way by enticing him
TO Sioux City, arranging q game OF
cards. and then to strike the dow ana
where TO hit him. The carbolc acld
was to be used TO smear over the ups
of Quinn to allay all possible suspicion
of murder.
Plotner In Denial.
Plotner declared that there was abb
soiutely nothing of the letters written
and that he had nothing to do with
them. Ills first tWo initials Were
signed to the letter. He declared 1t
was an easy matter for some one 10
get a letteThead from his office, when
always stood open. He also declares as
false that the Quinn family received a
letter from MIN in which he made a
proposition to pay q sum of money Tor
letters which they have in their pos
session and that whatever letters they
have are not detrimental 10 him. lie
admits OF having written some love
letters to Mrs. Quinn and that he went
to Minneapolis to confer with the
Gaa;m=es concerning then: but tia. tie
others he knew nothing of.
Mr.. Quinn and Mrs. johnson are re-
lentless in their pushing of the cas-
against Plotner and Mrs. nj is
just as bitter today as she was at the
time of the death OF her brother when
She called Pii0tIleT UP over the phone
and accused him OF killing Peter Quinn
and declaring that she would get him
If she has to follow him to the day of
his death.
States Attorney Herbert wired this
afternoon that he would reach Mitchell
about the middle of next week n un-
til that time there will be no move
made in the case of adultery or the
charge of murder.
Shortly after the death of Quinn his
body was taken to Minneapolis for liz
terment, and later was exhumed for
the purpose Of making an examination
to ascertain the exact cause of his
death, the relatives believing that he
had beer killed rather than ending his
own life by taking carbolic acid.
Chemists from the state university OF
Minnesota made an autopsy and de-
clared that they did not find anything
OF the poison in his system, but that
they found al abrasion over the heart,
and further that a blood vessel was
bIOhCIl O'Sl llS lCtilpICt cIlI4Ci VI
which, it was stated, was sufficient to
cause death.
The Quinn relatives sent a detective
here who went over the entire situation
and claimed to have found evidence OF
an discriminating nature. The local of
ficials also made their Investigations,
but there was nothing found by them
which would warrant the arrest of
Plotner, and they declined to accept
the theories of the Minneapolis rela-
tives. The officials declined also to
make the arrest.
Owen Sheehee.s Story.
The only witness to the deed of the
suicide was owen Sheehee, who attends
the crossing of the Milwaukee road, lG-
Gated about a block from the place
where Quinn and his wife We're staying.
Shortly before that Mrs. Quinn had be-
gun action for a divorce, and Quinn
was returning from another place on
Sheehee stated he saw Quinn start
down through a piece of lowland to
go to the house, saw him so through
a small corn field and her emerge in
the pathway again. AT a distance of
probably $50 feet from the house. Shee-
hee saw Quinn take a bottle from his
pocket, pour the contents into a glass
and drink it. At that %juncture the hit
tie son of Quinn came running from
the house, and crossing a small foot
bridge was greeted by the father, who
picked the boy up in his arms and
Kissed him. When he released the lad
the little fellow ran back to the house.
Quinn walked a short distance, crossed
the foot bridge and then fell over to
the ground. Mr.. Sheehee said he was
standing in such a position that he
could see and watch every movement
the man made from the time he started
across the railroad track until he fell
to the ground. A brakeman was
standing near and Sheehee suggested
to him that there was something wrong
with Quinn and that they ought to go
over and see what was the matter.
Acting on the suggestion the two went
over and they We're the first two to
reach the body. A moment afterward
Mrs. MMaier, the mother OF Mrs. Quinn,
came out to where the body lay, and
attempted to rouse Quinn, who by this
time was breathing his last. Mrs.
Quinn appeared Immediately afterward
and also tried to arouse the husband.
The next to appear On the scene was
Plotner, who followed two or three
minutes after Mrs. Quinn. He stated
at the inquest that he was attending
to some business at a neighboring
house a block W at that time and
hurried over. Mr.. Sheehee gave 1t as
his opinion that Plotner was in the
very immediate vicinity II hen He ar
rived on the scene so quickly. The
pody was picked Up n carried into
the house.
Theory of the Relatives.
It IS the aim of the Quinn relatives
to make 1t appear that Plotner was in
the house at the time that Quinn was
approaching 1t, and that he came out
and struck the blow, alleging thai
Sheehee for two or three moments los
sight Of Quinn, and in those few mo-
ments, unobserved, the trick was
turned. Sheehee stoutly maintains
however, that he did not lose sight OF
the man for one moment, and does moi
share the iJea that Quinn4@met2sts
avsssir ny any other method than by his
own hand.
Mr.. Quinn is here with the expecta-
tion of getting a warrant for the arres,
of Plotner on the charge of murder
and intimates If he is not able to In
terest the authorities in the evidence
which he claims Is sufficient for thu
action he will submit the same to Gov
ernor Wesley. Up to this time he hae
not been able to get the warrant is
sued. sz4
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