The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-09-14
FORMER SnERIFF'S
ESCAPADE ASSUMES
A DEEPER GRAVITY
Relatives of Supposed Suicide
Accuse Plotner of Murder
ing Him.

| 31SSuoC = 4OWAVA Va AS4uA OS4
ing Him.
| Mitchell, s. D.. Sept. Ito a group
| of newspaper men this morning l.. W.
/ concerning the letters that he is al
| legged by the Quinn family to have
written to a party in Sioux City with
the idea of arranging for the doing
| away of Peter Quinn.
One letter, written on the letter
head OF the former sheriff, gives the
| details as to the matter Of putting
Quinn out of the way by enticing him
| to Sioux City, arranging game OF
| cards, and then to strike the blow and
| where to hit him. The carbolic acid
| was to be used to smear over the lips
| Of Quinn to allay all possible suspicion
| Of murder.
Piotner In Denial.
| Plotner d clared that there was alb
solutely nothing of the letters written
and that he had nothing to do with
them His first two initials were
signed to the letter. He declared II
was an easy matter for some one to
get a letterhead from his office. which
always stood open. He also declares as
false that the Quinn family received
letter from him in which he made a
proposition to pay sum Of money for
letters which they have In their pos
session and that whatever letters they
have are not detrimental to him. He
admits of having written some love
letters to Mrs. Quinn and that he went
to Minneapolis to confer with the
others he knew nothing Of.
Mr.. Quinn and Mrs. Johnson are re-
lentless I'm their pushing of the case
against Plotner and Mrs. Johnson is
just as bitter today as she was at the
time Of the death Of her brother when
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 and 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 in
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 been 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 an abrasion over the heart,
and further that blood vessel was
broken over the temple. either Of
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
lie oil hot tiea tan
but there was nothing found by them
which would warra t 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, lc-
Gated about a block from the place
where Quinn and his wife were staying.
Shortly before that Mrs. Quinn had be-
gun action for a divorce, and Quinn
was returning from another place on
the afternoon he committed suicide.
Sheehee stated he saw Quinn start
down through piece of lowland to
go to the house, saw him go through
a small corn field and then 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 lit
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 were the first two to
reach the body. A moment afterward
Mrs. Maier, 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 neighboring
house q block away at that time and
hurried over. Mr. Sheehee gave it as
his opinion that Plotner was in the
very immediate vicinity when he ar
rived on the scene so quickly. The
body was picked up and carried into
the house
Theory of the Relatives.
1t 10 the aim OF the Quinn relatives
to make 1t appear that Plotner was In
the house at the time that Quinn was
approaching it, and that he came out
and struck the blow, alleging that
Sheehee for two or three moments lost
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 not
share the idea that Quinn met his
death by any other method than by his
own hand.
Mr.. Quinn Is here with the expecta-
ton of getting warrant for the arrest
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 the
action he will submit the same to Gov
ernor Wesley. Up to this time he had
not been able to get the warrant is
E2ed.