Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-08-24

Fulton street, being shot through the
head with a bullet from a 80 auto
matte revolver, as he lay asleep with
his wife. Death was evidently in
Simultaneous.
A son, Alfred Wehrley, aged II, and
who for some time had been estranged
from the family and had been making
his home at hotel, was suspected by
the police, apprehended within an
hour, and on the morning of the day
following, made complete confession.
On the evening preceding the muir
der, Mr.. and Mrs. Wehrley had gone
over to the Milwaukee depot in their
automobile to meet brother, John
Wehrley, of Beecher, Ill, who was
| expected on short visit. The train
was few moments late, and as near
| ly as can be aScertained it was about
| 9o'clOck when Mr.. and Mrs. Wehrley
arrived home with their guest and
entered the house, unlocking the
door with the key which had been
| left in the mail box.
! Shortly after their return home,
Ernst Young, distant relative
employed in the offices of the Curtis
& Yale Co, and who since his arrival
in Wausau, about year ago, has
been rooming at the Wehrley home,
made his appearance and joined the
family group in the sitting room,
and was later joined by Oscar Wehr-
| ley, a son of deceased.
About 10 o'clock the party broke
up, the other members retiring to
their bed chambers on the second floor,
Peter Wehrley and John Wehrley,
remaining in the sitting room con-
versing until about 11:l5, when they
also retired, Peter Wehrley showing
his brother to his room and then re-
firing to the bed chamber where his
wife was sleeping, and with no pre-
monition of the fate that 50 soon was
to be his.
About l o'clock in the morning,
| Mrs. Wehrley was aroused from SUM-
Der by noise, which was undoubtedly
| the report of the automatic pistol
used by Alfred in killing his father,
but which she for the time vaguely
attributed to the falling of a window,
and she probably would not have paid
much attention to this, but for the
| fact that it was followed by the creak-
ing of the stairway, the landing at
the top of which was close to their
chamber door. Listening, she was sure
she heard steps descending the stair
way, and concluded that it was MIR.
Wehrley, and that he evidently was
in hurry. She jumped out of bed
and switched on the electric light in
the room, intending to follow Mr..
Wehrley downstairs, but as the light
shone forth, she noticed that Mr..
| Wehrley was still in bed and appar-
emily asleep, lying with his face to
the wall. She called him by name,
and then as he did not respond, she
reached over to shake him and dis
covered the blood oozing from a
wound in his left temple.
Immediately she aroused the other
inmates of the house, who put forth
every effort to staunch the flow of
| Ii Of CT
DIR. S. M. B. Smith and Dr. W. E.
| Zillisch, who arrived almost stimuli
taneously and within a very brief
| time after the summons, they
pronounced Mr.. Wehrley dead, and
were of the opinion that death had
come instantaneously.
POLICE GET ON TRACK.
The police had already been notified
and in very short time Chief Malone,
| Detective Schwister and Patrolman
Martin were at the house, and it is
| largely due to their prompt and
| efficient movements that what for a
short time appeared to be an impen-
etrable mystery was cleared up and a
full confession extracted from the
culprit, as for a time there was absO-
lutely no tangible clue upon which to
work, so cleverly had the assassin
covered his every movement.
WHERE DEED OCCURRED.
The room in which the tragedy Oc-
Cured is in room directly off the
top stair landing and in the north
east corner of the house. 1t has one
window facing upon Fulton street
Both side walls are low and SlOping
and the bed stood in the northwest
corner of the room, farthest from
the door. On account of the low
walls the bed did not come close Il
the wall, and there was narrow
passageway around the foot and the
back. Mr.. Wehrley slept in the bach
of the bed, and at the time of hi
death was evidently lying with hi
face towards the wall and his RICH
, hand under the side of his face, ant
, it is doubtful if'he moved after tn
shot was fired, the slightly differen
position of the head being undoubted
r ly caused by those who sought t
, minister to his wounds.
/ The bullet had entered the lef
; temple a short distance above an
back of the eye and had passe
through the head and emerged nea
the center of the right cheek and Ia
0 upon the pillow. The shell Of a
/ automatic % cartridge found upo
| the floor afforded the only clue.
Chief Malone, Detective Schwiste
/ and Patrolman Martin and Dist. Atts