Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-06-07
UNKNOWN PARTY.
FIRED THE SHOT
KILLING HENRY
Continued from first page.)

Just before midnight Saturday a
coroner's jury at Kilbourn, empanel-
led by District Attorney ]. H. Hill OF
this city to inquire into the death of
King Henry, which occurred in the
shooting tragedy Friday night, brought
in the following verdict:
That on the night of June 1,
between IL and IL o'clock, King
Henry came to his death from
the effects of rife ball fired by
some unknown party.
Two guardsmen testified to firing
at the auto. They were Privates Sid
ney Wilcox and Charles Smith, both
members of the Third Wisconsin in
fantry. Marcellus White stated that
he fred in the air.
AS the shooting occurred on or near
the bridge spanning the Wisconsin
river and near the boundary between
Sank and Columbia counties, a jury
was first drawn by District Attorney
Rogers of Columbia county until it
was determined that jurisdiction in
the case lay with Sank county, when
the first jury was discharged and a
jury secured from Delton, the near
est available point in Sank county.
The hearing of testimony lasted for
several hours, between fifteen and
twenty witnesses being examined,
and was given behind closed doors.
Those that were in the car testified
that they called out Hello Portage"
as they came onto the bridge, and
that the auto was moving slowly,
while Private Wilcox who challenged
the party gave evidence to the effect
that the car was going about twenty
five miles an hour as it approached
the bridge and that he jumped in
front of it and challenged the occu-
pants. He stated that his challenge
and his orders to drive more slowly
were ignored and he had to jump out
of the way of the auto; also that a
slurring remark was passed as the
car went by. The testimony of the
guardsmen indicated that shots were
first fired in the air and then at the
car, one of the first shots being aimed
at the tires.
Two Bullet Holes in Auto
An examination of the automobile
showed two bullet holes, one near
the bottom of the body of the car and
another hole through the isinglass at
the back of the top. The presump-
ton is that the shot fired at the tires
is the one that struck the lower part
of the car, and that the steel jacket
and the lead of the rife ball sepa.
rated, one piece causing the wound
in Joe Kaiser's shoulder and the 9TH
er the injury to Steve Kamowski's
hand. The injury to Kaiser's head, it
is thought, was possibly not the re-
suit of a bullet. 1t is believed that
the rifle ball that went through the
isinglass at the back of the car is
the one that killed King Henry.
The evidence developed that the
LOOmis of Mauston, who was a mem
Der OF the national guard until May
%, when he was released on account
of having others dependent upon him.
District Attorney Hill and other
civil authQgities, as well as the cap
tain of the company stationed at Kill
bOurn, have done everything possible
to clear up the mystery surrounding
the case before a federal investiga-
ton is deemed necessary. The evil
dence that came out at the inquest
went to show that King Henry, the
man killed, became a member of the
party going to the dance at Ferndell
at the last minute, just before the car
started. The others had already
made arrangements to go and were
waiting for Kamowski's saloon to
close when Henry joined the party.
1t was a sad, sad tragedy of the war
period which has brought grief to the
hearts of all concerned. The evI-
dence showed that some of the mem
bers of the auto party had been drink
ing and it seemed to be another case
of the innocent one paying the cost.
At the Office Of the adjutant gener-
al of the Wisconsin National Guard
at Madison it was said that the shoot
ing was up to the war department.
1.-THE men are out of our jurisdiction -
said Col. J. G. Salsman. "They were
taken over by the war department
some time ago." The evidence Sc
cured at the coroner's inquest will
probably be laid before the proper
FEDERAL authorities to act as they see
nit.
District Attorneys Hill and Rogers
will review the testimony given with
view to ascertaining if criminal re-
sponsibility for the shooting does not
lie at other doors.