John Louis Sisley Biography - Grant County Wisconsin ***************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ***************************************************************************** Submitted by David W. Taft, dtaft@cowtown.net History of Grant County Wisconsin By Castello N. Holford The Teller Print, Lancaster, 1900 Pages 127-8 Chapter 10, Some Notorious Criminal Trials The Sisley Case. "On the 11th of June, 1882, John Louis Sisley, living in the town of Lima, in a portion known as the "Bad Lands," on account of the several crimes committed there, was married. During the night of the 13th some of the young men of the neighborhood inflicted a charivari on the young couple, which greatly disturbed the bride. Early the next morning she was found lying dead about eighty years from the house, with a 22-caliber revolver in her hand, with four of its chambers discharged, and there were four bullet-wounds in the woman's breast. The husband stated that he had loaded the revolver with the intention of "helping the boys with the charivari," and then left it in his pocket; that he did not know when his wife got up and went out, and did not discover her absence till he got up in the morning. The coroner's jury seemed to think it a case of suicide, and this theory was held by the defense when the husband and others were arrested for murder. The prosecution denied that the woman could have fired four shots into herself. The preliminary examination before Justice Keene, of Lancaster, was of prodigious length and cost the county more than $3,000. Louis Sisley and his mother, Mrs. Stout, and Hamilton were bound over pending action by the circuit court. At the next term of court the prosecution was not ready for trial and the accused were released on their own recognizance. Action against them was afterward nolle prosequied.[1] The question whether the killing was suicide or murder was hotly argued in the newspapers and awakened great interest in all parts of the county." [1] Note: NOLLE PROSEQUI - A declaration that the plaintiff in a civil case or the prosecutor in a criminal case will drop prosecution of all or part of a suit or indictment. Below are several newspaper accounts of this case provided by Mary Thiele Fobian: Waukesha Daily Freeman Newspaper (Waukesha, Wisconsin) 29 June 1882 A MURDER CASE AT LANCASTER Lancaster, June 28. - Public feeling is being worked up to a fever heat by the rumors that have obtained circulation in regard to the death of Mrs. Sisley, and Lewis Sisley, her husband, who has been arrested on suspicion of having murdered her, together with Robert and Emma Hamilton and George Stout, accessories, will be examined by Justice Baldwin on Friday. The circumstances surrounding the case are peculiar. It appears that Lewis Sisley was married to the deceased, then Miss Emma Bickford, at the residence of her father, June 12, and on the morning of the 14th her dead body was found a short distance from the house in which they had taken up their residence, and in which they lived in a single room with a Mr. Hamilton and his wife. The remains were pierced by four pistol balls, and a revolver which Sisley had placed under the head of his bed, was found in her lap. It was at first regarded as a suicide, but suspicious circumstances lead the father of the dead woman, Hiram Beckford, to cause the arrest of all the parties who were occupants of the house on the night previous to the morning on which the body was found. At the preliminary examination yesterday, the counsel on either side were not prepared, and the case was adjourned until Friday to enable them to secure the necessary evidence. Waukesha Daily Freeman Newspaper (Waukesha, Wisconsin) 8 July 1882 But little testimony of importance seems to be elicited in the Sisley murder case in progress at Lancaster. There are many conflicting statements and the indications are that it will be impossible to get evidence of a sufficiently definite character to convict any one of the murder. Waukesha Daily Freeman Newspaper (Waukesha, Wisconsin) 14 July 1882 THE SISLEY CASE. LANCASTER, WIS., July 13 - There was nothing new today in the Sisley case. Most of the day was occupied by Dr. Buck, of Platteville, who witnessed the second autopsy. When asked for his professional opinion he created some consternation by declining to answer unless assured he would be paid a professional price for his opinion. Although the opinion was valuable it appeared that the defense would have to do without it. An understanding was finally effected by which the court directed him to answer, and he answered under protest. He then said that in his opinion all the wounds could have been self-inflicted. The attendance of visitors is rather slim. The opinion in general is that however the examination results the prosecution will be fruitless. Waukesha Freeman Newspaper (Waukesha, Wisconsin) 3 August 1882 LANCASTER MURDER TRIAL. LANCASTER, July 26. - Dr. W. E. Halleck, of Juneau, testified in the Sisley case in regard to the suicide theory. The doctor said the wounds might have been self-inflicted, and cited a case that came under his observation in Juneau county to sustain his position. The case was that of John H. Wyman, who shot himself four times in the left breast on the 19th of May. Mr. E. S. Wyman testified to the fact that he was a witness to the suicide of John H. Wyman. The witness thought there would be more difficulty in cocking and firing the 38- calibre revolver used by Wyman than the 22-calibre by which Mrs. Sisley came to her death. The examination began June 30, and has continued ever since that date. It will probably be concluded tomorrow night. The justice already has 884 closely-written pages of testimony, which it will take some time to examine.