Obit: Pudleiner, John (1892? - 1934)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: PUDLEINER FOLEY HAIGHT SNYDER DANGERS

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 26 Jul 1934

Pudleiner, John (1892? - 23 July 1934)

The dead body of John Pudleiner, age forty-two, who lived alone on his farm in the town of Hoard, five miles west and one-half miles north of Dorchester, was found by neighbors at 10:30 A.M. Monday. Pudleiner had been dead five hours according to an examination by Dr. L. P. Foley when found. A high powered rifle lay about ten feet from the body. Neighbors said they heard shots between four and five o’clock Monday morning. The body lay about eight rods from Pudleiner’s home.

At first, suicide was indicated, but doubt was cast upon this theory by the fact that the rifle lay ten feet from the body. Hugh G. Haight, Clark county district attorney, Ernest Snyder, undersheriff, and Walter Dangers, deputy, of Neillsville were called to the scene and an autopsy was performed Monday.

At the autopsy it was concluded that Pudleiner came to his death accidentally. It is thought that the rifle recoiled after it had discharged and it was thrown away from the body in this way. Only one shot was fired. Neighbors believed Pudleiner was leaving his home to go hunting at the time. A gun wound just above the heart caused death and the bullet was lodged in his chest.