The top of the monument is gone.
John Betz May 1837 - Jul 5, 1871
Died in his Madison home a day after the cannon he was firing on the Capitol lawn, to
celebrate Independence Day, went off prematurely. The terrible force of the explosion tore both
his arms off, the left one above the elbow and the right one below, driving some splinters into
his side, splitting his nose and badly burning his chest and face.
Eighteen years to the day later, William Melvin, was killed firing a cannon on the Capitol lawn.
Melvin is also buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.
In what had to be one of the strangest coincidences in Madison history, Betz and Melvin lived in
the same house, at 1036 University Ave.
The top of the monument is gone.
