Melvin - Forest Hill Cemetery - Section 28 - Lot 26

William J. Melvin  Mar 7, 1845 - Jul 5, 1889

Melvin was killed firing a cannon on the Capitol lawn, to celebrate Independence Day in 1889. Melvin had moved to Madison only weeks earlier. The flesh was ripped from his right hand and arm to the elbow, and his forearm was broken in four places

Eighteen years earlier to the day ,John Betz, was killed firing a cannon on the Capitol grounds to mark Independence Day

Betz is also interred at Forest Hill

In what had to be one of the strangest coincidences in Madison history, Betz and Melvin lived in the same house at 1036 University Avenue