The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-07
THE SHERIDAN WIFE MURDER.
Opening Of the Case Tor the Prosecution Testl-
mony OF Witnesscs-A Sad Story Of Domes-
&c NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Confession TO
the Cffcer-Clcse Of the Prose
cution-Desence Opened.

inc tr'al OF Ihonlas sheridan FOR the shooting OF
MS wife, on the 10th or February last, was com.
menced yesterday in the Court OF over and Ter
miner before Judge Barnard on the opening OF the
court District Attorney Garvn arose to open The
case for the people. On the 10th OF February. 1870
ne said, Thomas Sheridan shot his wife, and for this
ohence ne was arragned. The woman cannot
speaSa WORD In her defence. Her lips are forever
sealed and your sympathes are transferred 10 the
living man before you. Ana yet no one has right
To become jadec anu Juror ana execuoner at the
same time, for he himself IL party to the quarrel |!
show ny witnesses that this man took the lie OF
that woman with intent to kill. you viii have to
hnd lin guilty OF murder IN the first degree II no
intent to XII is shown, II Will be murder in the sec
ond degree He went on TO speak OF the different
degrees OF crime OF winch Sheridan could be found
guilty. am Instructed by the witnesses that two
or three days previous TO The homicide this man
went 10 The house III Forty lrsJ street and threatened
her LIFE and on the day OF The murder he entered her
house and IN the twinkng OF an eye took out his
pistol, sno. her the heart anu again shot her
10 her death. The DlsrIcl Attorney then proceeded
| TO call the Witnesses Tor the prOsccu ION.
TESTIMONY OF JANE WEBB.
The first witness called was Jane Webb, who tes,i-
fed that the 10th of February she lived at No 432
West Forty first street; the evening OF that day
| she was there when Thomas sheridan came in; Mrs
| Sheridan was lying down on a bed in another room;
| his daughter Mary ana Michael Powers were there
also. when he came In ami told Mrs. Sheridan OF 1t:
she gave me the baby and went INTO the room
where Sheridan was; She gave him The time or day
ana ne answered. she then asked hin If he came to
carry out his threat; that the last time he came he
| said he would Kill her; sherid N denied this, aud
Mrs. Sheridan asked the little girl her daughter who
corroborated her statement; sheridan then took out
his pistol, and, as Mrs. Sheridan went towards the
bedroom, he shot her. she turned round, saying.
| ''Oh, my God ! am shot; God have mercy on my
| soul ~ Sheridan hen fred another Shot
Cross-eXanlned by Mr.. Edwin James-Witness
knew Mrs sheridan as long az she could remember;
was boarding IN the same house with her since May
1869; came with her IRON Wostchester; knew "A man
named Michael Powers; had known him two years;
couldn't say how long Mrs. Sheridan knew Powers;
Mrs. Sheridan first moved TO Forty-sxtD street;
Powers came 70 Forty sxth street with Mrs Sher.-
dan; then 10 foriyse ond street and from thence to
Fory-hrst street; Powers moved in with her; w.t.
ness saw Sheridan four times before the shooting;
Sheridan gave his little daughter money 10 buy
shoes; she had no shoes thcn: at that time sheridan
asked his wife 10 come and live with HIM; she said
she would not, as he night do what he did before;
the baby was six months old then; he asked her who
was the father OF the child; Mrs Sheridan said that
was ''for her 70 know and for him TO find ont;' w.t.
ness toOK cld 10 DC cl:lstencd. was told by the
mother TO have it called william O'Bren: her maiden
name Margaret Obllen the doctor who at
tended her was Do. EilenDerl the room The shooting
occurred IN Is very small; ta1e was near the bed
room: near tins table was Power reading paper;
Mrs Sheridan, when she came into the room, sat
down near the ia c, about loot rom Powers: wit
ness was near the bedroom door with the baby: was
further from sheridan tlan me parties ia TIE room.
Witness here described The relative positions of
Powers and Mrs. sheridan 10 sheridan, and re-
sune1:
When sheridan gave his child money for shoes
Pow rs was mo IN thc bedroom Witness was out, aud
when she came IN iitte May came oul 10 tell her
| he baby il anotier room; lhat was the only
rIme witness knew Powers hide frofa SIT MAN;
with her father the three years Sher,aan vas la
the army; witness did no. say that Powers was the
ia her Of the child but she sail 81 beileye lt;' saw
| her mother wncn sheridan came in and gave his
| daughter money 10 buy SHOES; witness heard him
say to his wife Your doom is sealed;' there was
mention made OF Powers during That interview This
WAS three days before the shooting; Powers struck
the child; Mary and Mrs Shelidan told him never to
do that again; there were three boys III the house
| also; Mary was eleven years od never heard
Mrs. sheridan caution hese boys not to tell Sheridan
| OF Powers beng IN the house
| Redirect Mrs. sheridan, witness, and little Mary
| slept III the bedroom ana Power In the Kitchen
| the floor with the boys,
Some difficulty was mad over the swearing IN Of
| Mary sheridan, the next witness; however. upon
saying thai al Sunday school she learned If person
tod lie they would 70 10 he'll, she tested:-i am
eleven years old; have three brothers named Peter
| Tommy and Eduy; remember the day my mother
shot: she said 10 Sheridan when he in .'iIaye
you come to repeat your threats of the other day.
".~or ~, ofGor ,,v - IA ~, ,,, t al, 80 ~,
80, as. -, 90 ,,J = sotn 10. 10 ~, cen my, 'io
49,, 80 ~ ~, Nv n,, -" Va, V en sow, ou
No. Ia Eli 100 ~ o,,e hi, s"a .,..i ~
az CIV, ~, M i'.' ,u - s' 80 ~ way
"U ., 49,, ' IT,. ~, ~ a, ' e'i NV Wv
~, az Wy - oV,' .'nv , i. ashea Mno
un , ,'. '" , y ~ ~ ,os,e S"'" ho ""s " man
" ~ .. uhio a'o.n i' pa .. ,, 49, -
nioSa o ,n 80 i m,sn saw to"u,s Two ye,fs
~, VIII w ~ ,.ss ~ e,o oo'.y s".e
! my grandmother since; never saw Powers go into
.,,o ue oo 1f a. n,o , n," nm coiie o.
anyhniyy p',vcri ,s,s -, hnr hniroor,. % o' ". .e
oftcn IN; motbcrs a.,rann n - ~ 80" ,1
ncnne Vent. Powers never oo he 1roud sb .,u
SnnrSan whotber no c0,Id hamdn bi, r or not, Nv
used n,te, sov whom ha came in .W.s sba,dnn
hero ~ and motber womb cav yes m no a. no va or
! wa not there. laIher WAS nj tbe hones fnnr tnoa
| since he came nom the war: he asked her TO come
and live with AIM ana hp Tho uouer or he chIlSran
| ana to leave Powers. MON s,id she wn"ld yn anh
| live win him hnt ne, or 40 man ana wtra pownrs
|