The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-07
BIRMINGHAM, Conn.,, July Q. 1871.

This pretty little town. nesting on the htll5 be.
tween the swift running Naugatuck and Housa-
tonic Rivers Is at the present moment enjoying It's
first great excitement The event that SO startles
the community ana stirs the social circles OF the
town is fhe alleged poisoning OF Nelson w. Sherman
and his Children Ada and Frank, by Lydia Sher-
| man. the wife and stepmother the particulars OF
which have already appeared IN your columns
To say that the feeling against the woman is
strong Is putting 1t mildly. 1t Is intense, and all
classes Of citizens freely express
THEIR BELIEF HER GUILT
AS an evidence OF this feeling I may state
that this morning the liberty pole OF the
public park was decorated with the bills of
an enterprising photographer, the display lines
OF which read:-"A family poisoned; wholesale muir
der; on, Stanley, onr' From her own sex she re-
ceives not an ioa Of sympathy, and with the excep
ton OF few the fair masrons and maldens OF the
borough speak OF her as a second Borgia. Discard
ing the idle gossip Of the town, shall cOnhne my
self strictly the facts elected In evidence before
| Justice Plat this morning.
THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
| was held In Nathan Hall at nine O'Clock a. NJ Long
| before the hour for the hearing the hall was
crowded by hundreds Of ladies, men and children,
who throughout paid marked attention to The pro-
| ceedings, which were taken against the &C.
cused by A. H. Gilbert. the grand juror Of
the town. Colonel william B. Wooster OPP
|
| H. Waterous, of New Haven and Samuel NJ Gardner,
| OF Derby, for the accused. Among the spectators
were Mrs. Jones, the mother of Sherman's first wire;
Cornelius Struck, or New York. son OF the first hus-
| band Of the accused; Lieutenant George W. Sner-
man, late OF the Twentieth Connecticut volunteers,
| and Rev. Andrew Sherman, brothers, and horatio
| N. Sherman. Jr., OF deceased. At quarter be-
| fore ten O'Clock the woman was brought into
| the hail and seated upon the PLATFORM
-
| fun view OF the audience. She was neatly
dressed in light drab suit and closely yelled.
Her appearance was quite natural and during the
reading OF the Indictment, sworn to by the grand
juror she paid special attention to every word.
The indictment charged that-frst, on the Sth OF
May, 1871, she administered poison In cup OF
chocolate to Sherman and second, that at other
times, between the sth and 18th Of May she admin.
stered poison to him In his food. When 1t had been
read to her and she was asked to put in plea she
answered In firm voice. "Not guilty."
THE EVIDENCE.
The first witness called and sworn was Horatlo U.
Sherman Jr., who SAID
lam of deceased residing Brooklyn resided here
the middle June went Boonion n j. thence
tell what he taken sick Monday night in the
o n he %oS %
a on A Soa
Eleven Or twelve M he came home with the arrived at the
IN came S%
s:S s s::
he came In that nieh but he home before nine M
him Union friday
S wAsss Ss him S
spen. at home up to three or four ~ when he wen; OUT
the constable did not see him again sha, night
hapast SIX Monday morning in the Kitchen he and
the shop ana he went to NOR took his dinner down
that evening" near mis- hail. between seven and eight ocock
htm to indicate despondeney saw prisoner aboa, nne p
WAS SICK AND mAp BEEN r.. vox1Ise; ,,..
pretty sick; prisoner present in the he remained
A a Sc IN S %' s sq a
at s A and ay TO ese
growing ,S,sEs. s%ssS
moinns about hi ocioek he vas taken Monday night
vomiting ceased si'sr thursday there
al h he Mc
evening usSsy a. meal: father
serving Esa ns R,' %ho
had they did NOT
h s. a s -four ys
immed.tely 70 the house that time family
ssa ysas my Nary
o aa Frask s Prank and s The %
died New Years during fathers illness Mrs sher
@ n % as
the accused administer medicines TO him; think DR..
Belrdsley called the morning afte- he was taken ill.,
| Then question was asked as TO
| THE MODE OF ADA's DEATH.
| II was objected to by prisoners counsel DIR. Woos-
| ter stated he wished to show that the TWO children
| were poisoned, tnat arsenic was found In their
| who could administer IL. Mr.. Gardner declared That
the indictment only related to the death OF Mr. Sner
lated to put her trial for killing mankind gen.
eral. He protested against the admission OF EVIL
dence foreign 10 the indictment. The evidence was
| admitted, SUBJECT to objections and witness con-
| tinued:-
Ada was taken sick Christmas Eve; when returned from
church she lying the Sofa said had
vomiting; Ada next morning Mondayl; she continued
Srday; she distressed in her bowels seemed TO be
her t he e sG,' OF her, the Mrs
sistng; previous Christmas Eve health was good
marriage she was al the marriage at Sa.
rank a IKE as BOY w Ss sss pretty aa AL
the marriage; father ieft Tor New Haven
tor him did not seem anxious about his ABSENCE dl
me money go New Haven he home voluntarily don't
why he remained a Tue unGn House but SUPPOSE he
he had been OF before way Mrs sherman pre-,
say when ne home that
F WE So s o Mt Se oco he morning
he az never during former illness have beard
o o eoas di.sp%s,on ssasr.y
unwci tired ana worn out sick a6ei Dr. Pinney
was called at the suggestion Of Mrs Jones Thursday even
vs after fathers death Ala was away in Massachusetts
To be perfectly we'll the seemed 10 treat Ada sinay
while the medicines the
the while father III, where all could have
them when left the house the evening father TAKEN
prisoner Nathaniel and the servant there and
Rc-direct-Be,ween Adas his death a steel tra,
father said ! had better set 1t, would
GIVE THE RATS DOSE ARsrSTC;
looked for 1t the wall OF the cellar but II
had been removed; he asked prisoner II where
was looked IA the place said she guessed
had carried 1t oil, paper aud all.
| Ambrose Beardsey, N. d. knew Mr.. Sherman
twenty years. have always been bis family physician; at
tended him in his last scsness ending with hs death 2b
May last about eight "A. NJ; he first visited Tues
day afternoon, May for morning,
absent; Mrs. sherman when ! arrived, said
| OH, DOCIoa, AN Glad YOU'VE CONE;
Nelson IN Elek went Into the bedroom he said he
guessed be had nothing but OF his turns he mad just
voned ia bowl, and the matter still there; his
toms burning IN the stomach, hot sAn,
throat and mouth considerable thirst and
svey nervous; asked how he he said with .