The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-17
A Jury Secured After -Four Challenges
in Thirty-fye Minutes.
The Spectators, the Prisoner and the Court-The
Accused Cheerful and Apparently Uncon-
cerned About the Result-Afecting
Meeting with Brother and Sister.
The Argument for Admission of Evidence
Of Other Murders.

Vi Lyuid lOI ny POISONING Oh
Horatio W. Sherman, in May of last year, was called
on in the Superior Court this morning. There was
present large audience of both sexes, and nearly
all the witnesses were on hand.
At ten O'Clock the accused was ushered into the
room by Sheriff Scott and Warden Charles Webster,
who escorted her to the prisoners box, where she
remained chatting with counsel, officers and others
until the formal opening of the Court. ! have seen
the accused many times, but never did she
look so well or appear SO cheerful she
did to-day. While conversing with those about
her pleasant smiles fitted across her counenance,
and altogether she bore herself like one who, while
she keeny felt the humiliation Of the position she
occupied, was conscious of her own innocence and
confident Of her acquittal Of the heinous offence
charged against her. She was
DRESSED IN A NEAT BLACK ALPACA DRESS,
trimmed with silk velvet, q mixed black and
white woollen shawl white straw hat,
trimmed with black velvet and brown
plume, from which dropped over her face
thin lace veil, through which her features were
plainly marked, and upon her hands were black kid
gloves After the empanelling Of the jury she left
the prisoners box and took her seat beside her
counsel, Messrs. Waterous, Of this city, and S. M.
Gardner, of Derby. During the recess, which lasted
from one to two O'Clock, she chatted pleasantly
with Joseph Danbury, her brother, Mrs. Julia Nafey,
her sister, and Mr. Nafey the husband of the latter
who had come on specially to attend her trial.
PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS
At eleven O'Clock Judge Foster and moved
that the Grand Jury Of the town of Derby, having
found an Indictment against Lydia Sherman for
poisoning Horatio Sherman, she be now put upon
her trial.
Judge sandford-Has the prisoner been put to
pleaY
COunsel-She has not.
Here the accused arose, while the clerk, Arthur D.
Osborne read over the Indictment which appeared
in the HERALD in previous letter.
Clerk-To this indictment what is your plea
guilty or not guilty2
Prisoner Din firm, clear voice)-Not guilty, sir.
The prisoner resumed her seat, and Immediately
two gentlemen and q lady entered, and, lifting her
veil, the accused reached the railing separat-
ing them and affectionately embraced them. As
she did her black eyes spanked with delight, her
face flushed and tears, unbdden, started down her
cheeks. This was the first exhibition of emotion on
her part since her arrest.
The jurors were then called and polled. L. A.
Dickerman, of Hampden, had expressed an opinion
and was excused. Judge Foster, for the people,
planned to the jury their duty jurors and asked
any Of them, If they had formed an opinion to
tire. Counsel for the people then accepted the
jurors.
Mr.. Waterous, OF counsel for the defence, ad
dressed the jury on their responsibilities when Ed
ward Hodkss said ne had formed an opinion and
was challenged. Edward Lewis and John ID. CUTLER
nan were peremptorily challenged by the defence
and stepped aside The jury We're then sworn, only
thirty-five minutes having been consumed in EN-
panelling them.
are nearly all gentlemen of middle age apparently
intelligent farmers and mechanics. Their names
are as follows:-
Horace Thompson OF East Haven.
Almon P. Rowe, of East Haven.
Dwight w. futile, of East Haven.
Eli Parmlee, Of Guilford.
Ira A. Do0little OF Cheshire.
Leonard Dooftte, OF Cheshire.
Hiram WOoding of Cheshire
Philo Bradley, OF Hamden
Chauncey Willard, OF Madison.
Edward n. Potter, OF Hamden.
Jonathan Willard, OF Madison.
Walter Hough, OF Madison
THE EVIDENCE.
The first witness called was
DR.. Ambrose Beardsey, of Bennington, Health
Officer OF that town:-l knew Sherman for over
twenty years; practiced medicine there and was
his family physician for that per0d at the time OF
his death he lived nearly opposite my house; at
tended him in his last sickness; | was called to see
him Tuesday corning, May 8, 1871; was sent for
three times; did not see him until between one and
two p. NJ; when arrived at the house prisoner
met me at the door and seemed anxious TO see me;
40, DOCTOR, AN GLAD you HAVE COMET
Nelson, my husband il very sick entered to his
room without replying. ! asked, 'SHef1nan, WnaJS
the matterf' he replied, 20, Doctor, am dreadful
sick, but guess its one Of my old turns:n he had
just been vomiting; the matter thrown from the
stomach was in a bowl by the bedside, lightly
tinged with be it looked like healthy bile; on ex-
animation found
HIS SYMPTOMS
to be nausea, vomiting, parched mouth and throat,
great thirst, sharp, burning pain In pit OF stomach,
gripping pains in the bowels, hot, dry skin, quick
pulse, general uneasiness and some faintness;
re-entered the sitting room TO think over his case ;
prisoner followed me out and asked, "What has
been amiss with Mr.. sherman he seems very sick;
he has been OF on q terrible spree and had been
gone a week: he came home sick and has been sick
ever snce;" asked her why she gave him money
to spree 1T with It would give her trouble; she re-
Piled that she had already had troube that he had
spent from twelve hundred to
FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS or HER MONEY:
that she tried her best to control him and did not
know what she was going TO do; j returned to the
bedroom; when his stomach seemed to be empty
gave him One-eighth OF grain of morphine, with
one grain OF blue pill may state that before pre-
scrbing inquired how and when he was taken I'll !;
lie said he was taken the previous night about half
an hour after supper, with severe pain IN the
head, followed soon after by nausea and vomiting,
and had vomted by spells from that time until
saw him; | asked him what he had eaten for
supper; he replied that it was nothing unusual but
that 10 was rather light supper; prescribed Tor
him one-eighth OF grain OF morphine and one
grain OF blue pill to be taken every two hours until
! saw him; directed strong mustard plaster to
he placed over the pit of his stomach; allowed him
sparingy cooling drinks to quench his thirst, and
enioned perfect rest as far as possbe the prisoner
ing promised ! would, but did not get around
until eleven O'Clock; the symptoms In the evening
were no better: the
GRIPPING IN THE BOWELS
was intense; he said he thought II his bowels
would move he would be relieved; gave him pur-
gative pills, 10 be taken every three hours; the
morphine and blue pill TO be continued as usual;
gave him, in addition, to allay his thirst, simple
solution: on "Wednesday morning there appeared
10 be lull in his most urgent symptoms he did
not vomt 80 much nor did he appear In such pain;
the pain in the stomach, vomiting dryness Of the
throat and restlessness had what abated; this
was Wednesday morning, May 10; cathartic pills
continued through Wednesday, external applica-
tons to the bowels cooling drinks, and he also took
an Injection of the bowels to move them; that
evening all
ms SYMPTOMS WE'RE MORE AGGRAVATED;
the matter from his stomach was dark and often
sive; breath foul and ofensve; he retained
scarcely anything in the stomach through the day !;
his mouth and throat were red and fiery; respra-
ton quick complained OF being fant felt n though
he was choking; constant hawking and splitting
loss of voice; gave him that night
BRANDY AND WATER,
and IL was the only thing he could retain on his
stomach through the night; on Thursday morning
he was decidedly worse, and anticipated a fatal
termination OF the disease; | spoke OF calling In