The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-25

eyes, and q presentment that there wa
foul play In the insurance business, steadi
ly objected 10 the arrangement. sa
Nancy shattner Is the last victim. BJ
oil accounts she was an amiable and wor.
thy woman-altogether too good Tor thu
company In which she found herself
What she endured in witnessing the rela
tons between her husband and Susan
Sharlack. and what she suspected con
cerning the cause Of John Sharlack'i
death, will never be known. After q hard
struggle she succeeded In driving Susan
from her house on the death Of John
Sharlack. But she was already doomed
Alter waiting Tor some months so as moi
to crowd the deadly work, and throw
open too wide door for the suspicious
OF his neighbors, the poisoner resumed
his trade. On the 9th Of June, 1871, Nan.
cy was taken suddenly i'll. On the Sth
Shaftner called in a physician, who treat,
cd her tor cholera m0rbus. Day by day
Shafner pursued his fendish work, ad.
ministering the poison while remorseless.
" and cruelty watching the terrible suffer.
ingsol his victim until her death on the
morning Of the 11th Of June. In both
the cases Of John Sharlack and Nancy,
the poisoner finished his work in precise.
y six days from the time OF administer.
ing his first dose. On the day after the
death OF Nancy, the wife, Susan Sharlack
again made her appearance at shaifner's
house, and took her place as It's mistress.
Three victims were now under the sod,
and Shaffner had reached the end Of his
sordid and deadly intrigues. He had
John Sharlack's two thousand dollars,
Nancy's four thousand, a small farm ol
his own, and-his Susan. 1t was now
time TO set about enjoying himself. But
dreadful rumors soon began TO spread
among his neighbors and destroy his com.
tort. The sudden death OF three persons
In his house within SO short time, in
the same manner, and under such strange
circumstances, awakened suspicion. The
murmurs soon arose TO clamor for his
arrest and the eXhumation and examina-
tion Of the bodies. On the Both of Sep
tember the body OF Nancy ShafFner was
exhumed in the presence OF her poisoner
and number Of neghbOrs
Having learned that the body was to
be taken up, the ghOul went 10 the grave
Seme nights before, broke open the coffin,
thrust his hand into the mouldy face OF
the corpse, and convinced himself that
the crime could not be discovered. Hence
his stolid COmposure while standing in
the graveyard on the morning of the 3Oth,
watching the exhumstion. Some days
after, the bodies ot his first vile, Sarah,
and OF John Sharlack were exhumed. On
chemical analysis the stomachs OF all ol
them were found 10 contain anseuical
poison. That Of the first wife, of whom
he made shortest work, contained the
most arsenic. On the 18th of October
Emanuel Shaffner was arrested and com
mitted for trial. His trial, his conviction
ot the murder Of his wife, Nancy, his sen.
tence to death, the proceedings In the Su-
preme Court in arrest Of punishment,
need no recital here.
To this horrid tale Of murder there is a
dreadful episode. During the war a youth,
whose name Is unknown TO US, lived in
the family Of Shafner as farm hand.
When the government began to pay
bountiesto soldiers, Shafner procured his
enlistment with a bounty Of four hundred
dollars. The money was LETT with Shaft.
ner for safe keeping and the youth went
TO the front. At the close Of the war
rather Unexpectedly to Shaftner he re.
turned. In two weeks after his return,
the youth died suddenly, under circum.
stances similar 10 those attending the ca.
ses Of his other victims, and Shstfner was
the richer by his soldier bounty. This
story Of remorseless and cowardly mur.
der Is too revolving to be pursued any
further. In enormity 1t surpasses all that
Is recorded Of crime in the annals OF this
portion Of Pennsylvania.
But there Is remarkable sexual that
deserves the deepest consideration.
On Monday last, the prisoner was
brought into court and pleaded guilty of
murder in tho second degree to the three in.
dictments for the killing Of his two wives
and John sharlack. This plea was &C.
cepted by the District Attorney on the
ground that 1t was Saving money to the
county" by avoiding o long trial. His
Honor thought this looked ike "com-
promise" with the murderer, but allowed
the plea to be entered as the confinement
would be Of such length as to prevent the
criminal from doing further harm. He
then without delay proceeded 10 pro-
nounce sentence OF imprisonment for thir-
ty.six years in the penitentiary-twelve
years in each Indictment. The whole
thing was done with such suddenness as
to affect the spectators with the most pro.
found astonishment