Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-07-12

ndu Ealu tnaL II Bnc was ODuSeu 10 marry sidney
she would kill herself provided that Clarence
would promise not to follow her example, My
son had two Overcoats. He usually wore brown
one. Do not know of an overcoat being burned
| THE witness was shown the writing in the book
81 days in Chicago] Thought that part Of 1t was
| in Clarenccs handwriting. Think that the figures
a and 45 represent their respective numbers ut
school, and that the addition with the sum 1,refer
ed to their contemplated union, when they would
| be one. My son had number Of presents from
Matte: told him to put them out OF sight or to
take them back to her He did put them into a
morning after the suicide, but did not read take
out any Of the letters. 1.-THE witness being remind
ed by Mr.. Holman. admitted that he did say to
had looked through the trunk that morning, and
that there was nothing therein throwing light on
| the AFFAIR."
Ella Herrick testified regarding the handwriting
of number Of letters shown her.
| TESTIMONY OF J. MANI.
Jacob MANI, Jr., sworn Reside in Indepen-
dence; occupation, barber Know Shaw we'll
Saw him the night Of the Toman shooting, at the
restaurant, threequarters Of an hour after church
was out Conversed with him on Main st., oppo-
will think it was me-" said ''Why?" He said
| Because have been goingiwith Miss Sherwood -
l conversed with him one week ago last Sunday.
told nun they were going to work The case up.
| He said: what de you know abOut1t?" said
Nothing" He said, "Yes You do" Thinking
it painful subject for him, said nothing more
| aDOutlt. He told me year ago that Miss Sher-
| woods parents opposed him.
| MINNIE VAN ORsDoL RECALLED.
Minnie Van Orsdol recalled Matte has been
with Shaw since the shooting of Toman. Two
weeks ago last Saturday night, while going home
with her from practice at the Baptist church,
Shaw, with hat over his eyes and coat buttoned,
met us in front of the Congregational church and
took Matte away with him. On Friday or Satur-
day last she told me that her folks wanted her to
| marry Toman. but that it was against her wishes.
Shn haf ghn nfa1
and then she would marry Shaw. Shaw told me
| that some folks suspected him of shooting Toman
and that it was better he should die than that il
should come out as it would He said he had
| told, or intmated to Williamson what he intend
| ed to do.
TESTIMONY OF s. s. TOMAN.
Sidney s. Toman, sworc:-Have been keeping
company with Matte Sherwood. Was to have
been married Christmas. 1873 The engagement
was made last spring. She has never intimated To
me. in any manner, that she wished to be released
from the engagement have r, peatedly told her
that II she preferred any other suitor would re-
hnguisa my claims and never trouble her there
after She always repealed such suggestions with
scorn. have told her many times [ would give
way to Shaw II that was her wish She never
showed any inclination to accede to such arrange
ment, explaining that she had tried to avoid his
attentions, but that circumstances and other par.
ties had interfered to throw her into his company
She came to see me every day after the assault,
ahree upon me- have received
ed. The day / went after her at Sheridsns. we
started back about P. NJ. She was reluctant
about starting SO early: solely, as believe, be.
cause4he wanted more time to visit. We got to
the cemetery at about y. o'clock Had been
singing nearly all the way. Stopped at the corner
to adjust the buffalo robe. She said her rubber
hurt her, and fixed that While doing so abe
held the lines. and as bent forward the first shot
was fired. Here follows the description of the
assault. with which the reader il already familiar
and which 1t is not necessary to reproduce.-ED.j
TESTIMONY OF T. SHERWOOD.
Thomas Sherwood. sworn Matte Sherwood
| was my daughter Her age was 10 or 90 the latter
| | think Her health has not been good for tha
past year two. Has taught school wears I
never forbade her going with Shaw lie came
| home with her once. about year ago She told
me once that ne was following her without her
consent, and that she told him she would claim
my protection. | heard nothing more of her 90.
| ing with him until after the shooting Of Toman.
Heard rumors OF it, and talked with her. Told her
choose one and let the other 60. She said: Spa.
you know that have made my ch0 ce. / would
| choose Sidney every time. Told her then to drOp
Shaw. She said she could not, for every time she
went on the street he met her, and she could not
| avoid him, l again told her to choose between
them. and to invite Shaw to the house il she pre.
ferred his company. Her mother also expressed
her disapproval of her going with both Young
men, and told her to invite 20 the house the one
she should choose. Neither l nor nv wife or
daughters ever put any obstacle in the way of her
pcrieCt freedom 20 make chOlce between TOman
and Shaw. We all understood, however. that She
was engaged to Toman. She said that she never
went to the Conservative office except in GONNA.
ny OF other girls; that she never went up the back
| steps. At the time of the shooting Of Toman she
acted as though shocked, and disturbed in mind
Never knew Of her receiving letters from shaw.
We searched her trunk but found none from
Shaw, though many from Toman. Never have
seen anything. or found any writing that indicat-
ed her intention to destroy herself We have al.
ways felt kindlyto Mr.. Shaw and respected him
LIZZIE sHERwooD's TESTIMONY.
Lizzie Sherwood, sworn Matte Sherwood was
| my sister. l was not at home when she was kill
ed; had not seen her for week. knew that She
had occasionally met with Mr.. Shaw, but never
spoke to her about it. 1 have talked with her
about Mr.. Toman, and knew she was engaged to
him, Never made any objection to her going with
either, but objected to her going with both. She
was at perfect liberty, SO far as know, to make
choice of one or the other; nor she never com.
planned to us of any opposition saw no partic
ular harm in her meeting Mr., Shaw, socially from
time to time, but never had any idea that she
went to see him at his house. Mate never sale
anything about suicide.
MINNIE sHERwooD's TESTIMONY
was of much the same tenor. Saw nothing unusu
al in Mates demeanor on the day she was killed
When she went to the croquet party there wer,
no leave rakings, or other indications of sadness
or that she did not expect to us again. Dit
not know that she WAS at Shaw's on the Fourth
Never tried to dictate her choice of husband
HENRY ARTUs
testified to conversation with Shaw's father. il
which the latter told him that Miss Sherwood hat
sent letters to his son during the trial Of Stroll
telling him all about the questi ons asked her in
Court. he testified that on the Sunday of tn,
suicide Shaw senior told him that he had seer
those letters
WIN. ToMAN
made a statement, under oath regarding fac
mentioned in the testimony of Joseph b. Shaw
He said. in substance, that until within very few
weeks he had entertained no suspicion that youn!
Shaw was in any way responsible for the assault
upon his son, and that, with a view of saving tn
family from annoyance, he had early convened al
assurance to that effect to Clarence Shaw person
ally Since, however, new facts and circumstan
ces had TRANSFERRED that seemed to indicate tina
Shaw might be guilty and Stroll innocent, he ha,
felt unwilling to permit the latter to suffer unjust
ly, and had accordingly engaged Detective Shat
tuck, and paid him first instalment of $50, t,
search out the facts and that such investigation
was about to be begun, when the tragedy of Satur
day night interviewed.
The taking of the testimony was not hnishe,
until late hour on Tuesday evening. At it
conclusion the COroner's jury rendered the fol
lowing
VERDICT:
In the matter of the inquest over the body O
Matte Sherwood. here lying dead on the 18th da
of July, 1873, we find that the said Matte Sherwood
came to her death from pistol shot from revol
said county, on the 9th day of july 1873 and tina
said killing was intentional on the part OF sait
Shaw.
In the mOtter of the inquest over the body o
Clarence Shaw here lying dead that the sal
Shaw came to his death from q pistol shot from