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

OF the facts. There is veil OF mystery
enveloping the affair that will never be
wholly withdrawn. In the contradictory
cratic and Eighty conduct of the young
lady, for months preceding this terri
BILE ending, in the game Of double and
cross purposes she has played, accord
ing to the evidence, for which there
appears to be no sufficient cause or mo-
tive, in the shifting kaleidoscope of her
impulses and desires, there seems no
way to account for her vagaries, except
on the presumption, either that she was
without conscience or right feeling, or
that she was partially insane. AS the
more charitable, and less difficult to ad-
just to the general estimate of her char
acter and her training, we accept the
latter theory. She aroused tempest
that she could not control, and fell vic
tim to her rashness.
Coroner Hunt empanelled jury, con
sisting of Messrs. D. S. Deering, II. A.
King and A. p. Mills, which held ses-
sion Sunday, and completed the investi-
cation on Tuesday. The testimony, be-
sides being directed to the examination
of the cause of the death of the parties,
was also extended to an effort to ascer-
tain what part Shaw had in the attempt
to murder the local editor of this paper.
That he was the chief actor, if not the
only one, in the transaction, is clearly
enough established to satisfy the public
mind. The fact that Shaw went out of
the world without leaving one scrap of
writing which might throw light upon
that crime: and relieve from punishment
man who is possibly innocent of it, to-
gether with the fact that he leaves no
denial of his own guilt, is the subject
of much severe comment, and probably
justly
Below we give the more important
points in the testimony taken before the
SOlOiCI jury.
TESTIMONY OF CHARLIE SHERWOOD.
Charlie Sherwood, sworn:-Reside at indie
pendencc, and am acquainted with both Matte
Sherwood and Clarence Shaw She is my sis
ter. She was about 20 years old. About 10
O'Clock last evening was mt the front gate of
went into the house through the front door.
Miss Van OrsdOl threw open the bedroom door
and said. there they are Shaw and my sister
were both on the bed bleeding Shaw had re-
in han I ifx no a
before the jury as the same pistol; it is six
shooting revolver; two of the chambers are
empty. was in the store last evening about
nine O'Clock. John Evers and Miss Van OrsdOl
came to the Chatham street door and said Shaw
was down near HOllet's and did not appear to
be i'm his right mind; that they were afraid he
would do something desperate with Matte. l
went down to the bank of the river and found
Matte and Shaw sitting in Il boat. l said, who
is that? then said, Clarence and Matte wish
you would come home. He did not seem to
want to come. l was afraid he might shoot, SO
/ stepped into another boat and took hold of
theirs while talking to them. Ispoke to her
and said, Mate. won't you go home with me?
She said yes. That was all she said during the
whole time He said it was not late; we want
to go out boating. L told him. it is too late to
go. i said, now want you to pull into shore,
as they were about ten feet out he said he
would, and came towards the shore. He SEEM
ed to be cool and not excited in the least. When
they came near the shore. he took stroke
with his right hand oar. thought he was GO
and pulled the boat ashore. He said, Charlie,
/ should think you would be ashamed of your
self-you are acting foolish. He laughed, and
said he thought l ought to know him well
enough to know that he was all right told
them to start on ahead; that / would go up
with them. He said Matte had left some of
her things up to Van Orsdol's, and would have
to go after them. did not hear anything
further said, only occasionally walking along
he said this is strange. They were then walk
ing along few steps ahead of me. There was
Van Orsdol's house. He stopped at the gate as
though he intended to leave her there with me.
She said, come on. He said, no, he won't let
me. | said, hurry and get your things and ]
will wait for you. | stood waiting there after
they went in. 1t was not to exceed five min
utes when heard the shots, as have stated
When went into the house they were both
lying on the bed. Neither spoke.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN EvERs.
John Evers, sworn:-I know Matte Sherwood
and Clarence Shaw. He was printer He
was about 20 years old. l first saw them last
evening about TX o'clock ut Van Orsdol's
house Matte had been there spending the af-
| tcrnoOn, and he came up. Shortly after
! came there Matte came to me and wanted to
know if had heard Clarence make any threats
| l told her that had heard that he had made
! threats, but he had said nothing to me. She
said, l am so afraid of him l don't know what
to do. l am afraid he will do something des
| perate She said she was afraid he would Kill
! himself before her and take her with him. that
ing, and she was afraid of him; that he had
acted this way for long time, and wanted hel
to speak with him, and said If she did not he
would do as Arthur Reitler had done-commit
suicide. She said she did not want to have
anything to do with him, but if she could pre-
vent him killing himself it was her duty to dc
| so. This conversation have related was had
in going to choir practice at the Baptist church
was walking With Matte and Clarence was
walking with Miss Van Orsdol.
During the evening before this time she ap
peared as though she wanted to be near us, and
was afraid of him: We played one game OF
croquet before dark. After the talk we walk
ed on toward the east side school house. Clar
ence and Miss Van Orsdol were behind us
try to prevent this. Let me talk to him, and
1 think can prevent it. If you say anything
he will shoot you down, as he said he would
like a dog. She said for us to keep close te
ter walk with him. He then went on with
Matte, and followed with Miss Van Orsdol
We then walked up by Burlingham's. Clar
ence asked me if 1 had a boat. told him
had He said, where is the key? told him il
my pocket, and the boat wits down at the boat
better go boat riding. He said, come on, Ma
! tie. They went on. AS we came opposite the
school house, Clarence turned and said, Good
bye, Minnie" and shook hands with me ans
Clarence, what is the matter; are you sorry
to leave us?' He said, no Then he turned t.
Matte and said are not you sorry to say good
| bye, too? She spoke very family and said
| "Good-bye" We crossed the street and came
in the same direction, but on the opposite side
| They both came across the street. She came
to me and said. Clarence says you must leave
us; that you are going to follow, or get some
one to- He said he will hurt them or you il
you do" She said she was afraid to let hin
see her cry; that she was afraid he would kill
her. and If he saw her crying he would do II
sooner. She said that she did not think i
could be prevented; that II he did not do Il
now he would some other time, and spoke o.
how bad her folks would feel. When the!
| started away together we walked along slow
At the Merchants Hotel she stopped and turn
ed around and waited for u.s. and told me no
to attempt to follow them; that she did no
know where they would go, but thought thi
| would be the last time she would ever see me
We walked up to the vacant lot in the Cour
House block. She came over to me and said,
Don't you follow us any farther" They
| went north. and we came east as far as tn
corner of the Court House lot, then turned II
go after Charley Sherwood. While going dow
we saw them turn towards DIR. Hunts walking
together. She appeared to be holding back
That was the last l saw of them until the.
came back to the Sheriff's house. When the!
came in we were in the sitting room up stairs
There was a light burning in the parlor. 1
was then little after ten. They came up t.
the south door and rang the bell Minnie wen
down and opened the door. | saw Charlie!
Sherwood standing at the gate. In two o
three minutes after they came In heard a pts
toll shot started down stairs and before
got to the stairway the other shot was fired
| II was not n minnie after the first till hear