The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-01
AI1 AZ ACcIpENE.

We - - =
ards Death,
The investigation into the manner and
means Of the fatal burning Of Maud Shepard
At the house Of Viola De Forrest in Alley 49,
last Thursday, was concluded last night
II may be well, before giving any resume Of
the proceedings last evening, to state Just IN
what condition the matter was left at adj
journment the night before, so far as the EVIL
dence affected the theory Of foul play, There
were shown to be three male visitors In the
house. The testimony OF all the witnesses
bearing on them was that these three
Gentlemen were only in the house .
5ew minutes and that they were not
ont Of the parlor. There, was no
other evidence ON this head, anu
no reason to doubt the truth OF THIS was s9R-
gested. II was, however, sworn BY Mr. shanst
| that there were two persons IN the room az Lne
time OF the occurrence, me l1ea ol soIts
ones gaining entrance 10 Mauds room 6y
means OF a window opening on roof in the
rsSr then suggested itself Miss DeF0rrest
and her thou sekeepcr," Mamie McGFath,
both swore tnat this window was permanent,
10 nailed down, and that II was so fastened
18th before and after the burning, Frank
Ereds the cOlOred man, Swore that
the window was fastened with u stick
wedged between the upper and lower
sashes, and that he, upon entering the room
after the explosion and finding It iull Oh
smoke, removed this stick ana opened the
window, To this testimony FredS still ad-
heres and told q reporter last night that the
window was never fastened with nail before
the fire to his knowledge, and he was often
in the room, and had opened the window and
closed and fastened II In the manner named
TEe testimony Of Miss Fry and the Misses
McKinsie seemed, II II showed anything to
show that there was man In the vicinity
, while the burning girl was In the alley. who
made the remark which seemed to indicate
that quarrel had been In progress when the
aiThir occurred. II was also In evidence that
Two men had left the house, one asking
The other Great God, why did you do THAR
Aside from the evidence there were facts
i bearing upon the matter which were not
y drawn out at all which seem to he significant,
Viola De Forrest, the landlady OF the house,
told Cant. Bennett, Chief OF Police, Just alter
! Inc fire, and also told an 1NTRLLIdEScER re-
pOrter a few minutes later, that when the
I burning girl came down stairs she came Ia
. her, and threw her arms about her and thar
/. she, fearing she would set fire to her own
! clothing pushed her from her. ~ her sworn
testimony she said she had not been out o'
4 her room Us the girl passed through the par
: lOr, and did not soc her ut oil,
n The Investigation last night was conducted
1 In the presence OF Squire Philips by Prosecu
ting Attorney Jordan, all spectators but re
u porters Of tho morning newspapers being OK
. CludGd,
Miss Mamie McGrath, who made so favor
able an impression at her examination IN
evening before, was first called, mamie Nc
Gnth" Is 4 fictitious name .as matter 9
3 course. The young lady who now bears /
Is said to be the daughter OF respectable PEG
q Die now living in this city. She has a mod
esty Of demeanor strangely out OF keeplnl
IS with the manner OF life she leads, anu ne
manner bore the stamp OF conscious truthful ~ u
, ness, She was confident no one could hay
u been In thG rpQpl with the girl when IN,
lamp exploded, because sha ElTAys ,let Ylsl
g tors in, Even had some ono entered ny ~
back door without her knowledge, she coult
n have heard him go up the stairs, and II an!
scnfIlnp had taken place In the room as statet
:. nv outside PARTIES, she must hay,
heard the noise The window opening upol
tho low roof In Nc rear Of the house was al
:, y. ways kept nailed @aEn, and YRs thgt ya!
u when she was last In the room before the llr
and when she first entered afterwards EveI
3, II II had been open, the only means o
= escape lHG llIg Nuulh lluNN uGCh w Nh'
rear OF the house through some nelghbori
:, ward, and any one escaping woult
Il have been seem The three gentlemen
callers who were In the house OF the time hat
.. not been out OF the parlOr after entering
,, The Girl who was burned had no lover, o
II special caller, that she knew Of, No on,
ever called and asked for her.
3 A gentleman whose name had been con
+, nected with the rumors Of foul play wa
named, and the witness asked II she kneV
II him and when Rlle bod seen him last betor
g the fire. She had not seen him latar than IN
e last Tuesday before the fire. AnOthergentle
man named by the gossps was inquired
"a about, but the witness had not seen him OF
q that night. When the burning girl screamed
q Miss McGrath ran INTO the dining room, on!
~ there met ler, her clothing blazing up bright
:, IL. She rushed past her, and the next sh
y knew she saw the flames IN the alley.
Z Miss Sophie Weaver, with whom Maui
r first boarded after coming TO Wheeling, wa
recalled. The women Of the De Forrest man
&c sion had all agreed that no -one ever Callet
u and asked for Maud. This women had statet
g that Maud had callers her house, and tia
q after she had gone to Vl1la's the same maj
had told the witness that he had called on he
\. there. She modified this statement on tn
Is stand saying that II was after Mauds dealt
!. that the man had told her Of seeing her bod!
IA at Viola'A
Several other witnesses were examined
m briefly with view to clearing up some mat
u tiers loft In doubt, but nothing new or i'm
~ pOrtant was revealed. After some discussion
~ Of proposition to go and ascertain wlethe
II was possible 10 distinguish persons In Til
room IN which the explosion took place
!, when the shutters were shut, II was decided
4 not to do so, the jury agreeing to take tn
y testimony on that point OF Prosecuting At
!, y torney Jordan, who had IN the course Of hi
" Investigations visited tbs house and plapet
himself In the position occupied by Shaffe
J. when he claims to have seen man and wO
lie man In the room. Mr.. Jordan considered |
y u physical impossibility to see any object II
e the room with the shutters closed
q II took the Jury but short time 10 arrivl
I, at verdict, which was rendered.
The verdict Is that MAUD Shepard came Il
d her death by the explosion Of carbon Of
Ie lamp, and that no one Is to:blame, or no re
i. spOnSibillty attached TO any one"
Il The verdict will probably not satisfy thos
lie persons who have persisted from the first II
IS believing that something was wrong, Thu
X with such q large array Of testimony, and 81
o much Of IT conflicting, seems to mark tn
lie work Of the jury as superficial. And the In
formal way In which the deliberations wer
carried on prevented the best results OF III,
examination Several Of the jurors-twO II
particular--cvinced desire to get through a
q quickly MS possible without regard to the re
suits, which looked singular under the cir
Z. cumslAnCes When Mr.. Jordan directed hi
Ia nquiricsto aScertNining whether man cpult
~ have escaped from Malds room without be
y ing Observed by climbing out OF the from
T. window Of the adjoining room upon the roo
o. Of a smal. portico, and thence By the Lattice
\, TO asked, nWhat good does Il do to ask al
r, about the whole hOWse2h II seems unfnrtu
i nate that this disposition should have seemed
o to prevent that thorough and exhaustive In
a. vestigation which alone would have satisfied
-e the minds OF the public that the veriiC
Il reached was true one.
u LEG TAKEN nFF.