Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-02
ISTHEHEIRESS DEAD?
An Important Allegation Sworn to by
Julia Sheehan's Uncle,
AFFECTINGLIVE JULIRS CHANCES.
Preliminary IniunctiOns, One for the City,
One fora Farmer.
A PARALrzED ORPHANS LEGAL PLEA

The very nice, quite important and
equally puzzling question now arises, Is
Julia Mary Sheehan dead, or is the Julia
Mary Mitchell, alias Sheehan, who is now in
court, claiming to be the only child of Thomas
Sheehan's second marriage the real heiress
to that $50 600 or $50, 900 estate which
Thomas left? The evidence for and against
her claim, before Judge Hawking, in the
Orphans Court, assumed this very interest
ing phase yesterday: The Identification by
birthmark, the much-testifed resemblance
TO Thomas Sheehan, the father, and the
young lady's own statement that she is the
heiress, the lone-lost Julia, are all con-
fronted by the testimony of the witness
who was next to the last one sworn yester-
day-Jerry Gibbons, of Jacksonville, ILL.,, a
brother-in-law of Thomas Sheehan. He
testified that the Sheehan child. or real
heiress to the estate, had died in Keokuk,
Iowa, and'had been buried in the Catholic
cemetery there. He never saw Thomas
Sheehan out there.
Miss Mitchell, or Sheehan, was put on
the stand again and asked if she ever heard
the name Sheehan mentioned by the people
had, but at that time she did not know in
what connection, She said she had been
called Julia Mary from her first recollee-
tion.
Mrs Sheehan was recalled and ques-
toned as TO whether she had told neigh
Dor Mrs. Walsh, that the girl had birth
mark. She replied: Il do not remember
telling her that Ny husband went to st.
Louis to get the child from an orphan asy-
lum, but never heard him say that she was
dead, or that he saw where she was buried.
When Mr.. Sheehan was on his deathbed, told
him would find our child if she was alive.
Charles G. Orr had heard Mrs. Sheehan say
she knew her daughter by birthmark on her
body.
Mrs. Mary Light knew Mrs. Mitchell and
Mrs Churchfield. and had known Julia Mary
ever since she came to New Castle with Mrs.
Mitchell in 1866. in conversation once be-
tween Mrs. Lint and Mrs. Mitchell she had
heard the name of Mrs. Sheehan mentioned,
and Mrs. Lint said: How foolish it was of
you to go to the Pittsburg market and talk
with that girl. when you knew she was her
mother"
John Slay, J. D. Robinson, Thomas Reach
and Thomas Saint all testified that they knew
Thomas Sheehan, and that there was striking
resemblance between him and Julia Mary.
Mrs. Mary Clark had a conversation with
Mrs. Sheehan long before Julia Mary came,
and she told the witness she would know her
by birthmark.
r. c. Huff, an attorney at New Castle, said
Julia Mary came to his Office eight years ago
and told the same story of her life as she de-
tailed in court on Monday.
After dinner quite a number of witnesses
were placed on the stand who testified as to the
remarkable resemblance between the girl and
the dead man.
Then came Jerry Gibbons startling story, as
given above.
Catherine Slattery. of Webster avenue, was
the last witness called; but her testimony was
unimportant
The court adjourned 7untiI $50 this morning