Omaha daily bee., 1891-05-29
IN THE HANDS OF THE JURY.
0lcss of the Arguments in the Great sheedy
Murder Trial.
REVIEW OF THE CASE BY THE JUDGE.
He Delivers Exhaustive Instructions
Scene i'm the Court Room-A
Tilt Between the
Attorneys,

| doors this morning the corridors and nails of
| the court house were packed aud jaihmed
| with restless mass of humanity eager to get
chance to listen to the great legal battle
| which will determine the fate of Mrs. Sheedy
and Monday Mcfarland, the alleged murder
| ers OF John Shee6y. All day the court room
was crowded almost to suffocatiou and tho
eager spectators had the pleasure OF hearing
some splendid oratorical efforts and listening
to some exciting passages at arms between
the two opposing giants in the case-Lam-
bertson and Strobe.
During the two hours at noon hundreds of
people did not go home TO dinner but re-
maired in the court room so as to hold their
seats. Fully three-fourths of the great crowd
was composed of ladies.
Mrs. Sneedy was sick the greater portion
of the night, so her attorneys say, but she
wore her usual composure today and only
once showed evidence of weeping
MIR. Jensen, one of the jury men, has not
recovered from his prostration and this after
noon sofa was brought in for him to lie on.
When Mr. Strobe took his place before the
jury this morning he related story of the
supposed murder of n man named Jesse Cal
vim in Vermont and how two brothers-in-law
of the murdered man were arrested on the
charge of having killed their relative. Seeing
that conviction was certain they made con-
fesSionS OF the crime so as to get n sentence
of life Imprisonment and save themselves
from the gallows. Before the day OF eXecu-
ton an advertisement was inserted in
paper asking for the whereabouts of Jesse
Calvin, and the result was that the man sup
posed to be murdered was found alive in New
Jersey. The points in which the confessions
of these brothers and the confession of Mon
day Mcfarland were similar were brought
out sklllfully by Strobe and u most
forcible impression was made on the
jury. MIR Strobe then directed his attention
to Mr.. Hall, saying that he vas Il member of
IA firm of railroad attorneys. At this Mr..
Hall arose and said that it was unfair TO work
thus upon the prejudices OF the jurors, who
might all be members of the farmers alll-
anCe
'Its true, just the same" said Strobe
"Your honor" said Hall, 81 denounce such
a course as a cowardly. unprofessional and
unmanly appeal to tho prejudices of the
jury"
This created sensation and before Strobe
could reply the court informed MIR. STROBE
that such appeals could not be tolerated.
Mr.. Strody then proceeded to tell how he
knew Mrs. Sheedy when she was iiaXen-
haired girl the favoritc OF her companions,
and referred to her bed ridden mother, who,
in another state was awaiting the verdict
thapekould free her daughter. The pathetic
manner in which these things were related
brought all the ladies to tears. Mrs. Sheedy's
sister became convulsed with sobs and the
fair defendant herself soon after was melted
to tears.
In regard to the poison theory, he declared
that the liver, bladder AMI Kidneys showed
no evidence of poison. He asserted that Mrs.
Sheedy had told him that she had never
bought any poison at any orug stone in the
city,
''You'd better put her on the stand
and let her testify" calculated Lambertson,
'sinstead of testIfying for herr
Mr.. STROBE then took the locks of hair
placed in evidence as having been taken
from the head and body of Mrs. Sheedy. He
declared that he believed that all the hair
mad came from the head He then said sud
denly:
"Why. don't believe that that hair is
Mrs Sheedy's. 1t is darker than hersn He
then threw open one of the shutters so that
ray of light fell upon Mrs. Sheedy's head
an5 then walked over to whore she sat and
placed one of the locks of hair against her
bangs.
''Now, gentlemen of the jury continued
SJrode, 81 wish to have you como here and
notice whether this lock of hair is from the
head of Mrs Sheedy."
'sNo you don'tr' thurdered Lambertson,
now thoroughly aroused. ''you can't sneak
such testimony in on US"
''Y es you cut the hair from the heal OF
somebody eise,n said Strobe.
81 denouuce you an infamous liarn
Numbered LambertSon.
This created intense excitement in the
court room and STROBE appealed to the court
II Such language was TO DC permltteu III inc
court room.
The Judge then said: 'Such conduct is
unbecoming in gentleman and | am sur
prised, Mr.. Lambertson, that you should be
guilty oft"
A burst of applause and cheers followed
from the great crowd. His honor frowned
and declared that should such a dcmonstra-
tion follow again he would have the court
room cleared entirely of spectators.
Mr. Strobe then impressed the jurors with
thn fnp pt hat n 10Th m nj
the newspaper accounts of the crime they
had formed no opinion from the same, the
testimony brought out in court, he insisted,
did not add "a Scintilla more of evidence than
had been published in the papers.
He then concluded his argument with an
earnest plea for Mrs Sheedy, for her life
and liberty.
Mr. Lambertson then stepped forward to
address the Jury, and hush fell upon the
great crowd, as it had been noised abroad
that his was to be the great speech of the
trial He sad
Murder is the most awful deed that man
can commit, So foul and unnatural is it that
it smells to heaven. This is true when done
in heat, but the horror is more profound
when the victim is struck down, dastardly
aud rclentlessly. in cold blood. On the second
Sunday IN January last, as the twilight was
deepening into night, John Shcedy, in the
peace of God, on his own threshold, in the
heart of this populous city, within call of
score of men, was struck death-dealing
blow by an assassin that lurked within the
shadows OF his own porch.
suspicion was abroad with an hundred
eyes; lynX-eyed officers were alert; clews
were followed but every circumstance, every
trace pointed aS unerrngly as the finger of
fate to this dark skinned man and this white
faced woman; to this negro whom he had be-
friended to this woman whom he had taken
to his bosom, as the authors of the deep dam
nation OF his taking off
'It is significant fact that the defend
ants stand together in their defense. Al
though the white woman ignores the black
man-ncver speaks to MIN in the court room,
vet their defense is one. The negro is not
here 10 say the woman did IL, and the woman
is not here to say tho man did it, but both
are here TO defy for themselves, and each
other, any completely with the CRIME. They
are both innocent. IT. then. the theory Of
the defense is to prevail, you must exclude
both these defendants from participation in
the crime You must find the murderers to
be other than Mary Sheedy ana Monday Nc
Farland.h
At this point court adjourned for noon. At
9 o'clock Mr.. Lambertson resumed his argr-
ment.
Crcumstantial evidence was exhausttvely
discussed, and in an invincible argument
Hicheet Of all ;r oavAn,no, pou