Omaha daily bee., 1891-05-31
HOW THEY WERE ACQUITTED.
Alleged Plan Whereby Mrs, Sheedy and the
Negro We're Freed,
SET TRAP FOR ATTORNEY LAMB.RTSoN
Ring and Hair Episodes in Stroles
Speech PrcarranScd DcCura-
tion Day at lincoln
odds and Ends.

LINCOLN Mob, May aO-ISpocal to TUE
| Bee, Tho one absorbing topic of cOnversa.
tion is the verdict Of the jury ia the Shc3dy
murder case. Tho legal fraternity takes a
special interest in the case, and pronounce it
a remarkable victory considering the cvt-
! denco that was uncarthcd even previous to
the preliminary hearing Many people who
| formerly believed Mrs Sheoly guilty now
declare emphatcaHy since the trial that they
think she is innocent. This change of heart
Is of course due to the manner in which
tho defense handled their side
of the case against what appeared great odds
In tho presence of group OF lawyers this
forenoon one of tho attorneys on the part OF
the uctenso, aftor considerable quil1iug
hnally unfoldcd the plan OF battle whereby
the apparently sure prosecution was routed
"Hhe trouble on the part of the statc's pros
ccution,' said he, twas that it's attorucys
and officers tried the case from tho beginning
to end with brass band aud through tho
newspapers, while We worked quietly for tn -
defendants to win only. Mayor Graham
sought,witn the aid Of Mcci and Malone, to
close his term of otllco in blaze of glory.
lie, of course, had tho laudablc wish to sue
ceed himself. So he turned slouth hound,
and, as Monday Mcfarland win tell you
TO-DAY, Graham wrung this confession from
him. He got the confession but he was not
posted well enough to know that he had
made loophole through which we could
crawl out even had the uGfGu liant bcnu
guilty.
"Ihcn, again, every spcCli of evidence
which was obtained was hcraldod in the
newspapers This brought Graham and The
officers WORKING with him prominently be-
fore the people, but gave their case dead
away These mistakes were chicken pic for
STROBE, Billingsey and tho rest of us Wo
knew Just what to meet and how to parry IT,
"i'll admit we had apparently a desperilto
case but Strodc and Detective pinnro wero
ndefati gable in looking M evidence. md to
Stoams was assigned the lob of looling mn
all phiuts of law that could possibly arise
But Colonel philUOt and Cantoin RiIIin,,slnv
had the hardest task of all and that was In
hol1 Monday Mcfarland down and keen his
mouth shut The attorneys for the stotp hv
various means soruht 10 have Mcfarland rc.
peat his confession on the trial ana thorebv
secure immunity bv taking fifteen ycnrs, i'm.
prisoument and fusten the CRIME on Mrs.
Hheeuy' HIS relatives, colorcd associates,
1hc negro papcr-all urged MN to confess
ana get immunity: The alleged treachcry of
MS attorneys to his interest to help out Mrs
ShCedy was iully announced in the papers
ana among inc colored people, all done, be-
leVo, at the instance OF the prosecution But
inc darkey chung to his legal advisers, Phlr~
informed that they were to get a contingent
! fee OF 100000 TO help out Mrs Sheody at hNS
expense. 10 Captain Bllllngsley, for the de-
fondantS, was assigned the duty of selecting
Jury, which we think was well dono. Phi,
pot was lrrepresslble and did considerable OF
the hghtlng. Detective Crave was Il silent
factor III the case.
81 believe that another mistake made by
The prosecution was the style of addressing
the jury. There was vast contrast OetWeCn
the speeches made on each side. Hall and
Lambertson were ornate, polished and poetic
but far above the heads of the jurors and be-
yond their grasp. The speeches for the de-
fense were plain, but they got there,
"A trap was prepared for Lambcrtson over
the ring and halrin the latter part Of Strode's
powerful plea and LamoertSon feH INTO ~
most beautifully. lie lost MS temper ana
called Strodo AN Infamous LIAR Then Judge
Field reprlmanded him sternly and the crowd
for once applandod, showing an apparent
sympathy tor the defendant. rms had
powerful influence on the jury; Smell him.
sell admits that their side OF the case was
not well manGgcd."
AFTER TIE BATTLE.
Now that tl,e first SUNRISE from the yer.
dict is over there is n noticeable Iacl, of in.
criminatlon and hints of bribery. The news. =
paper men know of their own exparionca r
ihat !, uyns imnnssihIa rn l,ot ,vitbi1 gmn si
of the iurv room sheriff Nc(llav fool, sSho
greatest precaution that nobody could get to
the iury and the bailiffs J'aylor and Hates
have been as silent and grim as sphinxcs
irhe trial entailcd an immense amount OF
work on the sheriff and his donuties Hong.
land HOWE and Mcfarland and BaiIir
Franklin, but every effort was made to aC-
comodato the great crowds which gathered
daily. The peoplo III attendance seemed to
appreciate this fact and were as quiet and
orderly throughout as though they were IN "
church Only once did they give way to
their feelings and that was in tho Lambert=
son episode