Omaha daily bee., 1891-05-30
BOTH GIVEN THEIR LIBERTY.
Mrs, sheeiy and Monday Mcfarland Found
Not Gu lty.
VERDICT WAS REC WE'D WITH CHEERS.
Some Kisses, However, We're Mingled
with the Shouts-The Court
in an Uproar for
Few Minutes.

LINCOLN, Neb., May Especial Telegram
to TUE BEE AT 3;9j this afternoon the
jury in the great Sheedy murder case filed
into the court room and it was then known
that they had agreed upon a verdict.
All day an eager crowd of people had been
In waiting expecting verdict and they were
not disappointed The sealed document con-
tanning the fates of Mrs. Sheedy and Monday
Mcfarland were handed to Mr.. Sizer, and a.
he opened it the result was awaited breath
lcssly
Tho clerk then read the papers through
and announced the verdict for both, mot
guilty.
A wild cheer went no at this and VI was
some time before the court could resume its
operation.
A number of Kisses were mingled with the
cheers.
Mrs. Sheedy's sisters grasped her hands
and cried for JOY while Monday Mcfarland
showed more emotion than he has displayed
throughout the trial.
The judge then asked the jurymen one by
one il this was their verdict and each res
pondcd in the Affirmative. The judge then
declared that Monday Mcfarland and Mrs.
Sheedy were released from custody Tho
two were Immediately surrounded by their
friends aud rendered something of an or
alton.
The verdict was as follows
1--WE, the Jury, duly impanelled and sworn
In the cause of the State versus Mary Shecdy
and Monday Mcfarland, find the defendants
not gully as they stand charged in the infor-
nation JONI ROBERTSON, Foreman"
Three of the jurors were seen Immediately
afterward and they said that all but two
were in favor of acquitting both defendants,
and those two were Robertson and Cadwal
lader The major portion of the morning
was spent in reading the instructions of the
Judge and in the discussion over them tho
two dissenting iurymen were won over to the
majority Robertson was seen and he said
"There was no evideEce to convict the
woman, and if she escaped the darkey should
also. Outside of the confessions of Mcfarland
there was nothing TO convict The
Judge instructed us not to consider
the confession so far as it affected
Mrs. Sheedy, consequently as there
was scarcely any other evidence against her
we had to acquit her, according to our oaths.
Tho judge further instructed us that unless
we could believe beyond n reasonable doubt
that the confession had not been extorted
from Monday Mcfarland through threats or
promises that we must bring in an acquittal.
So whatever our suspicious might have been,
we had to act according to instructions
Until yesterday had suspicion that Mrs.
Shecdy was guilty, but when that hair was
produced | began to believe that there was IL
plot against the woman. don't believe now
that even the hair alleged to have been taken
from her body is that kind of hair"
Tho nj of MrS SbnaIy yun tpI
by most citizens who nave watched the trial,
but the acquittal of the negro was a surprise
1t is generally conceded by many persons
who have been seen that the negro should be
acquitted since Mrs. Sheedy, the alleged in
stigator of the crime, was freed The jury
men give as their reason for acqutting the
Nsgro the fact that the confession was the
stumbling block. They were not
convinced that the confession was
obtained rightfully, and consequently
they could not convict the negro,
because the other evidence was not sufficient
to convict, For the same reason they could
not convict Mrs. Sheedy.
Mrs. Sheedy is stopping with her uncle,
Colonel Bggerstaff Mt Fourteenth and r
streets.
1t is needless to say that Messrs. Strobe
Stearns, Billingsley, Woodward and Philpot,
who have championed the defense, are de-
lighted. Detective Pinnoo and Grove also
smile
Mrs. Sheedy will leave in day or two for
Iowa to visit her mother.
Monday Mcfarland was seen this evening
and he declared that he was confident all the
time OF acquittal. He asserted that rs faras he
knew Mrs. Sheedy she was pure woman.
When asked about the confession, he said:
"Supposng that the officers should tell
you that a mob was after you and you could
take your choice of confessing who had
prompted the crime or be hung in fifteen
minutes, what would you doln
Monday showed great liuency and readi.
ness in talking. This was the first time that
a.reporicr has had chance to talk with him
since his arrest. Monday says he win go TO
White Cloud, Kan, to visit his mother in
few days,
Mr.. Strode tho attorney for Mrs Sheedy
is to get n Sl25OO Zee for his services He
first was to receive $4,000, but Colonel Weir
OF Boise City strongly opposed such fee and
$500 was Topped off.