The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-08-19
MRS. SHANN TESTFIES.
HsI Testimony Regarding the
Mutilation Of Johns Body.
THB THEORY OF THE DEFENsB


Body wss Instieated by Insurance Rep
rsssnaativss 70 Destroy Evidence Of
XnooinPstsn, Insurance Work.
TRENTON, N. j., Aug. iB-Dr. Horace G.
Wetherll Of Trenton, was put on the wit
moss stand by the prosecution 10 the Shaup
murder trial yesterday. He has had
dftesn years experience as a practitioner,
and be gave it as his opinion that young
Shame death was due TO chronic mef.
ourial poisoning. This opinion was bHset
on the assumption that his symptoms and
treatment were rs described by his own
physician, DR. Bergen, and othet Wit
hessse
Dr.. Arthur r. Mcdonald, OF Prlpoeton,
testified that he examined Shann for the
Manhattan life Insurance company last
November, and that he found him TO be
sound and well.
Captain Holt, who has aasumedth bur
den Of the work for the defense, paade on
It's behalf the opening address to the jury.
Captain Holt outlined the defense fully,
saying shat the prisoner at the bar wa
NOS I murdsress. All her aOts IN thia
matter were consistent with innocepoC
and honest intent, The boy died lsantnG
on 6ho breast Of his mother And giving hei
his lest thought.
The state charges that she administered
to him the poison from which be diedi thal
her motive was the prooqFpg q o9,QoC
| insurance on his life; and that Cor weeks
while be was languishing and pPoatratA
she Ted him defy the drug that dnellI
robbed him Of his life. Tho detenss would
show that young Sham dh pot die Of PEI
son, but wa AFFLICTED with dlaeasA, 81
whioh he Was treated with mercury, qthA'
than the disease that he p said So hav'
died Of.
The stAts charges that tAe mother "
! moved or had removed the giseerA q hNi
dead son 70 conceal the murder d which
she was guilty. The defense holds tbs
they were removed bsoaUse they were dis
easedl and the object was to conceal thu
fact that Sham was diseased and uni
for the insurance risk placed on bis life
James Packer, Rp intimate friend Q
John shanu, was the first witness for th
defense. He testified to having visiteI
houses Of III fame In Trenton In COMPANY
with John. William MoVeE and Hugl
5hann, the latter q brother Of the deaf
man. testified that John was afflicted witt
private disease. Other witnessed testi
hed to the loving relations between nothe
| ana Son. anu bnt ltpb VI liu 4ANlAlh Ruci
AFFLICTED with a venereal disorder.
TRHFfoN, Aug. 1e-IR the ShRnn tria
Yesterday the defense introduced severa
} witnesses TO prove that the relations be
tween the mother and son were most lov
ing and tender. Mrs Matte Sham, Sh
prisoner, was then put on the stand, AM
detailed the incidents attending John
sickness aud death,
| Ann II Thu avtGanro ~ Mr.
Kate L. Stryker, which was tahen. At he
home in Princeton, was read In open ooTI
when the Sham murder trial was resumed
Mrs. Stryker Is sick abed. She testi6s
that she heard the door bell at Mr.
Shann's house ring between and o'oloo
the night that the disemboweling too
place. About half an hour later she hear
q carriage In the street. but In which dire
tion 1t was going she could not say, III
carriage did not stop
Mrs. Shann was then recalled. rh
prisoner told the story at the thft
! men as follows; She WAS awakened by d
= ringing Of the front door bell She slippe
on her wrapper, put on her slippers, an,
taking q small lighted lamp in her ham
went down stairs Three men, when 81
opened the front door, stepped inside, o.
one Of them inquired il there was a ydun
- man dead there She told them YES
and they wanted TO know II they eouI
see him. She said NO" objecting on. Il
grounds that the hour was late and thi
her daughter was asleep in the room whe
her dead child laid The spokesman
the party said they had come TO see II
dead man and intended to see him. Ma
Sham said she would call Mr.. VanssloU
a boarder, but the men said that w0ul
not be necessary The spokesman push
y her twice while the conversation was &
ing on, and the other men passed quick
up stAirs.
She attempted to follow them, but "
held back by the man who remained dow
stairs. She demanded to know what Z
y outrage meant, and the man said; "Eou
ind out In good time" In littls viii
- the two men who went up staius oar
down, They passed out of the front doi
and the third man followed them. n
man who pushed her aside uaed
roughly, hat abe made no outeFy at all.
"WAatr exclaimed Judge ALBEIT. ~
- uttered Rot . WoFdp
mo, sirt ! did not, said Mira. shAaR.
Later she explained this BY saying q
she was 30 dazed. frightened and gr
stricken that she thought she must Al
. Rev. Albart 7. Baker, an Episcopal
clergyman, testified to frequent int
views with John during his illness.
The greater part of the afternoon sasSl
Nv. was taken up with expert medical tel
mony. D.. David Warman, Of Trent
declared In bic evidence that the RutoI
on young 9kRnn's body was imprope
= performed DT. Thomas II. Mackenzie
Ia. Trenton, testified that frem the sympto
Of young Sham as described In the ts
"o mony II would bo impossible for him
say what the cause OF death wsB,
Il symptoms were characteristic Of mi
as diseases The person who disembows
him had 10 know good deal about Al
omy. Surgical knowledge was not No
at sary. DR.. W. W. L. Phillips. ths OLD
practieinR physician in Trenton, was
7. the opinion that young Sham died
CASTRO sntsFitis, but what caused thiS
Ease he could not say.