The Somerset reporter., 1893-09-07
\ SERIOUS CHARGE.
Rev. Frank H. Sheffield Held
For Killing His Child.
The Accused Wan Appeared to BE TN
concerned-The Insanity Flea VIII lie
Brought Forward by Friends.

concerned-The Insanity Flea Will De
Brought Forward by Friends.
PROVIDENCE, Sept. 1.-THE preliminary
trial of Rev. Frank H. Sheffield Of Vest
erly, who murdered his 5-year-old daugh
ter Margaret Mt Rocky Poi I last week
Monday. was held at Apponaug yesterday
afternoon. Shelf Id sat in II chair, APP
parently as Il spectator who was bored by
being Obliged to attend the proceedings
rather than IA = ct dant in murder
trial He wa dressed in black and wore
black skull cap and most of the time his
face WAS u"ied in his hands.
Judge \. h Lewis his counsel, entered
plea OF not guilty for the accused. judge
Albert X Greene appeared for the state
Officer Kettle testified that he was in
formed that there had been murder COM
mtted in the woods, and going there
found a child lying on her back, and gasp
ing for breath. The witness WAS asked if
he could recognize the clothing worn by
the child. He said lie could, and as Judge
Greene opened IA brown paper covered
parcel lying on the table in front Of the
court, disclosing the little dress and shoes
stained with blood. sheffield dropped his
hands from his face and looked at the
garments for moment. a flush spread
over his face, he dropped his eyes and
then allowed his head to sink upon his
breast The witness detailed the arrest of
Sheffield, who had been found on the
grounds OF the Warwick club.
Robert j. Quinn, who picked up the
child and led her to the Rocky Point
theater said that she
Lived About Half an Hour
afterward. Her head was covered with
clotted blood and her clothes were literally
saturated. The witness saw the accused
arrested, and heard him give his name and
address and admit that he killed his
child.
Newell w. Belcher, n member of the
Warwick club. testified that, at 345 on the
afterno on of the tragedy, II man came to
the clubhouse, which Is a mile distant
from il, cky Point, and said he wished to
be given ilto custody, as he had killed his
child with a rock. He gave his name as
Frank Sheffield of Westerly.
Judge Lewis here said that there would
be no contention that Sheffield did not kill
his child.
Manager Harrington of Rocky Point de-
The Arrest of the Accused.
Sheffield, he said, did not act as though
he was in his right mind
Medical Examiner Fifield testified as to
the child's wounds.
Deputy Sheriff Michael b. Lynch testi-
fed to the serving of the warrant, and that
Sheffield then said that he had killed his
child.
Rev. George Brightman testified that he
was a brotherin-law of Sheffield. Margie
was at his house from the Friday last be-
fore Aug. % until the morning of the day
Of the tragedy, when Sheffield took her
away. That morning he stared at her so
persistently that she asked him why he
did so. The witness described the melan-
choly actions OF the accused, and of his
wandering away from home for miles,
when there would be a swapping in his
brain and he
Would Come to Himself
There was no defence offered.
Judge Warren adjudged Sheffield prob
ably guilty. and bound him over to await
the action of the grand jury.
The accused was sent to the Kent county
Jail, from which his friends propose to re-
move him on n habeas corpus proceeding
and have him brought before a lunacy
commission under the new insane laws