The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-19
IN THE JURY'S HANDS.
Mrs. Shann's Fate Now Rests
With Twelve Men.
ARGUMENTS FINISHED YESTERDAY
The Prisoner Vigorously Denounced by
Prosecutor stncItton for Assailing tho
Character of Her Dead Son-Judgs
Abbett's Able and Impartial Charge.


Prosecutor stocItton for AssaiIing tho
Character of Her Dead son-Judgs
Abbett's Able and Impartial Charge.
TRENTON, Aug. 19-Counsel for the de-
fense summed up in the Shann murder
trial yesterday. Mrs. Sham sat in court
with bowed head. and sometimes lay with
her head in the lap of her daughter Mabel.
Pathetic passages and flights of eloquence,
designed to touch the hearts of jurors in
her favor, were frequent, and the prisoner
wept whenever allusion was made to the
death OF her son and tho devotion with
which she nursed him when he was weak,
helpless aud dying.
Ex-senator Vanderbilt was Mrs Shann's
first spokesman. Hc sketched the history
of the case and then analyzed the evil
dence, insisting that neither the arrest, in
dictment nor trial of Mrs. Sham was
justified. Not even the suspicion of her
guilt was justified Young Sham was
suffering from a disease for which mer-
curry is administered, and persons faving
that disease say little. if anything, TO
others about 1t.
Mr. Vanderbilt held that Mrs. Shann's
conduct was natural the night that her
child was disembowied. She thought that
the three strangers were officers of the
Manhattan Life Insurance company, aud
that is why she did not give an alarm.
The agent of the company had threatened
an autopsy, and, woman like knowing
nothing about such things, Mis-. Sham
thought they could make the autopsy at
what hour they pleased, She made some
objection natural under the circum stances
but did not cry out God knows what any
other woman would have done She
might and she might not have cried out
" the states insistment is believed the
Jury would have to believe that this
woman tore her child's heart out with her
own hands.
Judge Chauncey H. Beasley followed
Mr.. Vanderbilt, and spoke for about an
hour.
Tho summing up was finished with
Prosecutor Stockton's address lie told
the jury that they must forget the sex Of
the prisoner and in their deliberations
leave out all consideration Of the sentence
the court may have to pronounce should
they find a certain verdict The prose-
eutor admitted that the evidence against
her was largely crcumstantial, but in all
poisoning oases this was so. The crime Is
essentially secret In all its nature. Even
If tho evidence was oircumstantial, that
was no reason why this dastardly and
cowardly crime should 60 unpublished
The prosecutor ridiculed the idea that the
insurance companies had the young mans
body eviseerated or that DR.. Bergen, the
flmily physician, was connected in any
way with the outrage. The prosecutor
scored the woman severely for defaming
the name Of her dead son by seeking to
prove that he was drunkard and the
yilest Of debauchees.
At the conclusion of the prosecutors ad-
dress the court adjourned for the day
. Judge Albeit charged the Jury this fore
noon. The charge was an impartial and
eble review OF the evidence presented, and
Ehe Jury was cautioned TO give the prisoner
The benefit of any doubts that may arise
The jury then retired for dsllberation