Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-09-06
NO DEFENSE OFFERED.
Sheffield Held for KILLING
His Child.
APPEARED UNCONCERNED.
The Insanity Plea Will be Brought For.
ward by Friends.

The preliminary trial of Rev.
Frank A. Sheffield of Westerly, who mur-
dered his 5-yesr-old daughter Mar
was held at Apponaug yesterday after
noon. Sheffield sat I'm a chair, appar-
antly as spectator who was bored by
being obliged to attend the proceedings
rather than as a defendant In a murder
trial. He was dressed In black and wore q
black skull cap. and most Of the time his
face was buried In his hands.
Judge A. b. Lewis, his counsel entered
a plea OF not guilty for the accused. Judge
Albert r. Greene appeared for the state.
Officer Kettle testified that he was In
formed that there had been murder COM
mitted IN the woods, and going there
found child lying ON her back, and gasp
ing for breath. The witness was asked II
he could recognise the clothing worn by
the child. He said he could, and as Judge
Greene opened 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 q moment. A flush spread
over his face, be 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 carried 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, a member of the
Warwick club, testified that,at 3:45 ON the
afternoon Of the tragedy, man came to
the clubhouse, which is mile distant
from Rocky Point, and said be wished to
be given into custody, as he had killed his
child with 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 la bis *,ht mind
Medical Examiner Fifeld testified as to
the child's wounds
Deputy Sheriff Michael Is. Lynch testi-
fed to the serving Of the warrant, aud that
Sheffield then said that he had killed his
child.
Rev. George Brightman testified that he
was bro,her-in-law Of Sheffield Margie
was at his house from the Friday last be-
fore Aug 2S uatil the morning of the day
Of the tragedy, when Sheffield took her
away. That morning he stared at her so
persissehtly that she asked him why he
did so. The witness described the melan-
choly actions OF the accused, and of his
wandering away fsom 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, aud 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 q lunacy
commission under the new insane laws.
Just before being removed from the
court room Sheffield had a severe par
oxysm and had to be forcibly restrained.