Evening journal., 1893-08-19
THIS WOMAN HANG
Fate of Mrs. Matte Sham
Now With a jury.
sTATE pEoLARBs AER eUnTf

or Poisoning :nsr Son Joh~ to Get. afs
Life Insurance and ThsH rssstDe Out
His Bowels 20 Prevent . Poet Mortsn
Examination From Proving the Poisen-
ing.
TRENTON, N. J. Aug. l9.--The Sham
murder case, which has attracted univsf-
sal attention, was given to the Jury 20
day. The defendant is Mrs. hattis
Sham, who is charged with the murder
Of her son, John, in order TO obtain IN.
surance on his life.
Young Sham died suddenly. when
the body was awaiting burial suspicion
was aroused as to the cause Of dsath and
the coroner decided on an investigation.
Ghouls, She Claimed, DisernDowled Il.
Late at night and Just before the In
vestigation began. Mrs Sham claimed
that three man broke into the house
while she and her daughters were
watching over the body, andprocesded to
the room where the body lay.
The two women were struck dumb
with terror when they saw the three men
uncover the body and quickly dissr-
bowel It. The mysterious men asd,
taking the contents Of the stomach WITH
them.
Mrs. Sham was subsequently, arrsn ted
charged with committing che act.
Doctors swors That Mercury killed nkin,
On the trial Mrs Sham said she mads
no outery ana did not resist betauss
she was so frightened.
The medical experts testified that
young Sham had been given meteuSy
in sficient quantities TO cause death.
Closing Arguments Last EvsniRx.
Council for Mrs shann had their In
nings in the noted murder trial yester-
day morning. The accused woman sat
with bowed head, and sometimes Lay with
her head in the lap Of her daughter
Mabel Pathetic passages. designed TO
touch the hearts Of the jurors in her
favor, were frequent, and the prisoner
wept whenever reference was made 70
he death Of her son aud the devotion
vita which she nursed him
Ex Senator Vanderbilt was Mrs.
shRnn's first spokesman. He analyz8d
the evidence, insisting that not even the
suspicion Of her guilt was justified. Tao
expert medical testimony. he argued
should have little weight. He had
studied books that treat Of mereufiil
poisoning and fonnd that the writer's
disagreed.
Used Mercury for q Disease.
Mr.. Vanderbilt criticised Professor
Wormley, the PhilAdelph'a toxieologist,
for not determining Just how much mef-
! curry young Sham had taken. Hc may
have taken more mercury than WAS safe,
! and If he did. he took It secretly. He
was suffering from q disease for which
. mercury is administered. and personp
having IL say little, " anything q
- others about H..
Mr.. vanderbilt held that Mrs Beann'.
! conduct was natural the night thAt hei
child was disemboweled. She thought
the three strangers were officers Of III,
Manhattan Life Insurance Company
The agent Of the company had threat
ened an autopsy. and, Womanlike, Know
y ing nothing about such things, Bhl
what hour they pleased II the statel
theory Is true the jury must believe tha'
this woman tore her ehBld's heart on
n with her own hands.
Prosecutor stockton's Appeal.
II Prosecutor Stockton then spoke 4
'e the Jury In quiet, unimpassioned toner
de said the Jury must forget the sox 3
4. the prisoner and must leave out Of thei
deliberations all considerations OF be
fate, should they decide her guilty.
The prosecutor ridiculed the Idea tha
the insurance companies had the younl
IN mans body eviscerated OF that
N Bergen, the family physician, was cor
ar nected with the outrage. Only one pei
son was interested 10 the commission Q
~ that ghoulish deed, and that person ne
- the prisoner.
be The contention Of the defense that q
mother could be equal to the tearin
"a out Of the heart Of her own child fell
= the ground in this instance. here VI
~ a woman pretending undylng love en
u affection for her youngest boz and y
IT. when be Is dead and Ia his grave, seel
ed ing to disgrace and defRme bis memoI
ng By establishing the fact that be was
be drunkard and an associate Of fell,
women.