The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-15
MRS. SHANN'S DEFENSE
Her Counsel Gives an Idea
of 1t in His Opening
Address.
EXPERT DIR. ARCHIBALD WOLFF.
No Proof That Young Sham Had
Been Murdered With Poison.
EXPERT DIR. ARCHIBALD WOLFF.

NION, aug TO- 1890 -Alt0E SOTOuGE
Coulter concluded his testimony yester.
day. u few u%nimportant witnesses were
examined. and thenSthe State announced
its case closed. Recess was thee tlken.
When Mrs. Shann left the court room
she was led down the inside stairs by
Sheriff Bergen. On arriving il the
Grand Jury's witness room sue TAT down
in a fainting manner and was soon Joined
by the members Of her family. Mrs.
Mary Kelly. her daughter. sat by her
side. Harry Sham. her sou, was the first
to enter. He greeted his mother cor
daily, but there does not seem TO be the
same affection existing between him and
his mother as there is between her aud
some of the other members of the
family. Mrs. Sham shortly after =
wards was led down another pair OF
stairs to her cell. During the afterno on
she was called upon by her daughter
Mabel, who stayed with her some time.
Mabel brought along q small basket OF
delicacies for her mother. Mrs. Kelly
ordered a special dinner for her moJner
in Jailer D~onaghue's office. and the
prisoner received u plate Of soup which
she desired and other nice vic tuals.
~ AZ AVA 1&tA A4S - AA4Aa NA& -
philosophlc view of the situation. She
shows much interest in the newspa per
accounts OF her trial. The bad pic
which nave found their way into soma
Of the newspapers make her smile. VI
course she maintains her innocence, aud
counsel concerning the change in
public oplnion-which she thinks
has taken place since the trial began.
Mrs. Sham has never yet devfated In the
slightest degree from the story which
she 1rst told at the %coroner's Inquest.
She has comparatively few visitors be-
You'd members OF her family. Miss
Mabel has charge OF the Sham house
hold, which is now flied with boarders.
Mrs. Shann iS said to be a strong advo-
cate OF total abstinence On Tuesday
last she became faint after the AFTERNOON
session of court, and at tls request OF
one OF her counsel took a small Quantity
of brandy. 1t was the first she mad ever
taken. She speaks highly OF the way she
has been treated py Jaller Donagaue and
matron. Mrs. O'Hara.
CAPTAIN HoLT's OPENING.
Captain Holt opened the defense after
the noon recess by a half hour address.
forclble opening. He stated that the de-
Tense had nothing to conceal. aud they
were going to give with all faithruluess
the story of the innocent and show that
the woman at the bar was not q muir
deresS.
In his analysis OF the theory of the
State he said Il motive for the crime was
given, IL was to get poss ession of S.. 900
Insurance money. They then proceeded
To show that Mrs. Shaun had the oppor-
tunity to administer poison because
she attended to he wants of her
SICK sou. Touching on the mYs te-
rlous visit of the shree men the S tate
rr,aa ry{t Tn fnoHn ~ ant n fha
fact that she made no cutlery and did not
alarm the house wnen she knew that
those suspicious mon were with the body.
b he explained by the fact that she
was reasoned into the belief that they
had a right there. He admitted that
whoever had removed the viscera had a
motive for doing 1t. The defense was so
well satisfied with the evidence of the
chemical experts secured by the State,
that they had dismissed chemical ex-
perts that they had intended to put on
the stand, being satisfied to rely on the
statement of Professor Wormley and
Professor Cornwall.
THE OTHER NOT CONNECTED.
The evidence OF the chemists tends TO
show that John Sham died of mercurial
poisoning, u IL does not connect Mrs.
Shanu with IL. It can be shown that all
That was discovered was administered by
DR.. Bergen in the form of Gu lionel. Tue
SdpbhAu tu0u bdICu tAdt III JnO 6ChICa "
motives other persons could be taken
into consideration beside Mrs. Sham.
Frank Borden, the insurance agent,
who was In the employ OF the insurance
company ana had recon mended john
Sham, had cause to feel anxious after
the developments that followed his
death, His position and usefulness TO
that company WAS threatened. He.
among others, had something to hide,
because he had not served his employers
az well as he should In recommending q
pad risk. IL must be remembered that
the State Insists that III this case there
was something to hide. They say 1t was
poison; the defense says 1t was disease,
Why did the insurance agent Dotlfy Mrs.
| Sham and write BURN this note?n
DR.. Bergen had something TO hide. He
was an officer Of the insurance company
aud had passed john. Even after the
disembowlmsnt he gave q certificate that
death was caused by gastritis.
Cough. the man who wandered about
wit houJ a name. was interested by saving
his company the payment of the sum de-
nj rded by the policy.
Captain Holt then %eloquently touched
on Johns relations with his mother.
They were as tender as could exist be-
tween mother and son. He dice leaning
on her arm, and said with his last
breath, II am going now"
THE DEFENSE BEGUN.
Before calling the witnesses for the
defeDseJudge Beasley called the attention
| OF the Court to the fact that an importaEt
witness. Mrs. Kate E. Stryker. was very
Ill aud confined to her bed, ami was
| likely soou TO be removed from the
| state, aud he asked IL some arrangement
could not be made by which she could be
examined. II was suggested that the
testimony be token before Judge Wright
tonight In the presence of the attorney
for the State aud for the defense. But
Judge Albeit refrained from making the
order because 1t was without precedent.
While 1t might be done in a civil suit it
was not permissible In a capital trial, He
knew OF no precedent VIVA ever and
would have to reserve his decision in the
matter until tomorrow.
The first witness called was Arthur
| Stout. who keeps The livery stable on the
premises in the rear of tue Sham resi-
| dence. He testified that early in Janu-
AIRY ne saw John Sham in the stable
taking medicine from u vial. Snann
| said the medicine was Dad to take. and
when asked for what he was taking IL he
smiled and said:-"That will be all
| right"
The next witness was John Packer, a
Princeton laborer. who knew John Shann.
He met John and John took from
a bottle q dose Of medicine and
In reply to an inquiry a. to
he did not exactly know, that something
informed him that he was suffering from
testified TO Shann's debanches.
IAiItiop puknr a aoIaruff n a fnufiAad