The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-02
THE SHANN HORROR.
Mother of the Young Man
Under Arrest for Pois-
oning Him.
CORROSIVE sUBLIMATE FOUND
In Spite Of the Removal Of the
Intestines-A Husbands Sus-
picious Death.

PRINCETON, May 2. 1S93.-1n the inquest
into the death of John Sham. which was
resumed yesterday morning. Theodore u.
Wormley, professor of chemistry and
Ntoxicology 10 the Medical Department. Oh
the University of Pennsylvania. was the
first witness. He testified that he re-
ceiyed from DIR. Cantweli. a jar Contain
ing about one pound of matter, in which
was one kidney and a portion OF the
brain. He made a chemical examination,
and found in the contents of the Jar a
very decided quantity of mercury. but no
arsenic. There was in the contents OF
the jar what was equivalent to a halr
4 grain of corrosive subIlmate. A fatal
dose of corrosive sublimate for an adult
l would be from six to eight grains. Ine
u amount found would be Incompatible
with the administering OF caiomel. or, IN
fact. in the ordinary administering Oh any
medicine.
When questioned d. Wormley admitted
that he could not state positively that n
This case it was incompatible without a pa
theological knowledge of the patient ana
his disease, but from the history of cases
l~nsmedicine he would think this STARE OF
affairs impossible.
MEDICINES FOR THE sHANNS.
William Z. Burke was the second VIII
ness. Mr.. Burke Is a druggis6 in town.
and testified that considerable quantities
OF medicine had been put up at his store LOT
the Shanus. There was one prescription
which DR.. Bergen had given for Frederick
Sham, the father, which was IN tue form
of tablets of ten grains. Each OF these
contained seven and seven-tenths grains
of bi chloride OF mercury. THESE tablets
were to De used as a disinfectan5 only.
They were about the size of d cent, and
-. -r.. an -, nod nNfcnn In nina letters
DIR. Bergen told them to use the same IN
the sous illness. Aboul FIVE pfescrip-
lions of six tablets each had been put up.
There was also q prescription OF caiomel
gwen by DR.. Bergen, which was used
turing all of the sons Illness, which was
mt 10 in the form of tablets, each of
which contained one-tenth of a grain OF
calomeI.
THE o VITALS.
DR.. Frank D.. Cantwell, County Physi-
clan of Mercer, testified that he requested
the Coroner 10 take the body to Trenton.
and he made an examination on Friday
morning at the morgue. DECOMPOSITION
HAD begun. The body was in the last
stages of emac,atiou. In the right hip
and nack there were bad sores. In Inc
mouth there was a bad sloughIng ulcer.
There was a ten inch incision IN the body,
through which ali of the abdominal
organs had been remoyed except the
right kidney, An incision had been
made in the right side of the diaphragm
and the lungs. deart aud trachea had
been taken. He opened the brain pan
aud took one-half of the brain for ex-
animation.
He put the brain. the intestinal organs,
which remained aud some blood about 1t
in a jar, aud delivered to Prof. Wormley
in Philadelphia. The ~incision and work
must have been done by some one tamil
lar with anatomy. The disembowelment
could nave been done in less than ten
minutes.
DR.. Edward Kelly testified that he was
present when DR.. Cantwell made the ex-
animation and TOOK notes. He CORRIDOR
atsd Dr. Cantweirs
WAS AFRAID OF POISON.
Jared Wolfe was summoned. He was
questioned in regard to the Insurance
policies on the life of the father Sham
died under suspicious circumstances last
fall. Mr.. Sham mad told him .nat they
were trying to give him poison, forcing
it down his throat at night. Sometimes
Mrs. Sham and sometimes the negro
held him. Wolfe had told this TO his
company, but they declined to investi-
gate aud preferreu TO pay the claim.
DR.. Bergen, who attended John Sham,
testified that i'll the course OF a month ne
had siyen two and three-ffths grains OF
calomel. He had elso gwen n large
amount of bismuth. He also prescribed
antiseptic tablets containing seven and
seventeenth grains of bi-chioride OF mer-
curry for use as a disinfectant. If this
had been eaten internally it would have
produced the symptoms he had noticed
aud would also have produced the sore In
the mouth. He made 40 tests for poison.
label sEANN'S STORY.
When the jury reassetnbied at O'Clock
Coroner Courtier stated that Mabel Sham
was foo Ill to appear and so the steuo-
grapher, in the presence of one OF the
jury and himself, had taken her testi-
inony. This was then read to The jury.
She testified that she had slept III the
same room with the body on Wednesday
night. She had not walked up until some
time early In the morning before day
light. TheE her mother and Mr.. Van
SeIous came into the room. When Mr..
Van Selous came out she arose and
dressed herself and her mother told her
of the disemDoweling. She auc ner
mother then spent the night In the room,
but did not go TO bed again.
This fatty contradicts the mothers
story. She stated that she went 90 bed
and that they did not discover until The
next morning that the intestines had
been removed. The coroner tnen STATED
that ali of the witnesses had been heard
and at 2:30 the jury retired.
THE JURY's VERDICT.
After staying out five hours, the Coron-
er,s Jury brought in a verdict or death
from mercurfal poisoning. Coroner
Coulter at once swore out a warrant
against Mrs. Matte G.. sham for murder.
Mayor Macdonald, of Princeton. received
the complaint and issued the warrant.
Ihe document was placed in the hands of
Constable Frank Gill. Coroner Coulter
and Mayor Macdonald went to the Sham
residence, and The coroner read the COM
plant to Mrs. Sham, and informed her
that she was under arrest for the murder
of her son. Detectives Lane and Clancy
had been keeping the house under
escane should be attempted. In fact the
house has been constantly watched ever
since the affair occurred. Mrs. Sham
took the matter very coolly, though her
sons manifested some warmth. A close
carriage was procured. and In company
with her sister. Mrs. Gray, ana Detec-
ttyes Lane and Clancy. she was brought