The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-08-16

During the Recital of Her sons Illness.
A Carpenters Testimony Creates a Mild
Sensation.
TRENTON Aug. 16.-Counsel for Mrs.
Sham, who is on trial for poisoning her
son, stated yesterday that two Of their inn
portant witnesses were too i'll to attend
court. and they asked for an order TO allow
them TO take Mrs. Kate STRIKERS evidence
at her home in Princeton. The court
granted the order, directing Associate
Judge Wright and the official stenographer
to be present. Mrs. Stryker will testify
that she heard a vehicle stop near the
Sham residence during the night that
young Shann's body was tampered with.
Immediately after the vehicle came to
stop she heard the bell of the Sham house
ring.
The defense put n number Of relatives
and neighbors of Mrs. Sham on the stand,
all Of whom testified that they visited the
Shanns during the illness of John, and
witnessed acts of tenderness and devotion
to him on the part of his mother.
DIR. Arthur j. Wolf. medical expert Of
Hartford, Conn, was then called 20 the
stand. He testified that in his opinion the
autopsy performed by County Physician
Cantwell on young Shanu's body was not
a proper one. The portions of the body i'm
his custody were not all examined to asCcr-
tain whether disease existed or not No
one but person understanding anatomy
could have disembowelled John Sham.
DR.. Wolff read from the highest known
authority on the subjects to show that
dead bodies can absorb poison; that they
have so absorbed poison, which has been
found when the tissues were subjected to
chemical analysis.
Mrs. Mamie Kelly, being recalled, testi-
fed that during her brothers illness she
frequently read religious publications to
him. Her mother used to read the Bible
70 him. He asked her to do so, and several
oimes when John asked his mother to pray
for him she did so.
The witness described what occurred
when Caddie Pyatt was in the sick room.
The latter is the colored woman who
swore that she saw Mrs. Shanu force a
'iecoction down Johns throat. Mrs.
Kelly denied the occurrence emphatically.
John took his medicine willingly and
made no objection to it at all
Under cross examination Mrs Kelly
made seAral statements contradictory of
statements made by her at the coroner's
inquest. In explanation she said a mis-
take had been made concerning her words
The witness broke down and began to
weep. A glass of water was given to her
end she was soon composed again. The
points in which she seemingly cOntradicted
herself were not considered important.
Peter Sham, a carpenter who occasion.
ally assists j. Watson Sham. the under
taker testified that they are brothers, and
that the witness helped to prepare young
Shanns body for burial. On the morning
following the disemboweling he called at
the Sham house to attend the body and
was told by Mrs. Sham that it was in good
condition. This was at o'clock The
testimony of the witness created mud
sensation, RS it was in evidence that the
discovery of The emboweling was made
ht least four hours before his arrival
Mrs. Matte G. Sham, the prisoner, was
then put on the stand She testified that
she was Al years of age and member of
the Episcopal church in Princeton Johns
habits, she said, were irregular. The Grst
she knew of his illness was through his
coming to her for money to go to physi-
clan She gave him a dollar. His eyes
we're sore then, and he complained of in
sernal distress. His eyes continued sore,
and he visited Dr. Bergen many times He
grew worse. and the doctor gave him a
gargle and pills and some green medicine
lie also used medicine in tablet form The
witness gave all the details of her sons
illness.
Mrs. Sham broke down several times
during her recital and wept Weeks he
fore her son died, she said, she insisted
that his physician, DR.. Bergen, should
bring another doctor with him DR.. Ber-
gen put her off number of times, until
finally he brought Dr. Lytle. Several of
Dr.. Bergen's prescriptions were reGlled a
number of times. Witness never used the
iisinlecting tablets LOT any purpose other
han disinfection.
Mrs. Shann gave the names of about a
lozen different persons who called 10 see
John during his sickness. She denied a
statement of a witness for the prosecution
hat John once complained that his mother
was too lazy to cook an egg for him. Mrs.
Shann also denied the truth of the story
5old by Caddie Pyatt that she forced medi-
cine down his throat The witness de-
scribed her way OF administering the
medicine, showing that she had always
been gentle with her SON She was still
On the stand when the court adjourned for
I The day.