Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-09
FOR KILLING HER son.
Trial Begun of Mrs. Matte sham nj
Trenton.


The trial of Mrs. Matte C. Sham. in
oicted for numbering by poison her twenty
year-oid son. John F. Sham, at their home
IN Princeton, N. J., on April is last. was
begun yesterday
Inc peculiar and horrible nature of the
accusation against the woman-the doing
10 oeatn by slow torture Of her own child
10 recover S,lOO insurance on his life-lends
dread fascination to the trial, and the ex-
pected throng OF spectators was early on
hand.
Several OF the front rows of seats in the
old county court house We're filled with wo-
men, among whom were half a score Of
Mrs Shann's Princeton neighbors. Her ap-
pearance in the court room was the signal
for a renewal among them of all the old
talk about the suspicious death of Freder-
lex sham. the prisoners husband. last No
vember. and the peculiar and mysterious
Illness OF her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Hattie
ShAhh, nve years ago.
AS the story goes, Mrs Hattie sham was
IA connnement and drank some OF the con-
tehts OF a bowl of lemonade. in the bottom
green The poison had settled in the bot
tom OF the bowl, but she had not imbibed
enough to do her much harm. The pris-
oner, Mrs. Sham. was brought into court
at II o'clock. She is a tail, slender woman,
with a face indicating considerable refine
,nent. she was dressed in deepest mourn
N, g.
black fan and a black bordered handker.
chief being conspicuous features of her at
TIRE. she gave no sign Of suffering IN con-
sequence OF her three months of imprison-
ment in the county jail. She was accom-
panied 70 court by Mr.. and Mrs. Jas. Kelly
OF Philadelphia. the latter her daughter,
aha ny MRS: Harriet B. Gray OF Princeton.
Near the prisoner sat her four lawyers.
VIZ. Senator O. o. Vanderbilt of Princeton
and w. d. Holt, Chauncey III. Beasiy ana
Francis H. Lee of Princeton. The state
was represented by Prosecutor Bayard
Stockton and Assistant Prosecutor w. Holt
Apgar. The drawing OF the Jury was as
usual a tedious process. Judge Albeit. who
presided. made IL plain at the outset that
the reading OF newspaper accounts of the
crime was not a ground OF challenge, and
they had read Of the newspaper reports OF
the case, what opinion, IL any, they had
the accused. One man declared he was not
given to newspaper reading at all, and he
was peremptorily challenged.
Several who said they had consideration.
scruples against the infection OF capital
punishment were speedily excused from
serving. An intelligent looking man. about
sixty years Of age, living in the heart Of
Of the Sham case. His declaration seemed
to amuse the lawyers. for they all smiled.
but he was not challenged. and therefore
got q seat In the box.
Examining Witnesses.
After recess the examination OF wit
nesses was at once begun. A. Reuben
Vanzlous. a boarder at Mrs. Shann's house
for about FIVE years, testified that he lived
there when John G. Sham was taken III.
and saw him several times during his ill.
ness The night after his death, Frank
Borden, life insurance agent. sent a
note to Mrs. Sham, and she asked him
(the witness) to go to Trenton early the next
morning for lawyer. About O'Clock IN
the morning Mrs. Sham called him and
nf haA nd ont dnrxFn &rAkr
She said three men had been in the house
and had gone away. They had been ur
stairs in Johns room. and she was afraid
they had done something. He went w
stairs with her into the dead mans room
and saw that "a canopy that had been ar
blood. He said nothing, but Thought thai
there was something wrong.
Mabel Sham testified that she slept with
her mother the night that John was dis
emboweled. The movements OF her mother
and Vanzlous about the house aroused hel
and she asked what the matter was. Hei
mother said: Nothing, be quiet" Latei
she demanded again to know what was tn,
matter, and her mother. sitting on ths
bed, told her the story: that three mer
had come to the house and rung the bell
turned up. They had on storm hats. and
inquired IL she had a dead son In the house
Her mother said, Yes" and they demand
cd to be allowed to see him. Mrs Sham
demurred, but two Of the men went VI
stairs to where the corpse lay, the third
remained down stairs and detained Mrs
Sham.
Mabel said her mother told her that thi,
third man pushed her about and would mo-
permit her TO follow the other men uy
| stairs. Mrs. Sham did not tell Mabel ther
what the men had done.
Mabel said further that she and ne,
mother nursed John. Both gave him foo
and both administered medicine TO him
He was sick about six weeks. When sh
| TESTIFIED before the inquest that her mothe
alone waited on him she was mistaken.
Watson Sham. an undertaken was callec
ana TESTIFIED that he was a second cousin
TO the prisoner. He said Mrs. sham toll,
him the story Of the three men. He saw
very little blood about the body. excep
some stains on the canopy. At this poin
| the court adjourned.