The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-05
THESHANN MURDER CASE
Sensational Developments
Expected at the Trial
Which Begin Tuesday.
THE PRISONER CONFIDENT.
Says She Will Be Able to Establis b
Her Innocence-History of
the Case.
PRISONER CONFIDENT.
special TO The jersey cir xeu,.

$50 49, v q " 1doSL
bilt, Captain Holt aud Judge c.. H. Beas-
ley, preparing her case. and is very
anxious that the trial shall not be longer
delayed.
She has been somewhat indisposed for
a few days, but has nearly recovered.
The close confinement to one OF her
active tenn permanent has had an enervat-
ing effect upon her. She takes little or
no exercise, and w lille she is said TO be
far from being a well woman. she has
nerved herself to go throu oh the ordeal
that awaits her.
She feels confident that she will be able
to establish her innocence. The States
counsel, Messrs. Stockton ana Apgar, are
ready with Their side OF the case, and
they pr oppose to give her O perfectly fair
trial.
The Court of Comm on Pleas met yes
terday morning in com p:iancs with the
act of 1889. to witness the drawing of the
enblre panel of jurors, u certid ID list OF
which must be served on the defendant
two days before the trial begins. Judges
Woodruff and Yard Witnessed the draw
ing of the panel.
The case is one which has awakened
much interest. The circumstances sur
rounding it are peculiar and che evidence
connecting Mrs. Shaun with the crime
" 4 DIV 10 ~ b0 VI IOOs d. tQoWC
at the Coroner's inquest, was entirely
circumstantiaL
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
The facts, as Gney appear, are that John
Is. Shaun, h twentv-year-old son Of Mr..
Sham. died at the home of his mother GU
Withefspoon street, in the borough OF
Princeton, on TUESDAY morning, April Is.
1893, of wbatwas supposed to BE- gnstritis.
The body WAS placed In the room III which
he died on the second floor. The night
after his death his mother aud u ouuge
sister slept in the same room with The
corpse, 4 according To Mrs. Shanu's
story. between w and three o'clock on
Wednesday night, three men came and
rang the door bell. Mrs. Shaun arose, and
went down to tho door, aud when she
opened it the three men, who were dis
guised. stepped In the hall and inquired
il Mrs. Snann lived there. Gu being al.
swered in the affirmative they exprsssel
Il wish to see tile body of John Snanu.
She told them that it would be imoossI-
bic, as her daughter was asleep in the
room and she could not be disturbed.
Tney persisted, aud while one OF them
detained Mrs. Sham at the foot of TIE
stairs. the other two went up to the
room where the body was, rema ined
ten minutes. aud then came down aud
passed out. She did not see that they
carried anything when they went u t.
After they were gone she aroused one
of her boarders. named VaEselous, aud
related the occurrence to him. They
then went to room where the body lay.
M Mrs. Shann told him she believed
something had been done" He raised
the covering over the body, say some
drops of blood. and with the remark,
eyes. something has been doue." re-
placed the covering ami went back TO his
room.
When morning came Mrs. Shann sent
for DR.. Bergen, the attending physician,
and told him what has been rel ateu
He proceeded to make an EXAMINATION
and discovered that an incision had been
made in the body and that the abdominal
yiscera had been removed. He informed
Mr.. Sham that the body had been
tempered with. He told the family not
to disturb anything, and about one O'Clock
he telegraphed TO DR.. Cantwell the
County Physician. aud he i'll
with Coroner Coulter proceeded at unce
to Princeton. Upon their arrival they
were made acquainted with the facts.
They went to the residence of Mrs. Sham
and made n partial examination of the
BODY. when they informed Mrs. Shann
that it would be necessary 10 briug the
corpse to Trenton To hold !, post mortem
examination. She objected at fest, but
finally consented. aud they returned to
this city, bringing the corpse with them.
On Thursday a post norton was cou-
Quoted by Dr.. CanIweil aud DR.. Kelly.
After the post norton the body was
again taken TO Princeton aud a jury en-
panelled, VINO viewed the body.
H INQUEST.
On Tuesday. April "a, the inquest be-
gan in Mercer Engine house, No. 3. The
hearing of testimony occupied the greater
part or three DAYS. The facts brought out
being substantially az given above, with
the addition that u chemical analysis of
the portions of the viscera not removed,
had been made, and that a percentage OF
the corrosive chloride of mercury had
been discovered, and that IL the same
percentage existed throughout the ent ire
system, there had been a very large
quantity of the poison taken into the
system. The testimony of Mrs. Shann
and all her family who were examined
was to the effect that she had admins
tered all the medicine and nourishment
that john had taken during his illness.
The case was given to the jury
aud after several hours deliber-
alton they returned a verdict to the effect
that John Snann came to mis- death from
the effects of mercurial poison.
Mrs. Sham was at once arrested on a
warrant sworn out by Coroner Coulter,
jail the anne night, When the affair
first occurred and the authorities took
hold of the case, Mrs. Shann retained
Barton & Dawes as her conncil.
The May term or court opened on Tues
day morning. May 9. with Justice Albeit
on the bench; associated with him were
Judge r. S. Woodruff aud lay judges
William S. Yard and Josiah Wright.
The Grand Jury were sworn, General r.
~. Donnelly being forman.
On Thursday, May Is. the Grand Jury
came in with thirty eight bills of indict-
ment, among them being one against
Mrs. Sham for murder. Mrs. Snann was
at once brought into the court room and
the indictment read 10 her. In reply to
the in~terrogatory, what say you, guilty
or not guilty?" she said mot guilty"
The case Was then set down for The
second week III June.
On Wednesday, May 81. Mr.. Barton
appeared before Justice Albeit n made
a plea that the indictment was inexplicit,
and asking that the State be required to
furnish the defendant with a bill OF /,
particulars. and also praying that an
extension of time in which Co prepare for
trial might be granted. In accordance
with the request of counsel, the Court
extended the time for the trial to begin
to Monday, July 10. The bill OF partic-
ulars asked for was filed in the Clerks
office in accordance with the directions Of
the Court.
On Saturday. June II. Barton & Davies
Withdrew from the case for reasons
which were not made public, but which
rumor said were because Mrs. Shaun and
Mr.. Barton could not agree as to the line
of defence to he set up.
On Friday, June 90. George o. Wander
Ill