The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-25
MISS SHELDON FBOPIFIES.
"
She Takes the Stand in Behalf of
Robert FOsburgh.

story of the Shooting of the Prison.
er'S Sister RetoId by the witness.
why She Left the House Where She
Was "a Guest After the Tragedy
PITTSFIEID. Mass. July Z5.-At s:15
o'clock this morning the trial of Robert
s. Fosburgb, charged with the murder Of
his sister. was resumed. The principal
witness today is Miss Bertha n. Sheldon.
who was a guest at the Fosburgh house
| on the night when Miss May Fosburgh
was shot to death.
Miss Mae Estelle Chaplin was the first
witness called today. She was living with
the Shepardsons. across the way from the
Fosburghs, at the time of the shooting
The Shepardsou house was some go feet
distant from the FosbUrgh house The
witness seid that she had been in church
| on Sunday evening. August 70 She heard
| singing at the Fosburgh house during the
evening and did not retire until Iz.s5
! O'Clock
She was awakened by a violent ringing
at the door bell The witness told OF
James Fosburgh-s brief conoquy with Mr.
Shepardson said that she heard 4 mans
voice in the direction of the Fosburgh
house crying, Help, police. murderi" She
went to the window and heard a wcman's
voice a little later cry out She has gone"
4 went over to the house with rny sis
ter, Mrs. Shepardson, shortly. I was
told what had happened in the house.
had been in the house about fifteen min
utcs when DR. ScofeId came, It was all
Of three quarters of an hour Ister be
fore DR. Paddock came. He went upstairs
| Immediately. All the family were down
stairs. I did not see Mr.. Fosburgh, ST..
or his wife, Beatrice, or Miss Sheldon. or
| Mrs. Fosburgh, jr., go up stairs after
DIR. Paddock came
Mr.. Crosby, the city solicitor, obtained
from Miss Chaplin on cross-exarnfnatIoIl
the statement that she was d close friend
Of the Fosburgh family. She was very
sure that when she saw James Fosburgh
| after she reached the house that ne wore
shoes.
Testimony offered by the proecution had
been that DR. Paddock arrived about 2-30
O'Clock, ten minutes or 50 after Dr. SEQ
field
Miss Sheldon was called to the stand at
1927 o'clock She vas q guest in the Eos
burgh house at the time Of the shooting
Mystery was said TO surround her return
TO her home in Providence on August q
and her failure to appear at the inquest.
Consequently there vas q little stir OF
expectancy when she began to testify.
cI1- - -r-f-F v,fu g7aT-
icate face She said that she was a little
hard Of hearing
The way in which The family passed
sunday, August 19 had been described
BY James and Beatrice and the elder Fos-
( bJIrsh. Miss Sheldon went over it again.
Tears came into her eyes when she tes-
titled that the famiIy's day ended with
May Fcsbursh's last song, Plains of
Peace
They all kissed good night when they
went to bed said Miss Sheldon. 4 was
awakened by a loud noise ike piercing
scream Then I heard a shot from a re-
voGver- heard another shot and more
cries Presently I got UP and went into
Mays room. She was lying on the floor.
James his mother. and Beatrice were
stopping over her. Robert was lying or
the floor beside her and his wife was
i1eaning over him Beatrice told me when
I asked her what vas the matter that
some burglars had gotten into the house
and shot May
The witness gave a brief account with
out details of what she did the rest Of
the night She stayed downstairs after
dressing and said that most Of the fam
lis did also She left for her home 1T Il
| O'Clock in the forenoon
why did you Ieave2" Mr. Joyner
asked.
Because I was excited and nereous
| and knew that I would be N the way"
She said she had been asked TO come
! to Massachusetts, to testify, and that she
was willing to come, bat her father would
not let her The court refused to allow
/ her fathers reasons TO h stated
| Miss Sheldon testified that whsn she
| saw May lying on jhe foor she appeared
! 10 be breathing hard. The members of
the family seemed to be very devoted to
ofe another. she said.
| Miss Sheldon was cross-examined by
Mr Crosby but her testimony was not
| shaken. She admitted that she had told
General Whitney and Captain Parker that
! what she did know about the case was
very little and that 1t was not worth
while for her 70 90 TO Massachusetts 10
testify at the inquest.
rank = Sheldorl, IatneF OF Siff= pfecec-
| ing witness. was sworn. He said that he
/ was a mechanical engineer and had had
business relations with the Fosburshs for
years He said that his daughter had not
been in good health in I251 and that Mr.
/ F'osburgh had invited her to PittsfeJd,
| thinking that 4 visit n the Berlshires
would do her good
| I read about the tragedy in the news
| papers. and I teIephoHed for her to come
| home at once ! thought that it would be
better for her health 10 get out o. the
! excitement He said that he did not want
( his daughter to appear in the case be
! cause of her nervous state