Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-02
WIFE ON The STAND
Murdered Mans Widow Makes
Good Witness In Shepherd
Trial at Fairfield
SHE IDENTIFIES SHEPHERD
Mrs. WomeIsdorf Positive He is the
Man Whom She Saw Going to Her
House a Few Minutes Before She
Found Her Husband Lying Dead in
the Kitchen.
,ecial to Times-Republican.

Especial to Times Republican.
Fairfield, March I'm the Shepherd
murder trial the state put four wit
nesses on the stand. The first was
Mrs. Nancy Womelsdorf, the murdered
mans widow, who showed an amusing
! propensity to wander off the subject
; and to talk when not told to do so.
In her testimony Mrs. Womelsdorf
told of the events of the evening Of
January 8, when the murder was COM
mitted. She is positive 1t was Dan
Shepherd that came to the Womelsdorf
farm on the evening of the fifth.
do you know Dan Shepherd"
asked County Attorney Grail.
| "Of course, l know Dan Shepherd"
rs this Dan Shepherd" pointing to
| the prisoner.
Yes, sir"
Mrs. womelsdorf testified that on
Thursday evening, January s, her
husband was splitting wood at the
wood pile and she was feeding the
| ri
calves.
What, if anything, happened about
that time?" asked Grail.
"a man come from the north. and
the dog started after him, but 1 called
it back. The man said / amt afraid.
Then the man went on towards the
house,"
Where was Chris at this time?"
Chris had carried in the blocks he
was splitting
who reached the house first, Chris
or this MANI
II don't know. Chris, l suppose, for
the fires were Burning when l went
in
"How long was it before you went
in2"
About fifteen or twenty minutes.
went in and found Chris lying bleed
ing with his head under the table and
his feet against the stove. Just as
went in / saw man running towards
the slough"
When you spoke to the dog what
language did you use?"
German,
What did the man answer in, Eng
fish or German?"
German"
What nationality are you. Mrs
Womelsdorf?"
Sometimes English and sometimes
German" was the startling reply,
caused probably by misunderstanding
the question.
did you recognize the voice of the
man when he spoke to you?"
Yes. and I seen him. 1t was Dan
Shepherd
Are you sure?"
II said heard Dan Shepherds
voice. Don't you think knew it?"
Mrs. Womelsdorf then testified that,
Shepherd had lived in a cabin on the
Womelsdorf farm about four years
ago.
"He had fight with Chris once"
said the old lady, land Knocked him
down with his fist. He pretty near
couldn't be brought to; it pretty near
killed him. Then Dan got scared and
helped me to bring him to"
In the cross examination p. j. Han
ley questioned Mrs. Womelsdorf much
regarding the man that came on the
night of the murder.
"As a matter of fact" he said, you
cid not know the man who came down
thru the fields that time, did your"
YES, sir, by God did," was the en-
phatic answer.
Didn't you tell the conorer's Jury
that you didn't know the man?" ).
mo sir, did not"
DR.. G.. W. Dosh, the Brighton hy-
stefan who was called to the scene Of
the murder, told of the nature of the
wounds, and said that a very hard sub
stance would be necessary to make
such wounds and that they could have
been made with the back of an ak.
Charles Barnes, who was deputy
sheriff at the time Of the murder told
of being called to the Wonelsdorf
house. He identified the ak shown him
in court as the one found by Fred
Wolff in the Womelsdorf woodshed,
the back OF the AK having blood and
hair upon it when found.
The last witness called Wednesday
was Mrs. Nellie Glines, Shepherds half
sister. In one or two small points Mrs.
Glines ccntradicted the testimony she
made before the grand jury. Mrs.
Glines said that Dan started for Fair
field on Wednesday. January 4, and
from here was going to Des Moines,
but returned, saying that he had been
"ditched" at Pleasant Plain. He had
stopped at the Womelsdorf farm and
said Chris had shown him a roll of
money as large around as his wrist,
and that Dan had said he would get
the money. He asked his brother to
help him, but when he refused, said
'1'll show you, by God, what kind Of
grit I have"
Dan left home about 8 O'clock Thurs
day afternoon and returned about 7:30.
He sat down by the stove, pulled off
his coat and cap and rubbed his hands
over his knees which were damp. Mrs.
Glines identified Dams coat but could
not positively identify his cap. While
before the stove, according to Mrs.
Glines' story, Dan said that after this
thing" was over the Womelsdoff place
would be his next location. and he'd
move there and live with Nancy.
Shepherd has shown but little inter
est in the trial since it began, appar-
entity never listening to the testimony
of the witnesses.
DIES IN YOUTH.