New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-18
ADMITS KILLING THREE?
REPORT OF CONFESSION.
Officials VII Not admit That Farm
hand Told of Guilt.
rRv Telegraph TO The Tribune. l

4 Telegraph
Freehold N j. May 17.-Frank Zastera, the farm
hand who was brought to the county Jail here last
| night as witness in connection with the murder
| early yesterday morning of William B. Shepherd
his wife. Josephine, and Jennie Bendy their ser
want is reported as having made a confession in
which he described in detail how he Killed them
This is denied by the ,ff1cials, but it is believed
that the confession will be admitted within short
time.
Detectives Cosgrove and Sylvester, of New York;
County Clerk Joseph McDermott and the assistant
prosecutor spent the night in the Jail with Zastera
and after putting him through the third degree,
It said that he broke down and admitted AT s
O'Clock this morning that he committed the crime
Zastera gave the first of the murder when
he ran to the home of William Wall the nearest
neighbor, and told him that a murder had been
committed on the Shepherd farm After he had
been examined by the New York detectives 1t was
decided to detan him witness. From the time
he was brought here until o'clock this morning
he was subjected to the merciless questioning OF
Detective Cosgrove who acted as CHIEF inqu1sltor,
until it was said he made mis- confession.
The story of the reported confession is that Zastera
took Mr.. Shepherds Winchester repeating shotgun
from the farmers den on the first floor and MD In
the parlor waiting for Mr.. Shepherd to come down.
stairs. Mrs. Shepherd, however, came down first
to warm a bottle of milk for the baby. 1t took
several minutes for her to do this, and when she
reached the bottom of the stairway leading to
the upper floor Zastera is said to have shot her,
~ S'-O 49,
TO the floor the gun was again discharged the
charge taking effect this time behind the right ear
and coming out by the eye. tearing away large
portion of the right side Of her face.
At the report of the gun Mr.. Shepherd rushed
down the stairs, and when he had descended hal1
way he was shot the charge hitting him in the
left side He fell the balustrade. sliding 10
the floor and across the body of his wife AS ne
fell over the balustrade Zastera is said to nave
fired again. the shot taking effect in shepherds
chest
Jennie Bendy the servant, who was in the
kitchen, fed when she heard the shooting. AS she
was going through the kitchen door and down the
steps leading the outer kitchen, she was shot
under the left breast and through the heart Ac-
cordng the reported confession. zastera is said
to have then carried the upstairs and left 1t IN
the bedroom where 1t found by the officers
Zastera is said to have told of searching for
money after the crime was committed All the
drawers. pocketbooks and boxes on the second
floor were examined. Then. 1t is said, he took a
pocketbook from Mr.. Shepherds hip pocket, re-
moved the money from it and left untouched
check. He is said to have hidden the money under
pork barrel In the cellar. Then. going to the farm
of William Wall he told how he had discovered
that the boss and the madam had been shot"
1t * known that the detectives and the officers
who conducted the inquisition visited the Shepherd
farm at O'Clock this morning in an auto
mobile and made attempt to find the money
which they believed Zastera hid They failed to
find it, and returning to the jail, Zastera was sub
iected to further examination, it is said, about
the place where the money was concealed.
Then it is reported, he told them he had buried
the money between two trees. At S o'clock this
morning another trip made to the farm but
the money was not found in the place indicated in
the reported confession. The officials were still in
the Jail late tonight, closeted with Zastera.
Crowds of persons gathered about the Shepherd
farm to-day, and many automobiles were strung
along the road. The authorities had the house
closed and the other buildings sealed. and no one
was admitted the premises.
The bodies of Mr. md Mrs. Shepherd were taken
this morning the home of Mrs. Shepherds
father, Patrick Ryan, No pol 18th street, Brooklyn,
where the Shepherd baby taken Saturday
night by Mrs. Shepherds sister. The body of