New-York tribune., 1908-12-24
N. Y. i. JUNIOR KILLED
SHOT IN DEANS HOME.
Students Scom Campus in Hunt for
4ssGilant.

Van Dwight Sheldon a junior in the School of
Applied Science Of New York University was
either shot by a burglar committed suicide yes
terday morning in the basement Of Dean Charles
H Shows home the campus at University
Heights The gloom shed by the violent death.
deepened by the mystery surrounding IL. dispelled
ali Christmas cheer from the hearts Of the stu
dents and faculty who were in the classrooms for
the last time before the holidays. And last night.
instead of packing to go home, they stood or sat
about in groups rehearsing endlessiy the details
of this dread thing that had gripped and shaken
the academic repose of their little community.
Dean Snow hearing the last recitation OF
the year in his Property and Materi-
ais" Young Sheldon should have attended the
class. which in Language Hall. but because
there to be quiz it is thought he decided
to remain at the deans house. where he lived and
did the chores to help pay his way through col
lege.
Miss Mary G. Larkin governess for Dean Shows
three little children. passed him about go o'clock
his way to the cellar to look after the furnace
she supposed. and spoke to him about mailing
some of his Christmas gifts He replied jokngIy.
a minute later the maid. Anna Topia, who
was busting the first floor, heard shot. She
screamed to Miss Larkin and Mrs. Snow, and the
three found young Sheldon lying on his face by
the furnace, and near him a revolver, with
chamber empty The boy had been shot in the
left side OF the abdomen
The maid rushed over to Dean Shows classroom,
where her wild appearance and tragic tale brought
the dean from his desk the run. followed by all
his pupils. They streamed across the campus in
silence with white faces, dreading to call out what
they expected to see and didn't shout to Ser
geant Patrick E. Sheridan. of the Highbrdge
police station, who standing in front of the
deans home
But he learned Immediately By inquiry. and was
on the scene with the rest of them The dean and
John W. Mccoy. manager of the football team
carried the bleeding boy, who was semi-conscious
and groaning. up to a bedroom on the second floor
The dean told Sergeant Sheridan that the boys
feet and hands had been bound before he was shot.
but when asked to produce the ropes he was un-
able to do so and referred the officer to the maid
But she could not produce them either, and told
conflicting stories Sergeant Sheridan said that
the boys flesh black where the bullet had
entered his body
Young Sheldon was able to say. while waiting
for the ambulance from Fordham Hospital. that a
man had jumped out him while he was fixing
the furnace and that in the struggle which fol-
lowed the fellow had shot him. He described his
assaiIant large dark. with black nustache
wearing gray suit cap and no Overcoat Ac-
cording to the dean. the boys assaiant asked him
if the house belonged to Miss Gould" Mrs. Snow
is cousin of Miss Helen NJ. Gould. Dean Snow
Immediately offered 5000 for the mans capture. and
the students-all in the university having gathered
by this time in front of the Immediately
organized into groups and secured the entire neigh
borhOOd. but without result.
The victim was hurried to Fordham Hospital.
table.
Sergeant Sheridan in his investigation about the
house. could find footprints the windows
or cellar door and he says that If any had
escaped from the house after the shot fired
he couldn't have helped seeing him, standing right
in front as he was with a full view of the
clad grounds. The lock on the door had not been
tampered with. and there was no other exit or
entrance, except by the stairs leading to the first
floor The maid says she started for the stairs as
soon as she heard the shot and that could
have escaped that way. The investigation seemed
to prove the satisfaction of the police that no
one who had been in the cellar could have got out
Captain Carey. head OF the homicide bureau. and
Detective Miller said there were several puzzling
features in the About a year ago. he said
Sheldon reported the police that he had been at
tackled by a man in d room in the house that the
man had cut his clothing and body with knife
and had then jumped from window An In
vestigaton made at the time. and the matter
dropped, the police discredted the story
told by Sheldon. For one thing. although snow
was lying on tn ground, no trace OF footprints
could be found under the window from which he
said the man jumped
1t was found yesterday afternoon that this time
Sheldon's clothing had been cut though no mark
of Knife was on his body. and curious thing
was that the waistcoat had seven distinct cuts In
il while the coat had only five and the cuts did
not correspond being in different parts Of the gar
ments. There was OF any kind on the
body. A collar found in the cellar. No
Sheldon. soiled. but the collar showed no
signs of having been torn off persons neck in a
struggle.
The house in which Dean Snow ives Is large
Colonial structure of light brick. Some OF the in
innate student friends OF young Sheldon gay he
nephew Of the dean, but this the dean
denies The boy hailed from LOckpoct originally,
but his parents living in Loring Place.
The Bronx. They summoned 20 the hospital.
but got there too late to their son alive. The
elder Sheldon is the superintendent OF The VIII
iamsbridge division of the New York and New
Jersey Telephone Company
Coroner Mcdonald visited the scene Of the shoot
ing and learned that SfaldOn's father him two
weeks ago and gave him u revolver. but ne could
not learn whether the pistol found by Sheldons side
was his revolver not.
He will hold a hearing to-day. when all those
who were in the house at the time of the shoot
ing will be examined. An autopsy will be per-
formed on the body of Sheldon at the Fordhain
morgue by Coroner's Physician Curtin this morn
ing
ROOT BOOKED FOR TWO COMMITTEES.