Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-21
Declared Hs Was Not Father Of Babe
and Asked Doctor 70 End Its Life
Made Way With Child Himself
When Physician Refused = Mother
Held to Grand Jury as Witness.
Special to Times Republican.

County Attorney c. A. Bryson was led
to suspect that the infant child born to
Mrs. Sherman the early part Of March,
had mysteriously disappeared. The
Shermans, who lived in Palmer's adj
dition, had left town and it was ascer-
tanned they had gone to the home OF
Sherman's relatives south of Williams.
Arriving there, Sheriff Walsh learned
they had gone to Ackley, the former
home of Mrs. Sherman. On reaching
Ackley, Sheriff Walsh found the couple
had gone to Dumont and on reaching
that place, discovered that relatives of
Sherman had driven them to BristoW
where Sheriff Walsh found them wait
ing for train to the Twin Cities. They
at first denied their identity, but later
Sherman confessed to the crime with
which they were charged.
Sherman Mskss Confession.
Sheriff Walsh returned to this city
with the couple Saturday and in the
presence Of County Attorney Bryson.
Justice Wheeler, and Sheriff Walsh.
confirmed the confession he had prev
iously made to the sheriff. 1t appears
that the morning of March s. Sherman
| summoned DR.. J. B. Bywater to his
| home where the physician discovered
that the case was one Of childbirth
About o'clock of that morning, Mrs.
| Sherman was delivered Of a male child
fully developed and to all appearances
normal. Previous to the birth, the
husband suggested to the physician
that he make way with the child, de-
nying the parenthood OF the unborn
child The physician told Sherman to
call another physician If that was the
! way he felt, but. the husband withdrew
his suggestion and induced the physi-
clan to attend the case. The physician
remained about three quarters Of an
hour after the child was born, but no
preparation had been made for the
| baby's arrival and no clothing had been
prepared for 1t, so the child was
| wrapped In a quilt and paced in an
other room.
Sheriff Begins Investigation.
In about three days, DR.. Bywater re-
turned to see HIS patient and found
her much improved. Inquiring where
the child was. he was told by the hus-
band that 1t had been taken to the home
Of a. relative northwest Of Alden. and
that he had seen the child and 1t was
doing finely. When 1t came to the at
tention of County Attorney Bryson that
a child had been born in the Sherman
home and that no baby was apparent.
he started an investigation. but in the
meantime, Mr. and Mrs. Sherman had
left the city, so Attorney Bryson pre-
scented the case to Sheriff Walsh. Fol-
lowing the preliminary hearing Of Sher-
man, Coroner Seidenberg. Of Alden.
was summoned and impannelled jury
consisting Of c.. c: Buck, John Bailey
and J. NJ. Rankin. Several witnesses
were examined including County At
torney Bryson. ]. L. Marks. Sheridan
Babcock, Justice C. NJ. Wheeler, ]. c.
Muikins. and DR.. J. B. Bywater.
Child Was chloroformed.
The evidence showed that Sherman
had confessed to making way with the
child and that about FIVE hours after
he chloroformed the child until it was
dead, using some chloroform that had
been in the house since the illness of
his brother. He disclaimed the father
hood of the child and thought 1t the
best way to dispose Of it. He had then
taken the body Of the child, wrapped it
In a gunnysack and deposited 1t in the
privy vault. When the officers went
to look for the body, they could not find
it, and so Sherman was called to the
scene of. the crime where he pointed
out: the location Of the sack containing
the body. 4. vi
The jury returned the following YER
dict: 1--WE find that the said deceased
came to his death blythe administra-
ton Of chlcroform and we do further
find that he came to hts, death felon-.
iously and that 9 crime has been com
mitted on the deceased and that How
ard Sherman Is the name Of the per-
son whom the jury believe has COM
mitted it,
: Mrs. Sherman resided here before
her marriage, but her old home was at
Ackley. Mr.. Sherman is.the son of a
widow living ,neer Williams but has
resided here for some time and. has
always borne a good reputation. prior
to this trouble.
Mother Held as Witness.
The preliminary hearing of Mrs.
Sherman who it was thought might be
associated in some way with the death
of her infant child which her husband,
cflloroformed on March 6, and who was
bound over to the September grand
jury without bonds, was concluded late
Saturday night. The hearing was held
before Justice c. NJ. Wheeler and re-
suited in Mrs. Sherman being held I'M
der bonds Of $1,000, to appear as wit
ness before the grand jury. lt-was not
shown that she was in any way con-
nected with the crime for which the
husband seems to have assumed all the
responsibility
Mr.. Sherman was taken to Eldora
by Sheriff Walsh Saturday night and
will remain in jail until his hearing
next fall. The. preliminary hearing OF
Mrs. Sherman brought TO light few adj
ditional facts than those disclosed at
the preliminary examination Of her
husband, and before the coEonoTs turys