Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-11-19
CHASTITY DISCOVERY
WOMAN IN FURNACE
BATTLING TO POLICE

Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 1S-Police
tonight admittedly were without a
clue to the mysterious cremation
late yesterday Of Mrs. Addie Sheat-
sley, so years old, wife of the Rev.
c. V. Sheatsley, pastor of Christ Luz
theran Church of Bexley. a suburb,
whose charred body was found in
the heating furnace in the basement
Of their Bexley home.
County Prosecutor King, with po-
lice Lieutenant Shellenbarger, spent
the entire day questioning members
Of the family and witnesses.
The tragedy, last night declared
by Coroner Murphy to be a suicide,
but held to be murder by County
Prosecutor King, Is one of the most
battling in the history of the Column
bus police department.
The Sheatsleys have lived in the
community for nine years. all Of
which time the minister has had
charge of the church. Their domestic
relations have always been amicable,
police were told.
Each member Of the family was
questioned during the afternoon.
Clarence, son OF Mr.. Sheatsley, was
twice questioned as to why he did
rot report the finding Of his mothers
body in the furnace shortly after 3
o'clock. Testimony showed that his
older brother and both sisters came
home more than an hour earlier than
the father. but that the younger boy
did not report his finding to them.
Milton, the older boy, related that
he attended classes at Capitol Uni
versity during the morning and that
all members Of the family were pres
ent for dinner at IL o'clock. He and
the two girls left home about 1915
p. NJ, leaving Clarence. his father
and mother alone in the house.
Testimony established that the
minister left home about 1880 p. NJ
and Clarence testified that he left
about fifteen minutes later.
Milton returned home about 3:15
even before he had entered the house
but did not Investigate
Not until his sisters returned from
school about 4.30 p. NJ. and the girls
asked him to see what was In the
furnace did he accompany them to
, the basement and opened the furnace
door q trif1e, but hurriedly closed 1t
when q volume of smoke and fumes
poured forth, he said. He left soon
afterwards to practice football.
He was called from the campus
an hour later and upon reaching
home was told that "Mama has been
found in the furnace"
after you knew that the odor
thai attracted you was the burning
flesh Of your mother, did YOU go to
Prosecutor King questioned Clar-
encc.
~ did not" the boy answered.
"Why didn't you?" the prosecutor
questioned again.
II didn't want to see my mother
burning In a furnace" he said sim
ply.
Each OF the witnesses was asked
concerning a certain student In the
university who is now i'll in a local
hospital. The minister told police
that he visited her yesterday while
on his regular round of mercy. The
children knew the patient and testi-
fed that she was also known to the
mother and that her name had been
mentioned by the family only as
OtneT utIuUtIS VI tnS pdStOi SAolSA
here.
Oficials are unanimous In their be-
lief that the woman could not have
ended her own life in the manner
described. The furnace is the usual
type. The door is about IA inches
square and Is two feet from the
floor. The smallness of the door
and its height from the floor would
render 1t impossible for the woman
to crawl into the opening feet first
anc had she gone in head first, she
would not have been able to turn
in the furnace and close the door,
they contend.
Furthermore. when the body was
found, the back was towards the
opening with feet and head on either
side of the door, the coroner re-
ported.
That Mrs. Sheatsley was deeply
moved by the sermon preached by her
husband Sunday was indicated when
Elizabeth, her 14-year-old daughter,
told how her mother had sobbed that
! she could "never be forgiven for her
sins
"Your father will never preach
better sermon than he did yesterday,
the little girl said her mother told her.
.But, mamma, you haven't any
SINS" was the chiId's reply.
you don't know-you don't know,
she said her mother told her.