Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-30
SHEPHERD DENIES
ANYTHING UNUSUAL
IN Boys ILLNESS
viii Was Drawn Entirely on
Youths Initiative, He
Tells Questioners

CEfGAGO, Dec. LZE-lBV the AS
ISOLATED Press circumstances at
tending the death of William Nelson
McClintock, millionaire orphan" as
he knew them, were laid bare Satur-
day night by William Shepherd, into
whose care the boy was ntrusted
by Mrs. Emma Nelson M Clintock,
Williams mother. before s.-e died in
1908.
Shepherd, Intercepted by George
r. German and Joseph f. Savage,
assistant district attornesS, denied
he was aware of any unnatural cir
cumstances surrounding the boys
death in the Shepherds Kenilworth
home, Del nlbc- A, declaring en-
phatica1ly that every possible effort
had been made to save him.
The will, which gave him and his
wife, legal guardians of the boy, the
bulk of the $1,000,000 McClintock
estate, was drawn entirely upon the
initiative and suggestion of Billy,
Shepherd asserted.
He and his wife had only the kinds
lest feelings for Miss Isabelle Pope,
Williams fiancee, he declared, in
denying the statement attributed to
him, in which Miss Pope was de-
scribed as "mercenary." Under the
terms of the will Miss Pope was left
an annuity Of $4,000, although no
provision was made for payment OF
this SUM.
Wait ON Coroner
No further report by coroner's
physicians, concerning their autopsy,
started Christmas eve when the body
was eXhumed was made public Sat
urday, although Coroner Oscar
Wolff, through an assistant, deniedJa
report which had gained wide circu-
lation that a trace of solid food
had been found in the stomach
Reception of solid foods by typhoid
patients usually proves fatal, the
coroner; office had announced pre-
viously. sThe death certificate gave
typhoid fever as the cause OF young
McClintock' s death.
Shepherd went to the office OF
States Attorney Robert Z. Grove
late Saturday, accompanied by lis
attorneys. Robert II. .Stoll and Ed.
ward Hedrick. Grove, Hedrick and
Stoll withdrew fter a few perfume
tory questions and Shepherd remain
ed to be ,.uestic-4~ by Assistant
Prosecutors German and Savage.
0lICPllSlO dnO Ills WilG III 81 NOitAS
rs Chicago in 1907. at which time he
first met Mrs. McClintock. Mrs.
Shepherd and Mrs. McClintock had
been schoolmates In Kansas, he said.
4 After their social. visit with the. Me-
Clintocks Shepherd went to Texas to
dispose Of spn1e land holdings for
Mrs McCliatocl,, for which he re-
ceived a salary. Later he built a
winter home for the McClintocks at
Bayview, Texas, to which place Mrs.
McClintock went in 1908, although
size was i'll. She returned to Chicago
after month and then telegraphed
the Shepherds to come to her. Mrs.
Shepherd arrived the day Billy's
. mother died and Shepherd an hour
after the funeral was held.
Used McClintock Funds
Mrs. McClintock left the estate to
Billy, naming Mrs. Shepherd as ex-
ecutrix and Mrs. Shepherd and A. p.
| Reichman, attorney, as guardians of
the boy. The Shepherds then moved
to Kenilworth, where their present
home was built by funds from the
N1cClintock estates. The house was
kept up by funds from the same
source, court having allotted
1000 month for this purpose.
Billy McClintock lived with them
as their own son, Shepherd declared,
and great affection sprung up be-
tween them. Pilly always came to
him for advice. he said, and at
Christmas, 1928, he told Shepherd he
was thinking Of making will. He
asked Shepherd how his estate would
be disposed of if he were to die In
testate, and when informed that the
money and property would go to his
next of kin, he declared he did not
wish to leave anything to his
cousins.
Seven cousins recently engaged an
attorney with the intention Of taking
legal steps to test the will.
Shepherd declared Billy returned
to Dartmouth, where he was a stu
dent, with the announcement that
he would draw a rough sketch of
the will This he did and gave to
Shepherd upon his return home two
days before his birthday last April.
The will was put into legal form by
Shepherd and its signing witnessed
by two servants of the Shepherd
household. The will then was re.
turned to Shepherds office where 1t
was kept in an unlocked file.
Asked About Marriage
In their discussions Of the estate,
Shepherd said Billy asked if the will
would be automatically annulled in,
the event of his marriage and was
sold that 1t would be.
At the same time Billy decided to
leave college and take up business
training course here. He said he
-, IraI% all ~tx.e<
to be married, in February, 1925.
10 the best Of his information,
| Shepherd declared, Billy took sick
at the Dartmouth-Yale game this
fall, but did not take to his bed I'M.
til ten days later. DR.. r. II. Stolp.
the Shepherd family physician. was
called, and when he realized the Sc
robustness Of Billy's condition, asked
that he be permitted to call other
! physicians into consultation. Shep.
herd answered that he should do
everything in his power to save the
boy. DR.. James Herrick, Chicago
Specialist, was called, and Billy's Ill
I ness diagnosed as typhoid fever The
boy became delirious soon after this
announcement was made and remain.
ed so, except for a few minutes. I'M
! til his death a week later.
When he knew that he was seri.
ously i'll and before he became de-
! lirious. Billy told him, Shepherd de-
clared, that Miss Pope had suggest
ed that they get married. Billy was
opposed to this, but thought they
could get married when he became
convalescent, so that Miss Pope
could nurse him on trip to the
! south, which they had planned. To
carry this, plan into effect they de-
cided that Shepherd was TO tell Miss
| Pope that the presence of both con-
! tracing parties was necessary in
| this county to obtain a license TO
I marry In ron ves,i11 fhia fnforf1a.