New Britain herald., 1924-11-19
Rev. (. V. Sheatsley of Bexley, O., Makes Known His Views in Private Talk With Prosecutor.
Wife's Body Found Tues day Where It Had Been Cremated in Furnace at Family Home.

Columbus, O., Nov. 19,--Rev. E. V. sheatsley, pastor of Christ Lutheran church of BeAley, suburb, whose Vife's cremated body was taken from heating furnace in the family home late Monday today changed his testimony of yesterday and told Prosecutor King that he believed his wife had taken her own life. Yesterday he had refused to accept a suicide verdict.
 Voluntary Statement
 The minister's statement was made voluntarily He called Prosecutor John R. King on the telephone just 6 few hours before the funeral was to be held and said he desired q personal" conference. The prose cutor, with a stenogra pl1er, went to the minister's study where he de- clared he wished 10 change testi- mony given yesterday.
 Yesterday you asked me if I had any personal opinion as to how my wife met her death and I told you l cid not" he began. 'I have sent for you to tell you that I now have a conviction of what happened. This is my own deliberate conviction, made after considering all angles in the case.
 T believe that my wife killed herself"
 Throughout hours of questioning, Rev. MT. Sheatsley has maintained rigid composure. Reluctant to ac. cept a verdict of suicide, he could offer no motive for murder.
 Knoas Of No Motive
 ''ls there anything you can tell u, Of any event in Mrs. Sheatsley's pasl | life that would lead her to contem plate suicide or which would offei any motive for murder?" Prosecutor King asked him. E.
 T know of absolutely aotIiBg, the minister replied. "She was al ways of a quiet disposition. interest cd In her home work and my church and occupied with our children"
 The minister has long been an en- thusiastic huntsmcn. In company with another pastor, he spent a va cation last summer in the Michigan woods Last Saturday he was hunt ing with friends and bagged several rabbits, which he brought home. Because these belts had been burned in the furnace, the children were not unduly suspicious of the peculiar cdor coming from the furnace on the afternoon the mothers body was found, they said.
 Recognized Mother
 The investigators had only partial facts concerning the condition of the furnace when the body was found. The minister testified that before going 10 town he rcfuolcd the fur. mace and that he left it thoroughly hot and filled with flame. Clarence. the younger son, told police thai shortly after ?. m.. when he open, ed the door and recognized lis mother, the furnace was filed with flame.
 Police attach little significance to Ciarence's testimony that he dis. covered the body yet failed to tell his brother and sisters of his dis coNcry. His explanation that he did not wish 10 worry them until his father knew the fact, WAS accented He said that he was attracted 10 inc furnace immediately upon rcturnine rom school and recognized the hodv. Ills brother and sisters were in in, room aho|e, but he passed them Ir and went to his own room witno,r notifying them of tue tragedy.
 Who ClOs~d Door?
 Coroner Murphy. however, asscrts that the fire could have been bank el with ashes hy the woman before sue crawl"d into rho opening. but he cannot account for the deer lu .rc closed
 Prosecutor King banrarreI Iasf night with chemists, hut could ob- tain no definite information as to the length of time necessary 10 crematc the body in an ordinary furnace, Hc had hoped to establish the exact time of the tragedy with such ;n- formation.
 The prosecutor Was also told that a1 insane person sometimes loses scnse Of pain and that human muc. cies do not always contract when ir severe pain.
 Much emphasis Is being placed m. the position of the hody in the fur mace The youns,r son testified fhsi Inc back was to the door. with feet on one si1e and head on the other 'he body somewha, in a rec,in,np position. whs~ he first identified il Almost two hours la,cr when he ar 0ompanied his father to the furnace the body had fallen. but the back was still towards 4 door.
 Prosecutor King believes that i would have been impossible for tho woman to have entered the furnace feet first. Even had she been ahlo 10 accomplish this, he believes. she would have been unable to clasc inc door because her back was 1 against it
 Members of tha minister's con