Imperial Valley press., 1925-05-18
TO ASK DEATH PENALTY FOR St1EP PE1ERD
Accused Still
Maintains II
Is Money! Plot
by United Press Leased Wire

n CHICAGO, May l8.-Thc state
N will demand the death penalty
.ifor William ID. Shepherd, on trial
|, on the charge Of killing his wealthy
ward, Billy McClintock, it was in
dicated today. The first two pros
apective jurors were dismissed by the
4k kprosecution when they said they
GNvere opposed to the death penalty.
81 "DO you have any conscientious
u seruples against imposing the death
81 penalty, if the defendant is found
guilty'" George +. German, first
assistant states attorney, asked
each venireman.
The first two veniremen said
they were opposed to the death pen
atty and they were excused.
;. The third man said he favored the
death penalty for man found
guilty of murder. He was accepted
bv the state and the defense also
iiy, hy:''' ~ 'i"''' : 4
The fourth man to be questioned
was also dismissed on the same
grounds, the fifth was accepted
temporarily by both sides and the
.Aaixth man was dismissed.
His puffy checks 4 bit sunken,
his complexion dimmed by his con
finement in the county Jail for more
than month, Shepherd went
through his regular routine, made
his bed and put his cell in order be-
fore being led into Judge Thomas
j. Lynch's court where the great
illegal battle is being staged.
n The man who is accused OF en-
\ listing the aid of q quack doctor
and administering deadly typhoid
germs to the millionaire orphan "
still protested his innocence as the
hour for trial approached.
Says It's Plot
Y "This is a plot to rob me of the
money Billy willed to me, Shep-
herd reiterated. "I'n be glad
when this trial is over because l
know / will be found innocent of
J this foul charge and be freed from
the tortures of my enemies.
Not since the days of the famous
I.eopold-Loeb murder. case has the
Criminal court building been so
crowded with eager court fans.
Although Shepherd has been ac-
cused of II sixteen year plot to OBJ
tain the McClintock fortune, a plot
started when he is alleged to have
, poisoned Billy 8 mother ut Bayview,
tTexas, he goes to trial only on the
charge of numbering Billy, the curly
haired boy over whom he had been
custodian since his mothers death.
The auack doctor, Charles c. Fai'
man. is the state 's chief witness. lie
testified before the grand jury, as
serting that Shepherd came to him
i'm quest of a safe and certain meth
6dg Of poisoning his wealthy young
ward.
~ gave him typhoid germs and
told him how TO use them Faiman
said. "I told him they spelled cer-
tain death and he was pleased. y
The second only to Faiman in legal
Importance and even greater than
the ouack doctor in enlisting SYM
pathy of the jury, is Miss Isabelle
Pope. beautiful society &ifi, who
was to have become BilIvss wife,
had not death come n few hours
too soon. -.
Tanned and in good spirit. Miss
Isabelle Pope. fiancee of Billy. sar-
rived here TODAY from California to
testify against Shepherd. The girl
left for California shattered III
health bv the tragedy and returned
l8 pounds heavier.
"I want only justice, >" she told
tbo United Press. "Tll tell what
7 know and what Billy told me.
What 7 will tell will be. the truth
and because that is so they will not
he able to confuse me. Some things
I know may be damaging.