Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-07-08
DECLARE SHEPHERD
IS mot GUILTY"
Jury Is Out Five Hours
Next Step Is Fight Over
100000 Will.

Chicago.-"Not guilty" the verdic.
read and William Darling Shepherd
bowed his head, crossed his hands
and prayed.
1t was the end of a murder trial
such as had never before taken place
in Cook county or in Illinois. The
verdict, in effect, said Shepherd did
not inoculate William McClintock with
typhoid germs so as to cause the
death by which Shepherd inherited
S1,000,O00
The jury was out five hours. On
the first ballot the jury was seven for
acquittal and five for guilty. Six bal
lots were taken in all one juror held
out until the last ballot for a verdict
Of ID years Imprisonment.
Will Contest Comes Next.
The verdict ended all possibility of
further criminal proceedings against
Shepherd. 1t enables him to go with
clean hands into a contest started
on the McClintock will by nine cousins
of the dead youth. 1t gives Shepherd
the presUmptive ownership of the Nc
Clintock estate subject only to a pos
sible breaking of the WILL
Shepherd, Of course, won his imme-
date release from the county jail.
where he had been confined since
March IS.
Verdict Ends Six Months Effort.
The verdict was the end of a six
months period of being under a cloud
for Shepherd. McClintock died Deem
Der after a ten-day illness of typhoid
fever. From then on there were de-
velopments unfavorable to Shepherd.
Chief Justice Harry Olson of the
Municipal court undertook to make
an investigation. Mr.. and Mrs. Shep-
herd had departed for New Mexico
after the fun eral and after the will had
been filed for probate. Judge Grove
asked and obtained an order to eX-
hume the body of McChntock
The coroner's physicians found Billy
had undoubtedly died of typhoid fever.
Judge Olson said there were reasons to
believe Shepherd had administered ty-
phoid germs to the youth
Two Bodies Exhumed.
During the investigation that fol-
lowed the bodies of DR.. Oscar Olson,
brother of Judge Olson, and Mrs Nc
Clintock, were dug UP and examined
by the cOrOner's Psychologists. 1t was
found Mrs. McClintock's death was
due TO mercury.
Nothing significant was found in the
remains of Doctor Olson and the
coroners jury returned an open YER
dict as to his death. There had been
suspicion only because Shepherd
visited Doctor Olson during his ill
ness.
The coroner's jury blamed the other
two deaths on Shepherd and included
Mrs. Shepherd in their charge, too.
States Attorney Grove enabled her TO
be speedily indicated, for the grand
jury voted mo bill" within two days.
Basis of Charge.
The principal basis of the murder
charge against Shepherd was in the
confession of Charles C. Faiman, pres
ident of the National University of
Sciences, school of shady reputation.
Faiman said Shepherd applied to him
for typhoid germs and that he gave
him three tubes of them.
Later, Faiman said, he learned Shep-
herd was planning McClintock's death
because the boy was about to marry
Miss Isabelle Pope and if he did so
Shepherds hopes of getting the Nc
Clintock money would ge glimmering.
He had induced the boy to name him
as sole legatee, Faiman said Shepherd
finally admitted to him. 1t was de-
cided to kill him before he could
marry, Faiman stated, and then he
said it was done.