New Britain herald., 1926-11-27
KILLS HIS wife,
and Then himself
]. Morton Shaw Was Former
Harvard Grid Star
New Bedford, Mass, Nov. 81 (P>-

New Bedford Mass, Nov. 81 P)-
]. Norton Shaw. prominent New
Bedford lawyer and former Harvard
football star, shot and killed his
wife and ended his own life at his
home in Mattapoisett late yesterday
afternoon.
Worry over probate court mat
ter that was to be tried here next
Monday and Tuesday is thought TO
have been one cause for the deed.
According to Mrs. Catherine Sher-
man, housekeeper at the Shaw home,
at about 5 o'clock this afternoon,
Mr.. Shaw took a gun he had in the
house and remarked that he was
going to shoot rat. Mrs. Sherman
saw Mr.. Shaw go up into the upper
part of his house and in few min
utes she said she heard the eXplo-
sion of the gun. Mrs. Sherman hur-
ried into the second story of the
house and there she saw Mr.. Shaw
standing in the middle of his wife's
bedroom, and Mrs. Shaw was on
the floor.
"My God" exclaimed Mr.. Shaw.
1--WE shot my wife, go get doctor"
Mrs. Sherman ran down stairs to
the telephone and while she was
calling up DR.. Tilden she heard an
other explosion and leaving the
telephone she ran up stairs again
and found that Mr.. Shaw was on
the floor with blood streaming from
a self inflicted wound. He was dead
before help could be summoned.
Mr.. Shaw was an executor of the
estate of George T. Russell, who
died in Acushnet about five years
ago. Russell left an estate of about
sos, 200 and the requests by will
amounted to about 100000. Now
the town of Acushnet and other
benefciaries are Directing to the al
lowance Of the account.
At the time the will was made
there was sufficient funds in the es-
tate to meet all the requests. Mr..
Russell died shortly after making
the will. A few days prior to his
death, there was withdrawn from
the New Bedford Institution for Saw
ings. more than s42, 900. This was
paid on orders signed by Mr.. Russell,
the major share of the amount
withdrawn going to Mrs. Rebecca c.
Holmes, it is alleged, and a smaller
amount to J. L. Norton Shaw
Mrs. Holmes and Mr.. Shaw were
named executors in the will. 1t is
their account that is being contested
by the beneficiaries.
Mr.. Shaw was a graduate of
Harvard university, class of 1898,
and Of Harvard Law school Of 1901.
He was very prominent as foot
ball guard at Harvard and In 1896
he was chosen on Wharton's ALL
American eleven.
He played on the freshman team
and three years on the varsity dur
ing Harvard's most successful sea-
sons.
In '95 and 80 he played against
Princeton. being engaged in the big
contest at Princeton which went
down in history for its terrible
roughness.
Mrs. Shaw was Helen Macomber
Sherman, daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs.
William Bradford Sherman Of Provi-
dence. They were married at Provi-
dence in 1909. They had no chill
dren. Mr.. Shaw was the son of
Bruce +. and Eliza A. Shaw of
Mattapoisett.
Believe Wifc's Death Accident
Mr.. Shaw's friends in Mattapoisctt
are positive In their declarations
that the death Of Mrs Shaw was an
accident. DR.. Irving n Tilden, who
was summoned to the Shaw home
after the shooting. expressed that
conviction: and DR.. Raymond II.
Baxter of Marion, associate medical
examiner for Plymouth county, after
viewing the bodies pronounced Mrs.
Shaw's death due to accident and
that Of her husband to suicide.
This advertisement, appearing in
London daily newspapers, caused
much amusement to visiting Ameri-