The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-25

saving myself"
 His wife sank immediately, he said, and as he struck out for shore he saw bubbles that marked the spot where she had gone to her death. Mrs. sherman, he explained, couldn't swim.
 "The reason for my act was my infatuation for Esther Magil. |. . I had thought that if my plans to get rid of my wife were success ful, would propose marriage to 1 the Magil girl. ."
 Judge Hammond allowed defense exceptions to the admission of the confession. Although Sherman showed no emotion when the confession was admitted, his chief counsel, William w. Buckley, appeared crestfallen He strolled over to Sherman, whis- pered words of encouragement, and the defendant smiled wanly. Lieutenant Edward J. Mccarthy of the state police resumed the witness stand and continued before the jury the testimony begun late yesterday when jurors were ex- cluded.
 District-Attorney owen A. Ho- ban read to the jury Sherman's confessions, as follows:
 q, Newell P. Sherman, on July 21, 1895 am making the following statements regarding my activities on the night of July 20, 1895, with out promise of favor, without fear and of my own free will.
 "On the night of July goth l went to .Iookto Canoe House and there hired a canoe, I was enter taining the thought of taking my wife, Alice Dudley Sherman, age 22 years, for ride later in the night with the intentions of tipping the canoe over and in this way get ting rid of my wife. I went to choir rehearsal shortly after 2 p. m. on this date and returned home about 9:15 p. m., at about ,9:30 p. m. took my wife from her home on Elm St., Sutton, after she had put our two children to bed. took her to the boat house and obtained the canoe that I earlier in the evening had hired.
 we padded around Lake Sin gletary and stopped on my shore near Benjamin's Wall. We parked on my fathers land for about three quarters of an hour. I padded for about 100 feet north from my fathers land and then turned west and went about 200 to 800 feet.
 At. this point I deliberately tipped the canoe over, with the in- tentions of drowning my wife. Aft CT the canoe was tipped over ] thought only of saving myself. ] turned deliberately around in the water to get away from the hold that my wife had on the shoulder of my shirt. She sank immediately after I pushed her away. I re- mained there and saw the bubbles and this was the last saw of my wife's body. was trying to take my shoes off when I pushed her away, and after she sank, one shoe was off and the other was partly off. I pulled that one off. went over to the canoe and got the front end of the canoe under my arm and swam into the shore.
 T ran up through the woods as fast as I could to the Marion's camp, and tried to arouse them ir the caretakers cottage, then I went up to my brother-in- law, Perry This all happened between 1O:3( D. m. and 10:40 p. m. My watch stopped at 10:40 D. m. My wife couldn't swim. My wife did not make any remarks when I pushed her away, the canoe was bottom side up and about eight or ten feet away when I pushed my wife away from me. The reason for my act wa my infatuation for Esther Ma gill of North Main street, Whitins- vile, I have been keeping company with her up until a couple ol months previous to the grange mu. sic festival at Sutton. That was sometime in May. The last time had a date with her was on my birthday that was April 26th. I had thought that if my plans to get rid of my wife were successful would propose marriage to the Magil girl. I never talked it over with her.
 q have read this statement and will say that 1t is a true statement made by me without any promisef being made to me. I regret very much what I did, but don't know just how to express myself, and was told that I didn't need to talk unless I wanted to.
 'This statement was made at the state police station at Grafton. in the presence of Lieut.. Edward J, Mccarthy, Corp. Ro erSt E Thompson and Patrolmen Albert y Sheehan and Robert J. Mitchell.
 (Signed) "Newell P. Sherman"