Evening star., 1954-12-11
|Dr. sheppard Insists
He Loved His Wife,
Firmly Denies Killing
BY ReImon MORN
A.soeiefsd Press ssoff Wrissr

CLEVELAND, Dec. u.-Dr.
Samuel Sheppard braced him
self today for the States attack
on his emphatic assertion that
he did not kin his wife. and
that = couldn't have done such
q thing"
He says he was happily mar
ried to Marilyn Sheppard.
But one name Susan Hayes
still confronts the osteopath.
Miss Hayes. q laboratory tech
nican. has admitted having
intimate relations with him.
For q day and o half. Shep-
pard testified In his own de-
fenSe against q charge Of first
degree murder. He made only
brief references to Miss Hayes.
He said his wife was not dis
turbed when he told her he had
given Miss Hayes q watch.
Prosecution attorneys are
ready to cross-question Shep-
pard's whole story. The State
contends that he murdered his
wife, last July 4, and that his
motive grew out of his extra
marital relations.
Tells of Long Questioning.
Marilyn Sheppard. a 31-year-
old expectant mother. was beaten
to death in bed. The doctor, 80.
testified he ran to the bedroom
when he heard her cries. and was
slugged unconscious by the killer.
He says Cleveland detectives
accused him Of the murder In
the first stages Of the investi-
cation. He described one grilling
that lasted nearly II hours. con-
Quoted by four pairs Of officers.
Sheppard said the detectives
tried to confuse him, cursed him
and insulted his family, and
mentioned "accomplices." They
expressed doubt. he said, that
he was the father Of his unborn
child.
In trying to talk him into a
confession, he said, they dis
cusSed light prison sentences
sometimes given for a plea of
manslaughter.
II told them I couldn't confess
to something I didn't do" he
said.
Capt. David E. Kerr, unwilling
to wait for cross-examination
attack on DR.. Sheppard's testi-
mony. today blasted as bare
faced lies" the defendants
statements that detectives cursed
and insulted him and tried to
trick him into confessing the
murder.
There was no third degree, no
offer Of a deal-that's ridicu-
lous," Capt. Kerr said. I'VE
can't make deals. That's UP to
the court"
PantOmimes Detectives.
In a graphic pantomime, at
his attorneys urging. Sheppard
showed the jury how q detective
simulated the terrible blows that
were rained on Marilyn Shep-
pard's head.
He rolled q piece Of long yellow
paper into q cylinder and said
of the officer: aa
He'd put his hands over his
head like this -. :" Sheppard
raised the paper club with both
hands. "And bring them down
like this.
"And he would say, Down,
down, down, down, down." Shep-
pard shouted the word i've times,
each time with a simulated blow.
II told him I didn't do it." he
continued. II told him 7 couldn't t
do it to any human or animal.
i told him I couldn't possibly
have done such q thing under
any circumstances"
Another officer. he said, asked
him how he could go through the
ordeal.
IT told him that I still had
faith in the truth and ! had
faith in God and Marilyn Vas
with me-" Sheppard says he re-
piled.
Investigation AssaiIed.
The long discussion Of the
police investigation bears directly
on Sheppard's defense. His chief
counsel, William j. CoWigan, in
sisted from the first, that detec-
tives failed to conduct a thor
ough, impartial investigation Of
the crime. Instead, MIR. Corri-
gan says. they set out to prove
Sheppard was the killer.
Sheppard says the authorities
did not conduct what he called a
"meticulous" examination Of his
home on an occasion when they
took him there.
He did discover, however, that
a box Of morphine ampules was
gone from his doctors kit on that
occasion, he said. He kept the
drug at hand for use in emer-
gencies, he said.
The defense has suggested
that a psychopath, or possibly
a dope addict, broke into the
Sheppard home and committed
the murder.
The cross-examination prob
ably win be launched as soon
as Sheppard finishes telling his
story. Mr.. Corrigan indicated
that he has only q few questions
left and may finish the direct
examination Monday.
- = 80 N