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SHEEDY MURDER TRIAL BEGUN

Monday McFarland and Mrs. Sheedy Brought into Court.

THE WOMAN'S WONDERFUL COMPOSURE.

She Appears Unconcerned and the Negro Indifferent---The First Day Consumed in Examining Jurors---Nine Chosen.

LINCOLN, Neb., May 4---[Special Telegram to THE BEE.]---Today the great Sheedy murder trial began, and up to the adjournment of the court shortly before 6 o'clock but little had been done. When Judge Field announced the case the bailiff hurried from the room and in a few minutes appeared on the scene accompanied by Monday McFarland, the negro who, with Mrs. Sheedy, is charged with being one of the principals in the murder of John Sheedy. The prisoner looked well fed and in better flesh than he was when he was consigned to jail to await his trial. He wore a light gray suit and a scrupulously clean white collar that set off his ebony complexion. On being brought into the court room he affected an indifferent air, and glanced neither to the right nor left. On taking a seat near Billingsley and Philpot, the lawyers appointed to defend him, he dropped his nonchalance and grinned as though the subsequent proceedings were to be a comical farce instead of a trial that may end in his being sentenced to death.

Shortly after the negro took his seat Mrs. Sheedy was brought in. She wore the conventional colors of all women under such a charge, black, which color became her well. She was accompanied by her two sisters, Mrs. Dean of Lincoln, Mrs. Morgan of San Diego, Cal., and J. W. Biggerstaff of Boise City, Idaho. Mrs. Sheedy's attire was facltless in every detail. There was nothing in Mrs. Sheedy's facial expression, however, in harmony with the mourning robes she wore. There was no trace of sorrow or apprehension for the future. The cold, keen black eyes flashed out defiance, the same as they had the evening of her arrest. At times she smiled and chatted almost gayly with her attorneys.

When Mrs. Sheedy took her seat the clerk proceeded to summon a jury. Twelve men were quickly called. Each juror was closely questioned with reference to his ideas relative to capital punishment or determined opinions and knowledge of the crime as gained from newspapers or hearsay reports, etc. The selection of the jury as it slowly progressed was watched with keen interest by all save the fair defendant, who displayed a wonderful composure. Her manner, while not calculated to unduly impress an opinion of innocence, was rather of a negative character and set to prejudice the mind either way. Her beauty, so much raved about during the preliminary examination, proves to have been largely over-estimated. It is not of the intellectual or demure kind but is more of the animal order. Her face indicates vindictiveness but not strength, while her eyes, though dark and lustrous, convey an idea of cunning rather than condor or confidence. Long confinement has bleached her face and she is now unnaturally plate, rendered strikingly so by contrast with her dark bonnet, veil and dress.

The day was consumed by the attorneys in examining jurors, and nine out of eighteen candidates were delivered over the bailiff. It is not sure, however, that the nine will be retained. The attorneys fro McFarland still refuse to allow the negro to go on the stand and allege that THE BEE has been brined to call public attention to this fact.