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SHEEDY'S SKULL IN COURT.

Ghastly Witness Against the Accused Murderers Introduced in Court.

PROFOUND SENSATION AT THE TRAIL.

Testimony of a Physician That Death Was Not the Result of a Blow - The Skull Not Fractured.

Lincoln, Neb., May 18. -[Special to The Bee.]- The most profound sensation yet produced in the Sheedy murder trial occurred about 5 o'clock this afternoon, when the skull of John Sheedy was brought into court. It was not known at the time that it was presented that it was the skull of the murdered man, and Dr. Gannett, who was on the witness stand, showed on the ghastly relic handed to him where there had been outer fractures. The osseous tissue from the cheek bone to the process of the temporal bone was missing. The doctor testified that the blow that John Sheedy had received was of an exactly similar nature. That it had crushed the outer portion of the skull, but had not in any manner affected the inner plate of the skull or the brain.

Mr. Lambertson, attorney for the state, then asked:

"Whose skull is that you hold in your hand?"

The witness replied: "It is the skull of John Sheedy!"

For a few moments the judge, jury, spectators, but above all the attorneys for the defense were paralyzed. Even Mrs. Sheedy dropper her eyes for a moment, but afterwards raised them, first in a dazed manner, but later she recovered and in scrutinizing way she looked at it as though it were a curiosity. She did not she a tear or even look troubled after the first surprise. She could not help but recognize the grinning apparition as that of her murdered husband, because in the forehead of the bony structure was the depression familiar to her where once a would be murderer attempted to blow her husband's brains out and almost succeeded. Sheedy had recovered from the shot, but the depression in the forehead was apparent ever since, and even in the grinning skull the same reminder of the deadly assault was apparent the same as in life.

The composure of Mrs. Sheedy was universally remarked. Her sisters showed evidences of emotion. The attorneys fro Mrs. Sheedy did not recover from the surprise for some time, and they evinced a disposition soon afterwards to have the court adjourn as soon as possible.

The result of the arraignment of Monday McFarland and Mrs. Sheedy for the alleged murder of Mr. John Sheedy is a matter of speculation. The popular belief thus far is that there is not sufficient testimony to convict Mrs. Sheedy, unless the negro goes on the stand, and that already enough evidence has been brough to send the negro to the penitentiary, if not hang him.

The testimony today was not considered very strong from the point of the prosecution. Something of a sensation was raised by Detective Malone denying that he made certain statements at the coroner's inquest, which Mr. Strode claimed he had.

F. C. Fisk, the first witness, showed a diagram of the interior arrangement of the Sheedy residence.

Marshal Melick testified that the socks, neckties and night shirts presented at the coroner's jury were the same that were found in Walstrom's trunk.

County Attorney Snell presented a number of photographic views of the Sheedy residence, but they were not allowed in evidence.

Detective Jim Malone was then put on the stand. He testified that he went to Walstrom's room after the arrest of that fellow and found there some socks, neckties and night shirts which he showed to certain clerks at Herpolsheimer's and Schwab's, and they identified them as the one sold to Mrs. Sheedy. On the day of the arrest the witness was with Marshal Melick when that officer showed Monday McFarland his own cane and asked him whether he had bought such a cane as that at Goldwater's. McFarland said he had bought a cane like that for a man from the black Hills. When the witness started to take McFarland to the police station a person ner by remarked, "Ah, there, I thought that they'd get you." It was one of the barbers in the shop who said this. The witness continued:

"I showed Monday McFarland the cane found on the porch after the assault on John Sheedy, January 11. Monday identified the cane. I asked him where he was the evening of the assault and his answers were such that I charged him with being at John Sheedy's between eight minutes after 7 and 7:30 the evening that Sheedy was struck. We then locked him up."

The witness then testified that he was present at the time the first confession was made. This was on the Sunday morning following the arrest. The witness then detailed the confession, it being in every way particular exactly like that given in evidence by Officer Kinney, telling of the criminal intimacy between Mrs. Sheedy and the negro, how the murderious plot was first revealed to Monday and the full particulars leading up to the assault. While the confession was being made Carder came in and told McFarland to keep his mouth shut as he had told enough already to hang him. McFarland did not appear scared at the time.

Philpot then asked the witness: "Didn't you tell me on the day of the confession that McFarland was frightened and would probably commit suicied?"

"No , sir," was the reply.

"Very well," said Philpot, " I will probably go on the stand myself."

This bluff, however, had no effect on Malone.

Strode then commenced asking the witness a number of questions as to whether he did not state at the coroner's jury that John Sheedy said to him before dying that he believed it was Frank Williams who made the assault. This question was ruled out by the judge, but Strode persisted in putting the same question under different forms. Finally Lambertson arose and declared that Strode was merely resorting to a trick for the purpose of having a certain effect on the jury.

Stearns came to the rescue of Strode and asked sarcastically if Lambertson ahd not resorted to a trick when he got Gus Saunders to testify about Mrs. Sheedy being a mistress to Sheedy several years before the marriage of the two.

"No," said lamberton, " I didn't, because the court at first ruled that the questions were all right, but I notice that you catch onto a trick about as quickly as anybody."

A general smile went around.

Strode then demanded if the witness had not told him (Strode) on the evening after the confession that a statement had been the confession that a statement had been scared out of the negro. The witness replied that he had not. Strode reiterated the question and shook his long index finger at the witness, but Malone was imperturbable and refused to accommodate Strode by answering the affirmative.

Mr. Lambertson then remarked in his usual quiet manner:

"Wasn't Mr. Strode and a legion of other lawyers at the jail there that evening anxious to get the case?"

This made strode angry, and, before the witness could answer, Strode demanded with blazing eyes:

"Mr. Malone have you ever seen me go begging for cases about the police station?"

The answer was drowned in a ripple of laughter. Mr. Strode then continued:

"I think I have had at least as many cases in the criminal courts as you have, Mr. Lambertson."

"Well, gentlemen," said the judge, who had been trying meanwhile to conceal a smile, "the records are the best evidence in the matter. We will now proceed with this case."

Dr. H. M. Casebeer, one of the physicians who helped conduct the autopsy over the body of John Sheedy, was then called. Before he got through with his testimony the eyes of the attorneys for the defense began to gleam with pleasure while the attorneys for the prosecution looked decidedly ill at ease. The witness did not show a very familiar knowledge either with anatomy or with the effects of morphine. Once when Mr. Lambertson asked him: "What bone is here?" pointing to the cheek, the witness replied:

"That is the temporal bone."

"Is it not the molar bone?" asked Mr. Lambertson.

"Oh, yes, excuse me, it is." said the witness.

In describing the effects of morphine the witness twice stated it caused a dilation of the pupils of the eye. For the third time the question was put to him:

"Dr. Casebeet, do you mean to say that morphine causes dilation of the pupils of the eye?" he replied:

"O, no, I mean it causes contraction."

Meanwhile Lambertson asked the witness if such bones were not called by certain names and put nearly all his questions in such a leading manner that finally the defense raised a great objection to such coaching of a witness.
Meanwhile the witness declared that from the symptoms of the patient as described by Mr. Lambertson and from the result of the autopsy that Sheedy had died from the effects of morphine poisoning.

"I don't believe," said Philpot, attorney for Monday McFarland, but who has done most the fighting for Mrs. Sheedy on the poison theory, "that this fellow knows where the arbor vitae is situated!"

The colonel then came to the front and asked the witness:

"Doctor, can you tell me where the arbor vitae is located?"

"I don't know that there is such a place," replied the witness.

"Have you not in some of the books read of a place that is supposed to represent the center of life and is know by the name of arbor vitae, or tree of life?

The physician declared that he had never heard of such a thing and the eyes of Colonel Philpot twinkled merrily. He then proceeded to display his knowledge of physiology and toxicology and though apparently less conversant with the subjects than Lambertson, he succeeded in getting the witness to admit that he had formed his theory of morphine poisoning before the autopsy was made; that in case of morphine poisoning the bladder would be liable to contain more evidence of the same than the kidneys and yet the urine had not been examined at all.

Otherwise the doctor's testimony agreed in the main with that of Dr. Beachley, the witness declaring that the brain and medulla oblongata, or p[ortion of the spinal cord next to the brain showed no evidence of blood clot. The skull was not fractured. A small clot of blood was found in the right ventricle of the heart. He was not positive that blood clots in the heart indicated morphine poisoning, nor was he sure that the lungs were congested in cases of morphine poisoning.

At the afternoon session Dr. Casebeer was again put on the stand. Colonel Philpot resumed the cross examination.

"How long is the medulla oblongata, doctor," said he, "between two and three inches?"

"Yes, sir, in that neighborhood."

Colonel Philpot then savagely demanded:

"Don't you know that the medulla oblongata is seldom an inch and a quarter long, and in fact one was never known to be an inch and a quarter long? Why, the medulla of the eight foot Missouri girl aint an inch and a half long."

The doctor said nothing and the audience laughed. Mr. Strode then took the witness and began questioning him as to the difference of symptoms in case of concussion of the brain and compression of the brain, and Mr. Strode handed the witness a medical book, but Judge Field sad that such a proceeding was out of order as the books should be introduced in evidence. A question was finally put to the witness as to what he would expect in case a dose of morphine had been given to John Sheedy at 1 a. m.m and the condition of the man was the same at that time as has been already given in evidence. The witness replied:

"I think a fatal dose of morphine could be given at 1 o'clock to a patient who had vomited two or three times and not be manifest within three hours. If the stomach had nothing but food i it a toxic does would be manifest within an hour."

The next witness called was Mr. D. G. Courtnay, an attorney who looked after the legal interests of Mr. Sheedy. Mr. Courtnay testified that he was at the Sheedy residence shortly after the murderous assault. He helped put him to bed and undress him, took charge of Sheedy's papers, advised Mrs. Sheedy to deposit $550 found among papers, in a bank subject to her check. Had conversations with Sheedy daily since the shooting one month previous to his death. These occurred in the office of the witness. Sheedy suspected E. L. Bradem, Mose Smith, Alex Juttes and Frank Williams of conspiring to put him out of the way. The witness advised Sheedy to employ detectives. Was asked by Mrs. Sheedy after the funeral if he (Courtnay) thought her guilty. [Overruled]. This question was induced by the look Courtnay gave Mrs. Sheedy on entering her house. The conversations with Mrs. Sheedy were of a financial nature. The witness refused to let McFarland in the house the next day because there was too much of a crowd.

Dr. Gannet was then called. He testifies that he was present at the autopsy over the body of John Sheedy and participated in the same. His testimony in regard to it was exactly like that Dr. Beacley, who testified last Saturday.

The skull of John Sheedy was produced with the result noted above. The last questions were:

"State whether from the examination you have made of the skull of John Sheedy if in your opinion the blow that was administered at that time was sufficient to produce death?"

"I think so," was the answer.

"Was the blow that was administered to John Sheedy and the wound inflicted on him sufficient in your opinion to account for the symptoms that you saw in his last illness?"

The audience bent eagerly forward to catch the reply that came out distinct and clear:

"No, sir."

The witness was excused and Mrs. P. H. Swift was called. These defense kicked on her appearance as they declared that the name on the back of the information was P. G. Smith and that they had been hunting all over creation to find such a man. The judge finally ended the matter by adjourning court.

THE WEATHER FORECAST.

For Omaha and vicinity - Fair; warmer.

Washington, May 18, -Forecast till 8 p. m. Tuesday: For Missouri - Fair Tuesday: slightly warmer, except stationary temperature; south winds.

For Iowa - Generally fair; cooler by Tuesday night; winds becoming northwest.

For South Dakota - Showers; cooler; northwest winds.

For Nebraska - Fair and cooler Tuesday, except showers in north portion; winds becoming northwest.

For Kansas - Fair Tuesday; warmer; southerly winds.

For Colorado - Fair Tuesday; Cooler by Tuesday night; winds becoming north.

The Death Roll.

Cincinnati, O., May 18. - Colonel L. M. Dayton, a prominent member of the society of the army of Tennessee, and who perhaps was the closest to general Sherman of all his military family, died here this morning.

Keokuk, Ia., May 18. - Judge Edward Johnstone, president of the Iowa Columbian exposition, is dead. Judge Johnstone was a member of the Iowa constitutional convention, was twice speaker of the house, and once chosen senator. His brother was formerly governor of Pennsylvania.

Chicago, May 18. - Rev. Joseph Travis is dead. He had been in the active ministry in the Free Methodist church thirty-five years' was one of the organizers of the Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin conference and presiding elder of different districts for twenty years past.