247

WILL THEY HANG?

Query About Mary Sheedy and Monday McFarland.

THE NEGRO'S REMARKABLE STORY

To Be Tried Together-Trial to Begin Monday-The Poison Theory Not Abandoned-Walstrom in Europe-The Opposing Counsel-A Great Contest.

Can twelve men ignorant of the most stirring events happening in their neighborhood, non-readers of newspapers, steeped in stupidity and prejudice perhaps, insensible to the strangling of a fellow being with a cruel rope, be made to see in sweet, dimpled cupid a cause and in the murder of John Sheedy its effect? That is the problem to be solved in the trial of Mary Sheedy and Monday McFarland, which will begin before Judge Field next Monday. A venire of 150 jurors has been drawn, but there is no telling how long it will take to find twelve men who have heard nothing of the Sheedy case and otherwise are proof against the challenges that may be offered by the opposing sides. The indications now are that the trial will not be long drawn out. Dennis Sheedy had his brother's stomach analyzed, and the chemist reported no trace of poison. The prosecution will not drop the theory or poisoning, because morphine might have been used without leaving tell-tale traces. The state did not authorize the analysis made. It was a private undertaking of Dennis Sheedy, who engaged Dr. Holyoke, the coroner, to deliver the stomach to the chemist in Ann Arbor, Mich. It is presumed that Dennis will bear the expense of the analysis, though it may be saddled upon the estate.

Exceot for a so-called confession by McFarland, the colored barber, there is not evidence against Mrs. Sheedy and but a small amount of circumstantial evidence against the negro himself. As the case now stands the great contest will be over the admission of that confession. The defense will object on the ground that it was made under intimidation and fear of mob violence. The confession embodies such a remarkable story and plays such and important part in the case that Vanity Fair publishes it in full below, except small portions which will not bear publication. On Sunday evening, Jan. 18th, McFarland was taken to the office of Mayor Graham and told his story in the presence of the mayor, Marshal Melick and Detective Malone, Dr. Holyoke acting as his chief questioner. Myron Wheeler was concealed behind a screen and took a verbatim report of the talk in shorthand.

Monday McFarland's Confession.

Coroner Holyoke-Go ahead and tell us about the matter of the death of Mr. Sheedy.

I was afraid to tell last night. The reason I didn't aim to talk much last night was that my life has been threatened. I was afraid to talk.

You understand this and if you have to stand this thing alone it will likely go hard on you?

I will tell you the actual truth about it, and whatever the consequences is I suppose I will have to stand it.

Well, it will lessen the severity of the consequences.

Well, I was employed by Mr. Sheedy to treat his wife's hair, which I have been doing every since they have been here, or MONDAY M'FARLAND. she has. I got to going there a good deal oftner than usual on account of the falling out of the hair and dandruff and such things as that. He told me to come as often as she wanted me, and he would pay for whatever I did. During this time she would talk to me of course. She would talk to, and feel of me in different ways.

(Monday here told of how Mrs. Sheedy brought about the discussion of her most sacred domestic affairs and continued).

Still I never said a word to her out of the way. Well, I went away and she sent for me again in a few days, and talked of the same matter and told me about how she got hold of him and how she played it and won him, and she said she did it for the simple reason of getting his money.

To who did she refer? To Mr. Sheedy?

Yes, sir.

About how long since did these conversations on this subject begin between you and her?

About the middle of October.

About the middle of this last October?

Yes, sir.

That was after returning from the east, was it?

Yes , sir, after her trip to Buffalo.

Now in relation to this matter you speak of, what was said about it?

She said she never had anything to do with him and never intended to any more, and hadn't had for over a year; that he was dead stuck for her to have a child by him and that she wouldn't do it and didn't intend to.

That she married him to get his money, and that is the reason she married him in the first instance?

Yes, sir. They took a trip to New Orleans; that she lived with him two years before she married him; she had $200 of his, and after they had been there a while he wanted to come home and she said, "No, if you do not marry me I will not go," and he said a couple of weeks down there trying to get her to come back, but she wouldn't do it, so he turned in and married her and she showed me the certificate. Well, then I went away and she sent for me to come back again, and he came after me himself the most of the times. I stepped in and she closed the door and locked it.

When was this?

The second time I went there, after she came back, to treat her hair.

That was the second time that you went there to treat her hair after she came back from the east?

Yes, sir.

This was in October some time?

No, sir; the first of September, this second time.

After they came back from where?

From New York. I stepped in and she locked the door, and she said do you want to be sworn, and I said I don't care. I was not thinking, though, what she meant, and she said, "I have done a good deal of studying about you and I want to swear you. Hold up your hand," and I held up my hand. She said: "Will you swear you will not tell anything?" and I said, yes I will.

(McFarland here have the revolting position she made to him to sustain a criminal intimacy, and continued).

Well, she stunned me. I stood and looked at her for a minute and I said, "Why Mrs. Sheedy?" "Well," she said, "I expect you think I am crazy but I am not. I mean it. I wanted to tell you when you was her before, but didn't know whether to tell you or not."

(The narrator then related how he yielded to her wishes, and he then continued).

I came up to clean her hair and we had some wine a couple of times and then I wrapped up my things and came away. It was only a few days before I went down there again with some tonic to dress her hair with.

Where was Mr. Sheedy during this time?

Up town somewhere; he came over and told me to go down and I took a bottle of tonic and went down and dressed her hair and we maintained criminal relations again. Then we went into the front parlor and I sat down on the piano stool; she told me to take a seat there and I sat down there and she asked, "What would you do for $5,000?" I said, "I don't know what I would do." she said, "Do you love me?" and I said, "Yes, I do; I am completely stuck on you." She said, "What would you do for $5,000?" I told her I didn't know; it was a pretty large inducement; a man would do almost anything for it, especially a man in my fix just then, and she said, "I have got something I want you to do," and she said, "If you tell it, it is death to you," She said, "I will kill you if you tell it," and I said, "What is it." "Well," she said, "I want my freedom; I want you to help me get it." I said, "Mrs. Sheedy, that is an awful thing to tell me to do anything like that." She said, "I mean it; he treats me like a dog, and calls me a chippy and all those things and I want to get out of it." She said there was another man she dearly loved and it wouldn't be long before he would be here, some time between then and Christmas. Of course then it was about six weeks before Christmas. I told her that I could not answer her just then. I said, I will study the matter over; I can't say whether I will or not just now, because I am not at myself; I will study the matter and when I come again I will give you an answer. So it was only a few days until she sent for me again and I went down. I went there for the purpose of shampooing her but she didn't let me do any work. We sat down and talked and she pictured out everything to me, how it was, and the money I could have and the money she would have, and she would be a friend to me as long as I lived, and would give me $5,000 right away and set me up in business and give me money as long as she had it. I said, "I don't Know whether I can do it or not."

(McFarland told how they again renewed their intimacy, after which he said to her:)

"I will try it."

"Try what; the killing?"

"I will try to give you your freedom; try to help you." "Well," she said, "It has got to be done between now and Christmas; this man will be here Christmas to take me away," and so I couldn't do it by that time and time passed on and I couldn't do it; then she got sour on me and she sent for me again; and I went down there and she beat me and abused me and told me what I was losing and all of this and what I might as well have; that I was poor and had a big family and was poorer than Job's turkey, and had no money and how easy it was to make it.

Who did she send for you?

She sent Mr. Sheedy.

To see you?

Yes, sir, and I went down-during this time that I was doing this for her she hired me to watch two houses (giving the names of the feminine occupants thereof) because she had letters showing that he was intimate with these two women and she wanted to catch him there, and if I saw him going to either one of these places to come and tell her and she would pay me for it; and I watched and watched and told her I didn't see anything and she said I was defrauding her and said then she was not going to have anything more to do with me until I done this. I said I had not opportunity, so I couldn't do it unless I went right out on the street somewhere and killed him and then go and kill myself, and she said no, she didn't want me to do that; she wanted it done in a way so it would be all safe. "Now," I said, "how do you say it could be done?" She said, "If you do like I say to do it will be all right hen, of course." Consequently I was stuck on the woman, and on account of the inducements she made to me, I agreed to do it; she said "If you do like I say to do it will be all right then, of course." Consequently I was stuck on the woman, and on account of the inducements she made to me, I agreed to do it; she said, "Now I am not going to have anything more to do with you," so I went off that day, and the next day I came along there and she called me in and cried, and pictured everything as she did before, and on top of this she said, "If that is not money enough, just name it-any amount-it is unlimited for you, providing I get over $50,000." She said, "I may not get that much; if I get over that twice the amount is not anything too good for you." She said she would buy me a diamond ring, a diamond pin, and a fine suit of clothes and give me a fine horse and buggy and set me up in business. I looked at that because it was a big inducement, and me being a poor man, it would naturally induce a man to do it; and then she gave me a limited time. She said, "I will give you until New years day."

What time was this when she gave you the limited time?

Just a little while before Christmas. This man was here, then.

What kind of a looking man was he?

A little fellow (probably he would weigh 150 pounds), with black hair and black mustache, and wears a soft hat with a turn up around the edge, and with a black band on, and a black smooth overcoat; and to convince me that this man came here for her-this was Christmas week-she told me that she would see the man that night, and that he was there; she told me to go to a certain spot; that the man was coming after to go out walking with her, because she did not dare to have him come to the house. Well, I went there, and saw this man on the corner of Thirteenth and P streets. She met this man, and they walked together on north; this was about 8 o'clock. She was gone probably three-quarters of an hour or an hour. I saw them come back together, and then I went away. The next day I went by there, and she called me, and she said, "Did you see him?" and I said "Yes." "Now," she said, "It is no use now? If you you are not going to do this, tell me. It is going to be done. It is time to act, and if you are not going to do this, tell me, because other parties are waiting to make the money. He (meaning Walstrom) would do it himself if I would let him; but I don't want to let him. He offered to do it." I said, Mrs. Sheedy, I will try it; if my nerve don't fail me I will do it. So she said, "You have nerve enough; if you have not I will give you a little money to buy some whisky, with which to brace you up. I will help you in any way I can." So it went on the until New Year's day, and I don't do it, and I got afraid to go by there any more; so there was a day or two before I went by that way again. One day I came down on the north side of P Street, from the shop, and she saw me, and came out on the porch and called me, and I went right across the street over there, and she said, "You God d-n black s- of a b-, you are trying to rob me, but you're not going to do it. I've a good notion to shoot you anyway. You have robbed me, and got all the money you can, and now you want to lay around for the reward." And I said, No, if I don't do this I don't want any of the money. She said, "Don't think for a minute it is not going to be done; if you don't do it somebody else will, and they're waiting for to do it; if you, or if I don't I will have it done," and I got scared. I didn't want to shoot him. She said, "I want you to get a heavy cane and club him," and she gave me the money to go and get it.

You made the first attempt to do up Sheedy, didn't you?

No sir, I didn't.

Didn't you do that?

No sur, I didn't. She gave me money to go and get this cane; I had nothing to shoot with; then she gave me money to go and buy this can. I told her where the cane was and she gace me the money, adn I went and got it, and took it out and showed it to her the same evening, and she said, "I will give you until Sunday night, and if this is not done between now and Sunday night, all I ask of you is to come and bring the cane to me." She said, "It will be done that night."

Did you show her the cane when you got it?

Yes sir. I took it down and showed it to her. When did you buy the cane?

I think it was a week ago Tuesday night.

Where did you get it?

Goldwater's, I think is the name.

Where did you keep it all this time; where did you did you hide it?

Down to the shop, and so she said, "All I ask of you is, if you don't do it, I want you to bring this cane and leave it here, and I will have it done; it will be done." She said, I am not going to give it up now, as much planning and scheming and trouble as I have went to gave this thing accomplished. I am going to do it, because I have no chance to go away from home, because he (Mr. Sheedy) said if I tried to go away from home he would kill me; and he has abused me and called me a dog and a chippy, and I am not going to let this man go away without me."

She told you what this man's name was?

Yes, she told me, but I can't remember it, and I told her I would do so. And when I went I was scared; I was scared to death, and was afraid, but I went.

When did you go?

Sunday evening, about half past five.

Where did you secrete yourself until half past seven?

I was at home, between there and home. After I left there I took the cane to her.

Which way did you go in?

I started in the dining room door, but she said, "Go around to the kitchen," and I walked round to the kitchen.

Was there anyone in the kitchen?

No.

Where was the girl-was the girl there?

She said she was not. And she staid there and talked to me a little bit, with

(Continued on page four.)