237

THE STATE RESTS AT LAST

ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE TRIAL.

McFarland's Third Confession, Made at the Coroner's Inquest, Read to the Jury.

The Testimony of Mrs. Sheedy Before the Coroner is Also Read Mrs. P. H. swift Proves as Interesting but Somewhat Unwilling Witness

A Meet Trying Ordeal Passed.

No one was heard expressing any envy of Myron E. Wheeler, who reported Monday's confession, and who, as a witness, was called upon to read it. Much to the disappointment of the crowd outside the railing the witness moved his chair over to a point just in front of the jury, and when the parts to the confession were reached, which were not fit for public utterance, he lowered his voice so that none but the jury could distinguish what he was saying.

The defense on behalf of Mrs. Sheedy again interposed objections to the reading of the confession on the ground that it was made, if made at all, without the knowledge and not in the presence of Mrs. Sheedy: that it was obtained by promised of immunity, threats and intimidation, and that no proper foundation had been laid for its introduction.

The most impressive silence reigned when the witness started in on the long type-written revelation of the methods and details of the crime. To JOURNAL readers the details are more or less familiar, so that no minute repetition is necessary here. It told how for years Monday had been employed at the Sheedy home to dress Mrs. Sheedy's hair; how up to her return from her sojourn at a medical institute in Buffalo, N.Y., he had never noticed anything out of the way in her deportment; how a few months prior to the tragedy she began to make affectionate advances toward him and finally made to him the proposition which to most of those who have read his story has made it seem improbable; how he availed himself repeatedly of the proffered privileges and became infatuated with the woman. If related that the first time this relation was sustained no intimation was given of the devilish design which, the narrator afterwards conceived, was the price of the favors accorded him; that it was the second occasion of their intimacy when Mrs. Sheedy revealed to him her infatuation for Walstrom, who, she said, was coming about Christmas to take her away, and told the darkey that she wanted her freedom; that her husband did not treat her well, that he call her vile names, that he had threatened to kill her and that she had not sustained widely relations with him for a year. It told how she swore the negro to secresy and told him she would kill him if he ever revealed the proposition she would make to him; how she offered him $5,000 [?][?] her the freedom she craved. How she generously improved the offer by telling him she would gladly double the amount if she got $50,000 of her husband's possessions along with her freedom that she would give him $500 or $600 the day after he had done the work, and buy him diamonds, a horse and buggy and clothing and set him up in business; how she only asked him to lay Sheedy upon the bed and she would do the rest with a liquid which had been given her by Dr. Fuller. It told how revolting the proposition was to the narrator, but how the reward overcame his scruples in spite of the fact that he esteemed John Sheedy to be his best friend; how Christmas was fixed upon by her as the limit of time she would give him to do the fatal work; how she coaxed him by her favors and proffer of money and urged him by telling him that if he did not do it another was ready to earn the money; that Walstrom wanted to do it. It told how threats were resorted to when persuasion appeared likely to fail because of the negro's professed lack of nerve; how she even beat and abused him and assured him with drawn revolver that she would kill him and how she induced him to watch one evening near her residence to see her take a walk with the lover who wanted to do the job if Monday failed. It told how she grew more imperious in her demands when Christmas and New Years passed with the deed undone, and how he finally made the first attempt by shooting, which failed. The narrative recited in detail how Mrs. Sheddy subsequently, at her own home, upbraided, abused, beat and threatened to kill him, at the same time permitting him to enjoy her favors and asking him for assurances of his affection. Then it was, the story goes, that she concocted the plan which was to prove more successful than the first. Monday was to secure the cane and strike Sheedy down at his own door, her part being to give the signal that he was coming out by raising the window curtain. It showed how she besought the darkey to inflame his courage with whiskey and how she even gave him a goblet of it at the back door while the unconscious victim of their plot was in the house. The story contained a detailed account of how he struck the blow as designed, dropped the cane, fell as he attempted to fly from the porch and ran away thoroughly imbued with the idea that one of his victim's bullets had overtaken him. It relates his subsequent proceedings just the officers have since traced them out, and tells how he went to the Sheedy house the next day for his money, but was denied admission by Mr. Courtnay.

The reading of the confession consumed upwards of an hour, during which, it is perhaps superfluous to remark, the most perfect order was observed by the audience. The members of the jury bent forward eagerly and their hands frequently supplemented the lobes of their ears in efforts to corral every word of the salacious recital. The attorneys sat resignedly drinking in every utterance of the rapid reader, although each of them probably had studied them until they had them almost committed to memory.

Police Officer William Spain was then called, and testified that in January last he was a police officer and was acquainted with Monday; had a few words with him on the Sunday morning after he was arrested and the evening of the same day, after he had made his confession; as the officer passed his cell Monday said: "That's what I wanted to tell you; I would have given it all up to you if you had come;" he had asked to see witness the previous evening. Witness also had some conversation with him at two or three different times during the first night of Monday's incarceration; witness was in the corridor and Monday in his cell; Officer Malone also talked to