| 164TUESDAY
The Testimony Began.
Having concluded the long and tedious task of selecting a jury in the Sheedy case, at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the remaining portion of the session was occupied in presenting the salient features of the famous criminal case to the jury, by the attorneys for the prosecution and defense. County Attorney Snell detalled the cricumstances atteding the assault upon, and later the death of John Sheedy on the evening of January 11th last, when he was murderously assaulted with a heavy cane, which the prosecution believes and will endevaor to prove was wielded by Monday McFarland at the instigation of Mrs. Mary Sheedy. wife of deceased. Mr. Snell reviewed the circumstances at consuderable length and in an address of great force and brulliance presented the cause of the state.
Messrs. Strode and Stearns, counsel for Mrs. Sheedy, and Col. Philpott in behalf of his client Monday. McFarland, sought to enlighten the jury by plausinble and eloquent explanations of the apparent condition that point to their clients as the persons concerned in the murder of Mr. Sheedy. Counsel Strode grew not only eloguent but dropped pathetically into poetry to express his pent up feelings for the fair defendant, whome he feelingly refered to as a " sad, pensive faced lady" resting in the shadow of a great and lasting sorrow.
Counsel for Mrs. Sheedy and McFarland claim the press is not giving them a fair shake in the reports furnshed of the trail, and affect to apprehend that an attempt is being made to manufacture public sentlment against them. " People may believe that we desire to betray Monday McFarland, " said Col. Philpott, " but time and our own actions will disprove all such ungenerous suspicions.
The trail has not yet fairly begun. Wait until we reach the intersting features and watch the final result, when out vindiction will come, anyway, we will receive our reward in heaven. The defense has been hampered at every turn by a hostile press ever since John Sheedy died," said Counsel Stearns.
" Prejudice against Mrs. Sheedy is widely entertained, as the result of the newspapers taking the stand they have, but if we can succeed in keeping the papers away from the jury during the progress of the trail, I feel no fear of the result."
Before the taking of testimony bagan this morning, Mr. Stearns asked the court to make a rule excluding all witnesses othern these undergoing examination upon the stand, from the court room while the trail is in progress. The court thereupon ordered all witnesses from the court room.
Col. Philpott objected to the induction of any testimony bearing upon the fourth count against Monday McFarland for the alleged reason that there is not sufficient evidence to establish the charge made in this court, under the statutes of Nebraska. Mr. Stearns made a similar objection for Mrs. Sheedy as retastes to the third count in the indictment against her. Both objections were promptly overruled, and exceptions taken.
The preilminary preparations having been | 164 |
