166

Saturday.

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The Evidence Continued

Following the evidence given by Chas. Carpenter yesterday afternoon Gus Saunders, the well known saloon keeper, was summoned to the stand. "I have known Mrs. Sheedy since 1881, but could not say whether or not she was legally married to Sheedy. I cannot state when she was united in marriage to Sheedy."

"When did she first live with him as his wife?" was asked.

Council Philpott objected, but was overruled, and witness answered:

"It was either during 1881 or 1882, when they occupied rooms in the Quick block; was in and around the block more all the time, and frequently saw Mrs. and Mrs. Sheedy passing in and out."

Counsel Philpott at the juncture interposed an emphatic objection against bringing Mrs. Sheedy's reputation up for discussion or investigation.

The question was asked: "Do you remember the time this woman and John Sheedy went to New Orleans?"

"In 1885 or 1886."

"Was Sheedy and this woman man and wife at the time they left for New Orleans?"

Instantly, not Philpott alone, but the numerous counsel for Mrs. Sheedy and McFarland were on their feet, executing an excited war dance in behalf of Mrs. Sheedy. The confusion was similar to what one would witness at a convention of business. The usual dignity of the sedate Judge Weir was disturbed, and as for Strode he seemed bordering on the verge of lunacy, while Stearns presented his wrinkled front, and wildly pawed the air. It created a greater furore, if tha its possible, than the mention of the name of Detective Malone, and that is useless.

Strode vehemently asserted that Lambertson was attempting to blacken and smirch the character of Mrs. Sheedy, which he insisted, should not be permitted. Lambertson, like the boy who had sprinkled the floor with cayenne pepper at a country dance, leaned leisurely back in his chair and smilingly watched the animals perspire and canter around. Having enjoyed the scene for several minutes Judge Field ruled against the admission of the question, and order reigned once more, and sustained the position taken by counsel for the defense. Saunders was then excused.

Peter Compton, a colored barber, was next examined and testified: That McFarland worked at his (witness') father's shop and was in the habit of shaving John Sheedy, for which almost invariably he gave him 25 cents; that McFarland had been employed by Sheedy to shampoo and dress his wife's hair; that the day prior to the assault upon Sheedy McFarland had gone down to the Sheedy residence at the request of deceased and remained about two hours.

MRS. SHEEDY'S ERRAND BOY TALKS.

Johnny Klausner, the bot who had roomed with Walstrom, and who was accustomed during Walstrom's stay in the city to carry numerous baskets of lunch from Mrs. Sheedy to Walstrom's room, was the next witness Johnny, though evidently possessed of vital and interesting information, manifested considerable reluctance to und=burden his mind, and confined himself to briefest possible answers to question, volunteering nothing. This testimony was as follows:

JOHNNY'S STORY

"I am nineteen years old. I worked at Mr. Sheedy's in 1886 and 1887 for my clothes and board and wen to school. I left there in 1887. Since then I have occasionally run errands for them. I think Mrs. Sheedy went east sometime in the spring of 1890. She came back, I think, last Septemeber. After she returned she told me she expected a friend named Harry Walstrom from Birmington Ala. Shortly after that I sais to her that I did not like the room I had and she suggested that Walstrom and I room together. This was after Walstrom had arrived here. Two or three days afterwards Walstrom came to the Windsor hotel, where I was working, and we made arrangements to room together. I selected a room in the Heater block. He was to pay $8 of the rent and I $4. We roomed together about three months and a half; run a number of errands for Mrs. Sheedy during the time; carried notes for her to Walstrom; I carried notes also from Walstrom to her. She never addressed the envelopes containing her notes, neither would Walstrom address the envelopes that he sent to Mrs. Sheedy. The envelopes were always sealed. In case Walstrom was not at home he instructed me to leave the notes in a certain drawer. Mrs. Sheedy told me to come always about 4 o'clock to deliver the notes; I never saw Sheedy there when I delivered them; I never told Sheedy that I was carrying notes to his wife; I carried three or four baskets of victuals to our room; there was chicken and other victuals in the basket; once or twice there was a bottle of proper; Walstrom and I used to eat and drink these things together; Mrs. Sheedy never gave me anything like that to take to my room when I was rooming alone."

During this recital one of Mrs. Sheed'ys sisters looked at he inquiringly. As the witness continued to look developed gradually from one of interrogation to one of surprise and the to one strongly resembling disgust. The witness the continued:

"Two or three days after Sheedy was buried I carried a Package of some soft material from Walstrom to Mrs. Sheedy. The day Sheedy died Mrs. Sheedy told me to tell Walstrom to be sure and be at the funeral, or she would not think anything of him."

Great difficulty was experienced by the attorneys for the prosecution in getting these facts out of the witness. Suddenly Hall asked the witness:

WAS COACHED.

"Hasn't Strode, the attorney for Mrs. Sheedy, had you up in his office?"

The witness colored up, hesitated and finally said:

"Yes, sir."

But little more was gotten out of the witness concerning that visit except that Strode had him read over his testimony at the preliminary examination. Hall then asked:

"Have you been up to see Mrs. Sheedy at the jail lately?"

"Yes, sir," was the reply.

"How many times?"

"Twice."

"Who took you tot the jail each time?"

"Mr. Strode and Mrs. Dean, sister of Mrs. Sheedy."

Nothing more could be learned from the witness as to what was said at the time of these visits. In reply to other questions the witness said;

WANTED A DIVORCE.

The afternoon of the day that Sheedy died Mrs. Sheedy told me to tell Walstrom that she was afraid Sheedy was going to die. One day last summer when i was the Sheedy residence Mrs. Sheedy came into the house crying; she said she wanted to get a divorce from Sheedy because she couldn't get along with him; said her husband was jealous of her."

It required about ten minutes to get this last statement out of the witness Mr. Hall then asked:

"Didn't Mrs. Sheedy tell you that she thought a great deal of Walstrom?"

Strode, Mrs. Sheedy's counsel, objected that it was a leading question. Then Hall arose and addressed the court. He declared that the manner of the witness was sufficient to indicate that he was under the influence of the defense and that the only way to get any testimony out of him was to ask him leading questions. The judge acquiesced and admitted that under the circumstances such questions were necessary. The witness the answered:

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Hall then asked:

WOULD NURSE HIM.

"Didn't Mrs. Sheedy say to Walstrom that if ever he got sick that she would come up and nurse him."

Counsel Strode objected, but was overruled and Johnny answered "yes."

Owing to the visible reluctance of the witness to reveal anything he could conceal, Counsel Hall, Who was conducting the examination, asked permission to cease further effort in this direction until he could secure a copy of the boy's testimony given before the coroners jury, as counsel for defense had refused to extend the courtesy of permitting him to use their printed copy. Col. Philpott mounted Pegasus at this, and entered into the controversial arena, with a pyrotechnic display of excited oratory that paralyzed the court, spectators and counsel. The brilliant and combative, but attenuated counsel for McFar and objected to proceeding with the cross-examination of witness until the prosecution should have gotten through with him. Then followed an extended squabble, which was terminated by the court excusing Johnny in compliance with the request of counsel Hall.