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YESTERDAY'S SUICIDEINVESTIGATION BY THE CORO ' * NEK’S JURY.WttnoMca Tell the Story of Mr*.Shaw’s Death aa Described to “The News Account.The one topic of public Interest in Frederick yesterday aflernoon and evening wae the horrible tutclde of Mrs. Annie Elizabeth Shaw, wife of Eiieha E. Shaw, at her home on WeetPatrick etreet yesterday morning. Alarge majority cf the people of Frederick knew nothing about tbe tragedy until the full report of it appeered inTitnNswsThere mi much apeculation aa to the cause of the woman's death, many advancing the theory of mnrder, at it was belteyed to te a physical tmpoa ■tbllity for her to have beaten ber head as she did and then crawl down etaire to her bed. It was learned that Mre. Shaw was formerly Mise Elisabeth Btup, of Utica Mills, this county, and that the family moved here some years ago. They kept a grocery atore on Eaat Patrick atreet and afterward went to Pitta, burg, Pa., returning to Frederick in 1893. Mrs. Shaw had been under medical treatment for eome time for bead trouble, and, it is stated, had on three previous occasions attempted to kill herself.The first official to arrive at the scene of the suicide yta'.erdaj morning was Sheriff A. 0. McBride, who, with bis usual alertness and attention to dnty, summoned the Jury and had all the arrangements for the investigation of the case ready when the other officers arrived. The jury eo summoned reconvened this mornlog at 10 o’clock In the grand jury room at the Court House and heard the testimony of a number of witnesses. The first to be called to tbe stand waa I v nlt; Maleeny, a boy abont fourteen years of sgi. He testified that bU first knowledge of tbe deed was when Washington Shaw, son of the deceased, ran out of the atore and gave the alarm. Many question* were pul to the witness, but It was evident that he knew nothing more than what he had beaid The boy had been abont the store daring tbe morning, bat knew nothing at firat band.Dr. Franklin B. Smith was next sworn and gaye a detailed account of his con* nection with the case, describing the appearance of tbe bonae, tbe woman and tbe wounds as given ia I'm* News yesterday. “1 was called by telephone,” said Dr. Smith, between ten and fifteen minute* after ten o’clock yesterday morning to come and see Mrs. Shaw, whokai fallen down the step* andcut herself. The message came from the residence of Mr. Lippi and 1 at once left for Mrs. Sbew’a house. 1 arrived there id 10 98, end being informed that the case waa serious i hurried upstairs. Mts Shawwas lying across a bed, sad as sooo as I saw her condition 1 realised that the case was beyond human skill. I felt ber pulse, but almoat the next mlnuta death ensued. It wee then exactly 10 89, and I at once notified the coroner.”Juror Bruet, at this juncture, asked Dr. Smith If an injury of that nature could tie produced by falling down steps. Dr. Smith replied that it was posslble that it could. He then described in mtnntca the .nature of tbe injury, tbe appearance of the rooms, and tbe blood stains and pools cf blood on the floor of tne attic, on the stepa leading from the attic to tbe room wbere tbe remains were discovered, on the wall end tbe besmeared bed clothing. His testimony was to the effect that the injury was made wtth the sbarp end of the buoemakei'a hammer which was found, together with a bonnet, spectacles and a large coil of rope, in the attic. He described the wound inflicted from a medical standpoint, showing that It consisted of a furrow from tbe fore head to the back of the heed, about three luchee in length, an inch and a half In width and probably an inch In depth, having every sppeerance of having been made wtth me hammer found. Circumstances pointed to the fact that after tbe injury was inflicted the woman lapsed into a semi conscious condition, but soon afterward recovered sufficiently to start down the stepa. Before reaching the bottom of the stairway she again fainted and her reaching out to catch herself probably account! for the b ood stains on the wall. Dnrlng his testimony Dr. Smith said that at least fifty blows were struck, denuding the scalp for a distance of three Inches and inflicting the wound as above described, lhe blows were evidently kept up one after the other in a straight line until reaching the back of the head, and at that point it is probable that one dozen blows were struck after the skull had been fractured.Several ether witnesses were celled to the eland after Dr. Smith had finished, each of whom told of the details connected with the finding of the body, etc.It was ascertained that Mr. Shaw, husband of the unfortunate woman, bad gone down street ia toe morning, gone to a number of places on business, ana on bisway out South street was met by JohnGoodman, who told blm of thesuicide. He said be could not believe H, and hurried home to ascertain the truth.After hearing and weighing the evidence the Jury returned a verdict to the effect that Mrs. Shaw died from wounds in tbe head mads by a hammer, which wounds were self-inflicted.Tbe body of Mrs. Shaw has been prepared for burial by Undertaker Bchroeder and the funeral will probably take placetomorrow-
Newspaper Details
Frederick News
Frederick, Maryland, US
Fri, Apr 30, 1897
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 21 Jun 2019
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