Jackson County MI Archives News.....Sherwood Shot June 5, 1915
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Denise Abrams dabrams17@yahoo.com August 13, 2006, 10:21 am

Jackson Citizen Patriot June 5, 1915
Police, sheriff and Michigan Central railroad officers are today looking for 
the man, or boy who shot and killed Mott E. Sherwood, master mechanic of 
Michigan Central railroad, while Mr. Sherwood was automobile riding with his 
wife and a party of friends in the fairgrounds, Friday evening about 9:30 
o'clock, Mr. Sherwood died almost instantly.  It was believed at the time that 
the death was due to apoplexy, a doctor, who was summoned having so diagnosed 
the case.  It was not until an undertaker was called some time later in the 
night, that the bullet wound was found just below the left shoulder blade.  The 
bullet had entered the heart.

Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood, Mr. and Mrs. Howard E. Bush and Mrs. M. Isbell were the 
occupants of the car when the fatality occurred.  They had been driving about 
the city in a new automobile which Mr. Sherwood had recently purchased.  
Earlier in the evening they drove to Hague Park and patronized some of the 
amusements at the resort.  They then returned to Jackson and drove through the 
fairgrounds.  Mr. Sherwood was driving south on the west side of the grandstand 
when he was shot.  He stopped the car near the North corner of the stand and he 
and Mr. Bush left the car for a few moments.  They returned to the machine and 
had driven but a few feet when a noise like two pistol shots were heard.  It 
was thought that one of the springs on the machine had broken, so Mr. Sherwood 
and Mr. Bush got out of the car, walked around the machine and examined it 
closely, but nothing was found to be wrong.  They entered the car and Mr. 
Sherwood again started the machine.  The car was just moving when the third 
shot was fired.  Mr. Sherwood reached forward and shut off the power and 
cried, "stop that!"  He then fell over dying in the arms of Mr. Bush.

Sheriff Davis, who was on the fairgrounds, was soon on the scen adn Dr. Frank 
J. Gibson was summoned.  A call was also put in for the Johnson Ambulance.  
When Dr. Gibson arrived Mr. Sherwood was dead.  The doctor who made a hasty 
medical examination said that death was probably due to natural causes, 
probably apoplexy, and the body was taken to the Sherwood home at 110 Maple 
Avenue.

Relatives and friends of the deceased, upon hearing of the sudden death of Mr. 
Sherwood, crowded the house.  Coroner C.H. Tibbetts visited the home soon after 
the body had been removed from the scene of the tragedy, but it was not until 
the undertaker had removed the clothing from the body, about two hours later 
that the small wound, caused by the bullet, was found in the back and to the 
left side of the body.  But little blood had flowed from the wound.

Sheriff Davis was immediately notified that the death of Mr. Sherwood which was 
at first thought to be from natural causes had been from a bullet wound.  The 
sheriff at once came to the home and the police auto, with Coroner Pulling also 
arrived.  Dr. M.O. Blakeslee was summoned and he probed for the bullet which 
was found, it penetrated the heart.  A coroner's jury was empaneled as 
follows:  R. Bucknell, C.B. Farnham, J.H. Phelps, J. Addison, Harry Sparks and 
Harry Pulling.  The inquest was set for Monday, but it is probable that 
adjournment will be taken to give the others opportunity to make a thorough 
investigation.  An autopsy will be held sometime today to find the bullet which 
caused death, thereby giving the officers a more definate clue on which to 
work.  It is believed that the bullet was of 22 caliber size.

It was stated today that three boys, one of them carrying a small rifle, were 
seen in the vicinity of the automobile soon after the death of Mr. Sherwood.  
It is believed that one of these boys fired the bullet which caused the 
tragedy, and it is probable that he will be found within the next few hours.

Henry Decke, Michigan Central detective gave his assistance to the sheriff and 
police officers this morning and J.J. McHugh, special agent for the railroad, 
arrived from Detroit during the morning to assist in apprehending the slayer.

An examination of the automobile in which Mr. Sherwood was riding, was made 
this morning, and two marks, which were undoubtedly made by bullets, were found 
on the gasoline tank on the rear of the machine.  One mark was on the extreme 
right and the other on the left.  

It is the theory of the officers that the bullets were fired from the 
grandstand and this is borne out by the finding of two empty shells on a seat 
in the north end of the stand.  These shells are 22 caliber in size, and are 
such as are used in small rifles.  That the shots were not fired from a 
positionon the ground is believed because of the course of the bullet which 
struck Mr. Sherwood.

The occupants of an automobile which was about four rods back of the Sherwood 
machine, stated to the officers this morning that they did not see anybody in 
the vicinity at the time of the shooting, states that she heard the shots.  The 
reports were heard by a number of people, but at the time it was thought that 
the noises were caused by an automobile or possibly were fired by some drunken 
man.

Sheriff Davis who is in charge of rounding up witnesses for the inquest is 
confident that the person who fired the fatal shot will be apprehended within 
the next twenty-four hours.

Mr. Sherwood was very well known in Jackson, especially by the railroad men.  
He had been an employee of the Michigan Central railroad for twenty-five 
years.  He started as a machinist, rapidlly advancing until about five years 
ago he was made Master Mechanic.  He was 46 years of age and is survived by a 
widow and a son, William, a mother, Mrs. George Sherwood, two sisters, Mrs. 
John E. Murray and Mrs. Eugene Phillips, also two brothers George B. and 
Walter, all of Jackson and a father, George Sherwood who is in Jacksonville, 
Fla.  Deceased was a member of the Jackson Lodge, F.& A.M., the Elks and Modern 
Woodmen of Jackson.  

The Funeral will be held Monday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock with burial in 
Woodland Cemetary.

Additional Comments:
See related article dated June 6, 1915, Jackson Citizen Patriot.

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