The wrongful hanging of David Sheely for the murder of his wife Nancy

David Sheely was a young farmer, and he and his wife, Nancy, lived in a two-room cabin on Crooked Creek. In the late afternoon of June 5, 1847,David Sheely and group of his friends went to Beaver Creek, some distance from his home, on a fishing party. They started drinking. In a drunken boast, David invited the fisherman to go home with him where he said he would have his good wife, Nancy, draw and clean the fish and cook for them a fine breakfast of fish and cornbread. All of the men in a drunken condition arrived at the Sheely cabin at about two in the morning. Nancy refused to get up and cook for them. David was subject to the ridicule of the drunken friends because he could not control his wife. The intoxicated men however were overcome by sleepiness. David lay down in the bed beside his wife. The others sprawled on the floor of the cabin or on the grass in the yard outside the door. When Sheely awoke the following morning all of the men were gone. His wife, Nancy, lay dead beside him. A neighbor came to the house, found the body of the woman in bed; the husband was nowhere to be found, but did eventually find him hiding in the chimney of the old stone fireplace in his home.

On Sept 14, 1847, Harrison Co. grand jury returned an indictment charging David Sheely with the wilful murder of his wife Nancy. The case was tried Sept term of 1847. On September 30, 1847, the prisoner was sentenced to be hanged on 30 October 1847, but delayed till dawn 19 November 1847. David Sheely contended all along that , "If I killed Nancy Sheely, I don't know it. I never had nothing' agin her." The physicians of the county in the interest of science subjected his body to dissection and preserved his skelton for enlightnment of the medical profession.
However, a dying man in Maysville, Kentucky, one of the individuals who was in the Sheely cabin on the night of the murder, called for a notary and made a swom statement that he and not Shelly, had killed the woman for reason he would not reveal.

Therefore an innocent man was hanged. The ghost of David Sheely remained in the area, haunting residents for 40 years. End of absrtact of the article:
After the hanging of their brother, William Washington Sheely and his sister, Mary Ann Edmondson, widow of John Edmondson, left Kentucky and are listed in the 1850 Census, Texas, Calhoun county with two children of their brother David Sheely and his wife Nancy Ann. William W. Shely received custody of two of the children of David and Nancy Ann ,and at a later date, a third child... William Sheely. After the hanging of David, the family sold the farm of David Shely and left the area for Texas where they remained.

Chronicles of Cynthiana and other Chronicles by Mrs. L. Boyd, 1894, "David Sheely was innocent of the crime of which he was charged, and died a victim of circumstantial evidence. " David Sheely was accused of murdering his wife, Nancy Ann, 6 June 1847 and was hung for her murder 19 November 1847. Some years later, a man confessed to the murder of Nancy Ann and her husband, David was not the murderer. In talking with an individual residing in the county today stated after the hanging of David Sheely, most of the Shely family left the area. From the records, they came to Texas and are found in the 1850 census of Calhoun County, Texas. David Sheelys' brother, William W. Shely and his sister, Mary Ann Shely, widow of John Edmondson, and a half brother Andrew Collins and two of the above David Sheely children..Edward Shely and Warren O. Shely are listed in he 1850 census. In 1858, William Washington Shely ask for guardianship of his brother's children, Edward and Warren O. and one more, William P. Shely not listed in the 1850 Census but came to Texas at a later date..

However, a dying man in Maysville, Kentucky, one of the individuals who was in the Sheely cabin on the night of the murder, called for a notary and made a swom statement that he and not Shelly, had killed the woman for reason he would not reveal.
Therefore an innocent man was hanged. The ghost of David Sheely remained in the area, haunting residents for 40 years. End of absrtact of the article:
After the hanging of their brother, William Washington Sheely and his sister, Mary Ann Edmondson, widow of John Edmondson, left Kentucky and are listed in the 1850 Census, Texas, Calhoun county with two children of their brother David Sheely and his wife Nancy Ann. William W. Shely received custody of two of the children of David and Nancy Ann ,and at a later date, a third child... William Sheely. After the hanging of David, the family sold the farm of David Shely and left the area for Texas where they remained. ‚

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OFFICIAL COURTHOUSE RECORDS: At a justice of the peace hearing, dated Monday, June 7, 1847, Wm. Williams swore that, "...he was at D. Sheely's house yesterday evening and Sheely and his wife were quarreling. Sheely was drinking. Thinks he heard him threaten to kill his wife." In a sworn statement at same hearing, Eliza Johnson said that on Sunday afternoon, after sundown, she saw Sheely "seize his wife by the throat and choke her down, swearing that he would have her harts [sic] blood before morning." Bryan Marshall swore "...went to Sheely's house this Morning, 7th June. The door was partly open. Saw no person stirring. Witness went in the house. Saw Mrs. Sheely on the bed. Witness asked Mrs. Sheely if she was asleep this time of day. Mrs. S made no answer. Witness went to the bed side, discovered that Mrs. Sheely was dead. Saw marks of violence on her neck and face. Witness left immediately and gave the alarm to the neighbors." At this hearing Doct. H. W. A. Worthin swore as to manner in which Nancy Sheely met her death.

David Sheely was arrested and lodged in the Harrison County jail. Unable to make bond, he remained imprisoned waiting the next term of circuit court. On September 13, 1847, Sheely was brought before the grand jury, which indicted him for the murder of Nancy Sheely. On September 15, David Sheely was brought before the circuit court facing the indictment handed down by the grand jury. On September 25, 1847, the jury found David Sheely guilty of murdering his wife, Nancy, date of said murder being June 6, 1847. He was sentenced to die by hanging.

Inscription
Murdered June 6, 1847; daughter of J & Nancy Maynor

On Find A Grave.

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