Dorothy Sherwood: Murder 1st Degree for Drowning 2 Year Old Son

Dorothy Caskey was born 7 Feb 1908 in East St. Louis, IL to Thomas Wilson Cakey (1878-1960)  and Florence Sorgea(1887-1918)  his 3rd wife.



Here's the story, get tissues...










Dorothy's father was married 6 times her mother was his 3rd wife. Dorothy had many homes with people who were not family, mostly members of the Salvation Army and she would sing gospel songs with them on streets corners, she did this for 3 years.

She had a brother named Harry Lawrence Caskey born 14 Jan 1911 East St, Louis, IL died 5 May 1916 East St Louis, IL.

She answered an ad in the newspaper for show girls and she knew she could sing, so she was hired and put to work in Chicago as a Burlesques Dancer, she said she was embarrassed at first because of wearing such little clothing, but she grew use it. This is where she met her husband Frederick Marsh Sherwood in 1929 and fell in love. He was an electrician in the showhouse, and later becoming a projectionist. They had a daughter named Dorothy Mae Sherwood born in 1928 and then a son James T Sherwood born in  1933. Fred would die in 1935 of Tuberculosis and daughter Dorothy would go live with Fred's Mother Maude. Dorothy got a job as a waitress but couldn't make enough for food for her son. She felt the only thing she could do was to drown him so he wouldn't suffer starving to death.

She never lied about her crime and she carried her son to the police station and confessed right away.




  James T Sherwood and his mother Dorothy 


The first trial she was found guilty and sentenced to death by electrocution. The second trial she was sentenced 6-16 years, getting out of prison 3 years and 3 months later. 



When she was released from prison her daughter Dorthy was 10 years old and greeted her mother.



Baptism Record

Name: Dorothy Oral (Cashey) Sherwood
Baptism Age:29
Event Type: Baptism 
Birth Date: 7 Feb 1908
Baptism: Date 14 Feb 1937
Baptism Place: New York, New York, USA 
Church Name: City Mission Society 
Father: Thos. Wilson Cashey

Mother:Florence Cashey




I did not find any records after she was released from prison, I do not know when she died or where and if she ever married again or lives a quiet life with her daughter, whom I also could not find death or marriage information on. 

I really hope she had a happy remainder of some kind of life with hope and plenty of food to eat. What she did was horrific and I could never of done it, I do understand it and why she did it, but I am not here to judge her or condemn her, she paid her debt to society through her prison sentence, she also had face judgment from above.


Dorothy's Father Thomas Wilson Caskey was married to Nelnora Coxson (1879-) in 1897 in Illinois and Ada Carr whom had his son Thomas Roy Caskey born 20 oct 1923 East St Louis, IL died 25 Feb 1924 East St. louis, IL. I am wondering about the 2 young boys that died, did they die of starvation? Just a thought. 

Another sad fact is Dorothy's mother Florence Sorgea died when she was 9 years old, 2 years after her little brother Harry.
   

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