Van Dwight Sheldon was born 26 Mar 1884 in Lockport, NY to Delos Dudley Sheldon (1852-1942) & Inez Law Van Wagoner (855-1935).
On 23 Dec 1908 in New York City, at New York University was shot and died at 9:15 AM in the cellar of the home of Charles H. Snow, Dean of the Arts and Science of the school. A man demanded to see a women named Helen Gould, she was the Dean's cousin. Van lived three hours after being shot. His wrists and ankles were bound as he lay on the cellar floor shot in the abdomen.
Something else interesting was another cousin who was an actress, Vivian Bell.
His mother Inez faints at his funeral.
MRS. SHELDON FAINTS AT HER SON'S FUNERAL:
1908 New York, New York Times
Mother of Student Found Shot in Dean Snow's Home Had to Leave Church. CORONER DEFENDS HIS ACTS Official Against Whose Examination of Mrs. Snow Witnesses Protested Says He Only Sought the Truth. Funeral services over the body of Van Dwight Sheldon, the New York University student, who was found dead in the home of Dean Snow last Wednesday, were held yesterday morning in the.
Here's a detail newspaper article on what happened with photos of all involved except the shooter. (Just click the link to read).
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-world-van-dwight-sheldon/142054791/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-enquirer-van-dwight-sheldon/142055010/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-world-van-dwight-sheldon/142054752/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-times-van-dwight-sheldon/141231174/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-van-dwight-sheldon/142055093/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-van-dwight-sheldon-pg/142055120/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-van-dwight-sheldon/142055224/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-van-dwight-sheldon/142055276/
DEC. 30, 1908
DYING STUDENT REVEALS PLOT
NEW YORK -- Van Dwight Sheldon, a student in the New York University, was found dying with a bullet wound in his abdomen in the cellar of the house of Dr. Charles H. Snow, Dean of the institution. Sheldon was rushed to Fordham Hospital in an automobile owned by Miss Helen Gould. Before he died he gasped out to Mrs. Snow: "This was a plot. The man who shot me threatened to blow the place to pieces if I did not tell him whether Miss Gould was in the house." The theory of the police is that no murder was committed, but that young Sheldon died by his own hand, a victim of a peculiar form of mental perversion.
Detectives say that Sheldon made a complaint nearly a year ago that he had been the victim of an assault by a midnight intruder, who had slashed him with a knife after he had ran downstairs, aroused by a burglar alarm, and that the cuts in his clothing were of such a peculiar character as to arouse suspicion as to his truthfulness. When he was found dying his hands and feet were tied with cords. The revolver, his own, was lying near him.
Source: Article Historic pages from the archives of the Staten Island Advance
Sheldon's father Delos started out as a druggist in the 1850's then in 1860 he was a telephone manger, he then in 1940 he was living with his other son Kirk Delo Sheldon who was married and a general manager of auto sales. Inez would die here also in 1935.
Van is buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, Westchester, N.Y. His murder has never been solved.
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