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NO DEATH VERDICT ASKED BY STATE IN W1DNER TRIAL12 Jurors Selected From 54 Examined In 3 Hours, 47 Minutes—Pleads “Not Guilty”STATE’S TESTIMONYIS NEARING CLOSEThe tedious and diiliculi task of selecting a jury to sit in the ease of Commonwealth versus John Widner. Penn township farmer, on trial for murder in Court of Oyer and Terminer for Huntingdon county, was completed yesterday afternoon at 2:42 o'clock, three hours and forty-seven minutes after the first •witness was called to the stand for examination for fitness to serve on the jury.Commonwealth counsel made it known during the time the jury was being- selected that the death verdict would no! be sought as a penalty, but rather the judgment of the jury, based on the evidence introduced, the arguments of counsel and the instructions of the court, would be accepted as satisfactory to the prosecu tion.The afternoon session yesterday brought, out. a crowd of citizens which completely filled the spacious auditorium of the court liouse. This forenoon a good-sized crowd was in attendance at court.Hon. Thomas F, Bailey, president judge, and Hon. Charles H. Boyer, his associate, are presiding at the trial.Five minutes after John Wid-ner, the defendant, pleaded “not guilty” to the indictment charging murder, the task of selecting a jury of twelve was begun. The trial is being conducted with the customary caution and the usual care given all cases coming before the Huntingdon county court.Of the thirty-nine regularly ein-panneled jurors eight were selected to sit in the trial of the cases and the remaining four jurors were selected by talesmen summoned from the audience in the eourl-room. The defense exercised eighteen challenges while the Commonwealth challenged nineteen before the jury of twelve was selected. The court excused (Continued on Page Five)
Newspaper Details
The Daily News
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Dec 05, 1935
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 30 Nov 2021
Other Publications Near Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon Gazette
Huntingdon Journal American
The Daily News
Huntingdon Journal
Huntingdon Globe
