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ON TRIAL.A Jury in the Davidson Murder Oase Impaneled at Columbia City.A Large Part of the Day Exhausted Before the Selection Was Made.RootINDIACOTTONPONGEES0acthUuStatements Made By the Prosecuting Attorney In His Opening Remarks.Coli mijia City. Ind., June 17.—[Special.]—The case of the state against Thomas Davidson for the alleged murder of his uncle near Areola on the night of November 24, 18811, was commenced in the Whitley county circuit court at to-day. The special venire of lifty men was promptly on hand and were seated long before the attorneys in the case appeared in the court room. The regular panel that was adjourned to answer at the present adjourned term was the first hotly of men at whom Judge Hench shot his uuestions.Thomas Davidson came into the court room looking as fresh as a spring flower. Ilis toiletwas unobjectionable and presented a neat appearance. He was clean shaven, hair laid in sleek layers over a head that shows no very prominent lines of criminal make-up.' lie took his seat near his attorneys, Judge Hench and C. M. Dawson, and was guarded by special watchman, S. J. Hailauer. The accused is in good health and his seven months’ jail confinement has made no perceptible change in bin features. He remarks that he has been well taken care of in the Whitley county jail, and is charmed with the treatment which has been given to hiifl. Persons for whom he has worked have presented him with bouquets, and called upon him.Judge Hench opened fire in a pleasant manner upon the farmer venire. The regular routine of questions was rapidly propounded, and at regular intervals a juror was excused for cause. The most prominent questions that the defendant’s attorneys ask, and upon which particular stress is placed, is “Where do you live?” The juror must shite how far he lives from the Allen county line, in which township he resides, and also “have you relatives in the vicinity of Areola?”A feature of “rattledness” developed to-day was a farmer who stated that he was working iu Grant county, when he heard the news of the alleged murder, and that time was in the month of October, before the murder was committed.Prosecutor Robinson attended to everv challenge “for cause,” and he is assisted in the case by John ko'Iabaugh, of Fort Wayne, and J. C. Wigant, prosecutor of Whitley county, and up to 4 o’clock the state raised no serious objections to tin* challenges of the defense, as in almost allFLANNELETTES ANDOUTING FLANNELS.AHtlvTHOSE TUXEDOSUITINGS.Xdig«wb;CARPETS! CURTAINS!RUGS! MATTINGS!1.1nntlS* lPARASOLS!\+TvThe New Black SAThe Scarcest Thing iLow PrBooti, , . , . manger: that the middle horse was neverexcused cases the jurors had expressed j j-nown to have kicked. The examina-or formed a fixed opinion.It is a bad time to secure a fanner jury. Men who know nothing about the case will sav thev have heard consider-able in relation to it.Jt iu quite likely that the examination of witnesses will begin Wednesday. .Since the arrival wf Davidson in thiscitv the case and alleged murder has• • •1been extensively talked of and looked up.At 2 o’clock Prosecutor Robinson stepped to the jury and asked of each juror if a venliot of murder in the first degree Tie found would he (the jg-ror) be willing to impose the death penalty. In several instances the sworn individuals said they had scruples which would dictate to their conscience not to indict capital punishment. As quickly as said they were discharged. Mr. Robinson, in the few whort hours, lias shownhimself to be an attorney of wide criminal knowledge. At p. in. thespecial venire vAs exhausted and business men were called in. Farmers would not serve on account of pressure of farmwork.At 7:40 p. m.a jury was selected. They areas follows: J. H. Appleton. G. M. Nalier, Richard Karas, James Johnson, Asa Meredith, (Columbia City- P. ifcL Wolsheimer, James M. Jones, George V/. Kgolf, Cornelius ;Ego]f, William M. Alberts, farmers; N. A. Geiger, Ed Flanne.-gan, Churubusco. Before the jury was sworn, Judge Hench stated to the oowc thatiunder the law’ the case could not be tried in a special term.Aiter an interval of fifteen minutes. Judge Adair commanded the jury to arisend be sworn in. Following this, Prosecutor Robiuecc reviewed the case, of wlaich the readers of the Gajsettjc are fully aware. The feeble condition of old mau Davidson was pictured to the jury.The confidence bestowedtion oi the stomach of the deceased will show that it contained undigested cabbage and potatoes. Witnesses will testify that in the house of the old man a light was always in the window at early twilight, and on that Sunday evening there was none. It is alleged that the crime was committed about 7:J0 p. in.The visit of a brother of old man Davidson from Indianapolis to see thelt;yHIuVdeceased, and the defendant importunede deceihim not to go and see him (the deceased) as he was not in tit eondition.TIED UP.Kvery Uni 1 road in Cleveland Tielt;l Up, and the Situation Very Seri on*.Ci.kvki.ani, G., June 17,—Every railroad in Cleveland is “tied up,’ and the wheels of the passenger and mail trains are the only ones turning this morning. What the outcome will be neither the officials nor the employes predict, but both regard the situation as serious. Railroad men in ail departments say that the switchmen must now either make a success of the strike and gain their point or else send a committee to the officials with power to make such a settlement as will insure them the positions they have vacated. The switchmen claimed last night that the railroads must listen to their demands without delay or the yardmen in adjacent cities would also leave work. It was said that the switchmen at Erie, Duukiik, Buffalo, and every other point on the eastern divi-sion of the Lake Shore were only waiting for the word from Clcvelaud to join in the strike. It was said also that the recent strike in Pittsburg bad not been fully settled and that the yardmen there were anxious to again make demands upon their employers.At a meeting this morning the strikersbnaPhPP-1R VOU13LT . ,MVV -Davukon by the uncle was put lefore.; remain steadfast. There arethe joey in every detail. The harsh • men employment.treatment showered -upon the old man by the nephew was dwelt u|ion at leugtib; the breaking open of the box by ’young Davidson, iu which was contained the deed to the property w'as presented to the body of men by whom iiis case is .to be tried. A diagram of the house, harm and premises in general was shown and explained te the jury. Robinson spoke of the last time the seniorDavidson was seen alive, and the lateriso2 finding of hiu dead body in a stable by afarmer.As the prosecutor made vivid descriptions of the scene Davidson exercised no nervousness. His only eye was fastened upon the prosecutor and he seemed to be as calm as any man in the auditorium.la speaking of a law suit in which old and young Davidson were engaged which was brought by the latter for trespass of cattle on a certain eighty acres of land, the defendant said he would “make the old man smell h—11.” Robin-inson stated that witnesses would say. —■ a a _ a ■ .a aThe effects4»f the complete ‘‘iie up” of all of the Cleveland railways by the striking switchmen are beginning to he felt by the business men anil manii- j ■factnrers of the city. It is imjtGesible to j supply coal i\a quantity to meet any-j thing like the demands. It is said the; lt;1111118 at New burg will le shut down. I ■Other railustrial plants will also he closed j in a day or two.iiUiuffwlioD at lew York.Nkw Yokk, June 17.—The disaffection insthe ranks of labor is on the increase.The cloakmokerg, it is asserted, is only the beginning of a general strike, whichJiwill, in magnitude, eclipse any yet known in this city.Qnitea number of Italian tailors left their ahops this morning and many more are expected to strike to-morrow. The cloak cutters’ association, the operators’ and tailor’ union and the dress and contractors' union have amalgamated and penist in refusing to have anything tono with tliA atflta hoard of arbitration.nlt;avaClDi
Newspaper Details
Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette
Fort Wayne, Indiana, US
Thu, Jun 19, 1890
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
CA, USA 04 May 2018
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