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GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1»02.HARRIS TRIAL ATTRACTING LARCE CROWDS DAILY.There has been 110 abatement of interest in the Seiber case today, as it has come to be known, today. The jury wa* not secured yesterday from the special venire of thirty and another for twelve was issued by the court.This morning near ten thirty o’clock a jury was secured, 'fall the challenges of the state and the defense 1 laving been exhausted before a jury was secured. The jury which will try the case is composed of the following persons, .T. N. Carr, H. H. Tyler, J. M. Griffith, T. C. Hickman, F. O. DeLaMatyr, J. C. Stubbing, J.B. Hunter, Martin Woodring, J. B. F. Cosier. A. L. LeVan, Arthur R. Brow’ii and A. Simonson.Immediately following the selection of the jury. District Attorney Mc-Mullin for the date made an exhaustive statement of what the prosecution w’ould attempt to prove in the trial. Ho gave in detail the history of the shooting, as the testimony was show’n at the time of the preliminary hearing. A surveyed map showing the various locations was before tlie jury, showing in the completest detail the situation of the men who are the principal witnesses for the state.Mr. McMullin stated to the jury that the testimony would prove that there w’as a conspiracy on foot of w’hicli the killing was the result. That Harris came to the homo of Frank Sleeper witli deliberate attempt his mind to pick a quarrel and that his going to the ranch upon that morning was premeditated and part of the plan for the undoing of Seiber. the deceased cattleman.The state stated further that the evidence w’ould show’ that Seiber had no intent to commit an assault upon the porson of Harris when he rode toward him, gun in hand and that the last words Seiber had said were, that “lie w’ould not harm him’’ (referring to Harris). He insisted in his statement that the evidence w’ould prove that Harris committed the deed in cold blood that after it was over he picked up the gun to follow’ up the killing of Seiber, if any of the employes of Seiber should interfere with his departure.Immediately following the statement of District Attorney McMullin for the prosecution, Frank C. Goudy for the defense rose and taking iosi-tion before the jury began his statement. He said that it was the usual custom for the defense to wait until the close of the trial to make their statement, but he would digress from the usual procedure and make state ment of what the defense expected to prove. He said that there was no mystery about the case W’hatever, that it w’as a case of pure self defense. He then gave in detail the movements of Harris from the time, a few days before the killing, bringing his statement up to the actual occurrence.This staement W’as evidently to how that it was perfectly natural for Harris to have been there at the Seiber ranch. The story, a mere outline of which can bo given, show’s that Joe and John Harris had started to drive some horses toward the Rico country, as Mr. Goudv stated, toward Durango. When he had assisted his realtive to drive the horses acros* the mountain and fairly well 011 the trail toward Durango he started back and reached the ranch of Henry Knowles. Here he inquired of Knowles W’hetlier there were any cattle in liis pasture which belonged to him, being answered by Knowles that he thought there were. He and Knowles made exmin-ation and found three or four head. He then started to depart toward his home saying that he would be back on the next day to secure the cattle. He w’ent to the Sleeper ranch and when he and Sleeper got to talking it w’as told that he (Sleeper) and his men had cut two head of cattle out of the Seiber herd, which bore Harris' brand, the cattle being “J. H.—5”.This brand was on one side of the cattle in the customary place, on the other side, being a late brand, the “Hash Knife’’ brand of the Seiber herd.He remained that night at theSloeper place. Next morning he said he had some cattle at the Knowles place and would ride over and get them. While on the way he would Stop and see Seiber and Jim Jones, the foreman, and talk over the differences between them and see if they could not be adjusted and also about the cattle which belonged to him and bore a recent brand of the Seiber cattle company.When he got near the ranch he metC. Mow* and askod for the “Old Man’’ meaning Seiber. He was told and then rode 011 and met Seiber at about a mile from the place where the camp was where the cattle were being rounded up.They rode together and Harris complained to Seiber of the encroachments of Seiber and his men, when passing from the summer to the w’in-ter range, how’ the Seiber men drove across his ranch tearing down fences etc. He also told him of having found two head of cattle with the Seiber brand that belonged to him.When they wTere quarelling some what Mr* Seiber said to Harris “you have a gun and I have not, ’ ’ Harris said “you don’t need a-gun.’’ Seiber complained to Harris that he did not want to be neighborly, referring to Harris The latter answered back “I don’t want to be neighborly with an outfit like yours.” They passed Pace on the way on their road to where they thought they would find Jim Jones, who was to be an arbitrator in the quarrel or differences between them.Mr. Goudy then gave in detail the histofy of the meeting at the round up. It was practically the same as has been published several times, only that ho said that when Seiber reached and secured Jhfl Wind tester he started in a direct line toward Harris with gun pointed toward him. That he did not go round a circle. That the gun walt; held in a menacing position and that it was loaded, as he saw Sei-ler raise the gun and throw a cartridge into position. When he came toward him he beleived that Sieber meant to kill him and that he called to him to drop the gun three different times and then shot him, when he found he must, three times.In describing the manner in which Harris came in possession of the gun Mr. Goudy stated that when at Sleep-i, about to start to Knowles for his cattle, he said to Sleeper seeing a gun in his chapps, “let me pack your gun.” This Sleeper consented to do, as Hrrias had said he did not want to carry a Winchester as he had a wild horse and could handle the revolver better.It w’ould be proved that Harris shot in self defense. That he w’as a man of character in his neighborhood at Westw’ater and that I10 attended to his own business and had w’orked hard to accumulate money to care for his small bunch of cattle and that he was w’ell liked in the section of country in which he lived.Toward the last Mr. Goudy became1 ’ somewhat dramatic and sjioko very lfud and clear.From the above it will be scon that the defense w’ill attempt to prove that Harris only acted in self defense. The prosecution will attempt to show’ that Harris wanted a quarrel and that he w’ent there purposely to get one, that there was a cabal of several ier-sons, among them Harris, who proposed to get rid of Seiber and that it wras accomplished in the shooting and that same had none of the features of an act of self defense and that it was nothing else than a deliberate cold blooded murder.The statement of the District Attorney in presenting the cause of the prosecution w’as very strongly made and was in line with the testimony that had been elicited at the preliminary trial.Dr. Bull, E. H. Kerns and Roy Dunning, were on the stand this afternoon as witnesses for the prosecution.Ice cream for dinners, parties, etc., oan be secured by telephoning 748 red, I park, A Qo.Our fall ai all in, and o ready made e in all sizes, Work shirts cheaper than We also sell in soft and s can’t be was Junction wm
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Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Grand Junction, Colorado, US
Wed, Oct 15, 1902
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CO, USA 16 Dec 2023
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