The New York herald., 1875-10-20
JAMES KEENAN'S PERIL.

TRIAL FOR THE ALLEGED MURDER OF POLICE
oFFIcER REUPP-A MOTION TO oUAsH THE
INDICTMENT REFUSED CROWDED COURT
RooM-NTKNsE INTEREST MANIFESTED.
The trial OF James keenan, for tho alleged murder Of
Police Officer Jacob Reupp in Trenton the 9th ofJune
astwas commenced yesterday afternoon the Court OF
Oyer and Termner of Mercer county, New
Jersey, In session in the above city, Chief
Justice Beasley presiding The prisoner is
broad shouldered, stout built Of about
twenty-eght years OF age His features not pre-
possessing or of that type which would leave favor
able impression on any law abiding citizen He has
small blue eyes, deeply sunken, high cheek bones and
a shallow slopng forehead He was re espcctably at
tired, hair cropped close, and assumed air Of con-
hdence
Attorney General Vanatta and prosecutor Mercer
Beasey, Jr appeared behalf Of the State and the
prisoner was represented by exUnted States Senator
John P. Stockton, Hon. W. H. Barton and W. W. John
The court room was denseiy packed with spectators
When the prisoner was called upon to plead, his
counsel Mr. Stockton, arose and made motion to
withdraw the plea Of not guilty already entered, and
substitute plea Of abatement the ground that two
members OF the Grand Jury, John S Noble
and Jonathan r. Dill, who had found the
indictment against the prisoner, not
legally qualified to sit in that body
account of each being above the age limited by law
The statute provides that each member of the Grand
Jury shall be not under twenty one years Of age
over sixty five These two gentlemen each
sixty-nve Mr. stockton cited various authorities
in support OF his motion, among them being decisions
rendered in analogous cases years by Chief Justices
Kinsey and Hill, Of the Supreme Court Of New Jersey.
The Chief Justice decided not to grant the motion. He
said the law which Mr.. Stockton cited different
from that which such cases now. The law
altered in the revision. II grand juror not OBJ
before
The indictment entirely good under the present law
Exceptions would be allowed to the ruling and then If
counsel desired the motion could be renewed before
the Supreme Court
The plea was then put upon the record demurrer
entered rejonder nied, when the Court
adjourned until two O'Clock in the afternoon, when the
trial commenced
ling jury the prisoner having made about twenty cha
lenges and the State ten when the following named
gentlemen selected Charles Johnson Levi Up
dixie Caleb Oliver, George Hill, Isaac II. Bergen, Clark
B. Vaughan William H. Hart, John p McNeely, John
NJ vandyke, David B Cox Phineas !. Read and Albert
Mr. Beasley opened tho case for the State He said
that the 5th oiJunc last two police officers while
patrolling their beat in the city of Trenton,
attracted by considerable noiso
hotel on Broad street. These two officers Ger.
mans, one Of them being Jacob Reupp. Hearing this
noise they went to the who made il
and demonstrated with them, saying it
was Sunday morning, and i was timo
prisoner at the bar, James Keenan,. The moved
away, but soon returned. They were again remon-
hlthy expressions saying the officers could not arrest
him. nor we're there officers enough IN Trenton TO do
so. In one minute a scufe ensued and the neghbor-
hood was startled with pistol shots The prisoner
made the threat, "Damn you, Jake Reupp, now have
got you, and have got something for you" James
keenan, took the life Of Reupp. The fatal
shots fired by him through the body Of the police
officer The doctors, at the post mortem examination
stated that poor Reupp had been killed ten times over
Keenan, was shortly aterward arrested, not, however,
until he had made terrible resistance. The pistol was
found with two chambers discharged And it is for
this he has been called upon TO plead This is brief
history Of the case, and, in conclusion, Mr.. Beasey
stated that he hoped the jury would give II a careful
consideration and render just verdict according to the
evidence.
DR.. Joseph L. Bodino the first witness called
The chief point OF the examination was to ind out tho
direction Of the wound and the injury done
The examination OF the witness had not con-
cuded when the Court adjourned ut hali-past four
O'Clock until this morning at ten O'Clock.