The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-14
TIE nrNTINGrON CRIME.
Royal sammis aud DIR. George u. Banks Ar
raigncd in nRiyerhead-Troubies In secur-
ing Jurors-Evervbodys Mind Made Up.

RIyERuEAD T.. l., Oct. 13.-Yesterday
afternoon, after nearly three years Of DELAY, tho
case Of the People Of the state OF New YORK
agt. Royal Sammis and DIR. George ID. Banks for
riot and assault and battery on Charles q. Kelsey
at Huntington was called for trial before Judge
J. F. Barnard at a special term OF the Sunolk
County Oyer and Termner. IL was pressed as
test case ; and should conviction be obtained,
the indictments against Royal and Rudolph
sammis for murder In the second degree will be
taken up. Ex-Distrlct Attorney Barlow, with
J. II. Tuthlll, District Attorney for Suffolk
county, appeared for the people. The accused
men were defended by ex-Assistant District
Attorney Fellows and Charles w. Brooke.
special panel OF one hundred jurors had been
called. and twenty-seven were already present;
but although many had been called. compare
lively few were chosen up to the hour Of recess.
II proved. indeed. to be exceedingly difficult TO
select jurors. Most of them had formed fixed
opinions, the tenor OF which was fairly indicated
by the admission OF the 1rst man called, that
even IL the prosecution offered no evidence ut
all, no would still render verdict ofgdilty.
Another source OF embarrassment was the per-
picking manner In which many Of those Jurors
who h al no bias were related In all sorts oi de.
Rrees To the accused persons, especially TO hoyal
Sammis. The examinations and cross exanlini-
tions as TO consanguinity, partook occasionally
OF the nature OF positive puzzles, requiring con-
siderable ingenuity to unravel them. In one IN.
stance, when series Of hdrassinR questions had
reduced the mind OF the Juror to state OF com
picte beWilderment, Col. FELLOWS suggested 10
the prosecution the proprlety Of asking himif
he was an infationist. Seven Jurors were ex-
amined without result, all acknowledging with
dreary monotony that they knew who CARED
and feathered poor Kelsey. A CLEAN OF light
broke upon the proceedings as the eighth man
took the stand but II quickly vanished when he
confessed that while he had no opinion as TO
the guilt or Innocence OF the accused men, ne
had one so strong as to amount almost to a GER
tainty that his father was cousin OF Mrs
| Oakley of Huntington, Royal Samniss
wifc's aunt. lie excused, aud hope re-
vived as tho ninth Juror took his place.
| He had formed no opinion whatever and ex.
! never read any paper except tue Neu York
| weekly. He was almost accepted, when ques-
| tion bv Gen. Barlow drove him to admit tnet
| his father was own cousin TO Julld Smltn
| mother. As Julia Smith has been for some
| two years married To ROYAL Sammis, this was
| looked upon as a dsqualinc ltlon and he was
excused. The tenth Juror had never been In
| Huntington In his life. and having formed no
! opinion, w1s accepted aud took his seat under
the Unsurpassed applause Of the spectators.
The court room grew dark and the cousin
| ships became more and more confusing. At
i've men examined. Then a recess for an hour
| was taken.
The first man called after recess proved to be
! n cousin Of Charles G.. Kelsey, and he was ex.
| cused. Several Of the Jurors said they mad
| drawn their opinions from The SUN, and II
| one jurur remarked significantly that ne
wouldn't like To be tried 10y man having such
| an opinion as he had. Alter a hundred aud si1
men had been examined the jury was com
pleted at l0's o'clock, as follows:
Henry King. jesse n. Edwards, Henry K Wells. Pan
Hunting George Terry BenI X. Griffin, George V
smith, Smith l.. Newins, and Georse ". Iuthh