Daily Republican., 1881-12-02
TRIAL OF VIM. NEAL.
TRIAL OF WIN. NnAL - DIFF.
GUILTY IN sECURING AJURY.
Tho Panel Exhaustii And only
Seven Jurors Secured - seven.
teen Talesmsn Called from
Whom the Remaining five
are selected.

|
in dark clothes and wore a standing
collar, and occasionally y he would glance
around with mingled look of defiance
and fear. During the recital of Mrs
Gosser's evidence he seemed to amos
shrink into the rear of the dock and
seldom raised his eyes.
In this trial, as in the former one, the
State will be represented by States AT.
torney Gray and his able and efficient
Deputy, Alexander b. Cooper, Esq, and
Anthony Higgins, Esq, will conduct
the defense. There was a large crowd
of spectators present, who anxiously
watched the selection rf the jury. There
we're but seven jurors accepted when
the regular panel was exhausted, and
the Sheriff ordered the doors Of the
court room to be locked and no one Al
lowed to pass out, until sufficient num-
Der OF jurors were chosen to try the
case. Seventeen talesmen were then
called, from whom the remaining five
jurors were selected.
The following, all of whom are from
the regular panel except the last were
peremptorily challenged by the de.
fense:
John Atkinson, Samuel Glendenning,
John G.. Armstrong, Ephraim Stirling,
Tohn r. McElwee, John G. Fisher,
James Leach, VIM. Cooch, George w.
Craig, Landon Reed, Samuel Gregg, and
Theodore Estlin, of the regular panel,
and VIM. e. Guyer, Albert William
son, Frank A. Price, and Joseph Al.
dred.
The following had formed and ex-
pressed an opinion, as to the guilt orin.
nocence Of tho prisoner, and conse-
quently were excused from serving:
Harvey Lyons, Robert G. Gordon,
Thomas H. Pool, Samuel Sharpless,
John McHullin, Curtis M. ..Ta.ley, Ed
ward ID. Dilworth, James W. Mitchell,
Edward Sowden. George Abele, Samuel
Collins, Clayton Reilly, James b. Ap-
pleby, George Boulden, James H..
Roberts. Joseph Bowman, Henry NJ
NolAn, VIM. II. Houston, Henry NJ.
Barlow, John $, Jones, Benjamin G..
Collins, Daniel Clayton, and Francis
s. Gray, of the regular panel, and Geo.
Lewis, DR.. Benjamin b. Groves, j.
Clayton Massey, Savoy Evans, and
Thomas M Robinson, talesTan.
There were three, Edward B. Hance,
William Hracken and James Wright,
who had Conscientious scruples in re-,
gard to capital punishment. Lewis
Zebley and Charles Whiteley, who
were called as talesmen, pleaded i'll
health, and the court excused them.
Edward Darlington was called as a
talesman, but he did not answer.
When the name of Charles Green was
called, and he was sworn in the usual
manner to truly answer all questions
that might be put to him, Mr.. Higgins
waived the question, as to whether or
not he had formed or expressed an opin-
ion, when the State Attorney objected
and said that ifthe Court lwould allow
him, he would produce witness who
would testify to having heard Green
express an opinion. Upon permission
being granted, Mr.. Barlow, = juror Of
the regular panel was called, who upon
being sworn stated that he was well
acquainted with Green, and he had
heard him say that he expected to be
called as juror in this case, and in his
opinion Neal could not be convicted,
and gave his reasons for so thinking.
The Court decided that such express
sions disqualified him to act as a juror,
and ordered him to step aside.
The Jury was not completed until
4.15 o'clock, and is composed Of the fol-
lowing persons, the first seven of whom
were chosen from the regular panel
while the remaining five are from the
talesmen that were called:
David II. Choate, Newark; William
B. Adams, Wilmngton; Nehemiah
Davis, New Castle; William Murphy,
Wilmington; William b. Bancroft,
Christiana; Matthew Macklem, Will
mington; Peter Wood, Wilmington;
John Nichols, Wilmington; Samuel e.
Logan, Wilmington; Charles FL. How
ard, Wilmington; George ID. Watson,
Brandywine; Albert l Dcrricksen, Bran
dywine.
The trial was then commenced by
Deputy States Attorney Cooper, who
briefly reviewed the case and defined
the crime for which Neal stands in
dicted; he also outlined the testimony
that the State would produce, and said
thatif the jurors after hearing this evil
dence, believed it, they must render a
verdict Of guilty.
Joseph Roberts, sworn-live near
Mddletown; l am surveyor, (shown
a plan of the scene by the States At
torney,) recognize that plan, l made
it lt your request.
The witness by request OF counsel
came down from tho witness stand
and explained the plan to the jury.
Margaret Gosser, swo.n-l live in
Blackbird Hundred; since 1880 | have
lived within three and half miles
of smyrna; l am married woman
my husbands name is John Gosser
my nearest neighbor on the left was
Mr.. Lightcap, and on the left Peter
Warner; the house where We then
lived, and still reside, is one-story
house With an attic; has but one room
down stairs and one up; on the 18th of
March, 1880, l was at home, and be-
tween one and two o'clock in the after |
noon, the prisoner came to my house
| was alone, as my husband was out on
soma business.
After my husband went out, | took
my sewing and sat down by the stove.
1t was u rail- disagreeabls day. l had
got up and gone to the window, when
saw the prisoner coming in through |
he gate way; he knocked at the door
md asked me for some matches; |
urned to get them, when he came in
md asked me if he could warm his feet;
told him he might; he sat down in
,hair and commenced TO hum and
tamp his feet; | became afraid of him
md went to the door and looking out
old him that my Deighbor, Mrs. War
Ter, was calling me- / did this to
righten him so that he would go away;
lie came over to me, aud catching me
lround the waist, pulled me in the
louse and pushed the door shut; he
hen threw me down, but l struggled
Until got away from him, and ran to
he door trying to escape or give the
llarm; he again pulled me into the |,
oom, and threw me to tha floor at the
DOT of the bed.
Tho nart IF Mya. GossAr's tastimonv