The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-15
ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE.
CASSIDY PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO
THE CHARGE OF MURDER.

Inc SupDOeGNl OF u hGNl = < EilAA4l
in the Prisoners Dock The Great
Trial Begun Selecting the Jury
Sixty-seven Names Called Before the
Twelfth Juror is Obtained-The Story
of the Tybee Island Tragedy as Told
from the Witness Stand.
The Superior Court room was crowded
and dark crowd cclipSed the gallery at 10
O'Clock yesterday forenoon. The central
figure stood calm and collected in the pI'is-
oners box, his hands clasped behind his
back. A Young man dressed in neat fitting
black suit. a white kerchief with q bright
border peeping from his breast pocket a
spotleSS linen collar, circled by a neat blacl,
tie, a boyish moustache, almost doNny,
over the firm lips, eyes small, restless, pene-
trative. mistaken by trenor This was
Tom Cassidy, charged with the murder of
George Smith. He listened calmly 10 the
reading of the indictment. and when the
Solicitor General asked, What is your
plea, " he spoke firmly, mot guilty" and
elected TO be tried by God and his
country"
1t is hardly necessary to review the cir
cumstances surrounding the Tybee Island
murder. On the morning of July Is last
the dead body of George Smith was found
on the beach where the ebb tide left it, its
dumb wounds telling above the roar of the
sea that the hand Of a murderer had been
laid heavily upon it. Thomas Cassidy was
the last person seen with Smith alive but a
few hours before, and it remains to be seen
whether the testimony which is TO follow
will connect him with the murder beyond
the reasonable doubt, which is all that
stands between Cassidy and the death pen
atty.
SELECTING A JURY.
The selection of the jury was too replete
with incidents to be tedious, although it
wanted but twelve minutes of noon when
the twelfth juror was sworn. The first
panel of forty-eight names was exhausted
and but nine jurors were accepted. The
next panel of twelve furnished the tenth
juror, the remaining two being secured
from among the first seven names of the
fifth panel drawn upon. The first called,
John T. Miller, was rejected by the State.
The second man, William l.. Byrd, was
accepted. James Mckinley was preiu-
diced and was excused. John H. Sierra and
John Healey were objected to by the de-
fense William +. Weldon had an opinion.
Moses NJ. Boynton was objected 10 by the
defense. Diederich Entelman WAS accepted.
The State excused Charles H. Hayward
and the defense objected to Elias S. Byck.
John Kavanaugh had expressed an opinion,
while the twelfth man, T. Pinkney Huger,
was preiudiced. Panel No l resulted in
securing but two jurors.
THE SECOND PANEL.
Hugh J.. Fulton was first called, but was
objected to by the defense Patrick Killorin
was next called, and the prisoner twisted
his thin ploustache and watched the candi-
date for the jury box closely. The result
was that MIR. Killorin was asked to stand
aside. The State objected to Randolph
Paff and Thomas Walsh, and the defense to
James j. Palmer. The consultation was
long and earnest over Joseph n. Lee,
young man who stood YEARLY awaiting the
final decision of the prisoner and his counsel.
1.-The Juror will look upon the prisoner
and the prisoner will look upon the Juror
was the stereotyped form of the Clerks
presentation but there was a world of
realism in it to Thomas Cassidy Few Of
the candidates for the jury box could meet
the searching eyes of the prisoner whose
penetrating look seemed to read every
thought and emotion. 1t was long, earn
est searching, yet not offensive, look that
the prisoner took at Lee until a flush of sat
isfaction passed over his face as be turned
to his counsel, and had the third jurYman
accepted John G.. Sullivan bad expressed
an opinion, the State excused Henry II.
Wenz Thomas ID. Curtes had expressed an
opinion, James G. Cornell was 'prejudlced, y
and the fourth juryman, William C. Nc
Donough, was not accepted until the pris-
oner had earnestly discussed the candidate
with his counsel The second panel was ex-
hausted by the selection of John NJ Doty
THE THIRD PANEL
Robert J. Dukes, the first man of the new
panel, was promptly accepted, but the de-
tense objected to the next four, who were
Alonzo j. Reyes, George NJ. Icard, John c..
Duggan and John II. Hammer, Henry c.
Davis aud Alfred j.. Tiels were prejudiced,
and Charles l.. Park had forlnd an opin-
ion. When the name of John L. DuFour
was called, Solicitor General duBgnon
could not find his name on the list; Attorney
Richards pointed il ont, but the State ex-
cused the man it didn't know. William
Hearne had formed an opinion, and George
Sullivan was prejudiced. The last man of
the third panel, John w. Teeples, was ac-
cepted
PANEL NO. 4.
Frank NJ. Johnston had expressed an
opinion, Sylvester Rooney was objected to
by the defense and Crawford Williams was
opposed to capital punishment. Jacob
Friedman's name could not be found on the
list by the Solicitor General; again Attor-
ney Richards came to his rescue and pointed
out the name, with the first pleasantly of
the trial as to the failing vision of THE
learned counsel on the other side There
was general council held of counsel pris-
oner and the prisoners friends inside the
bar, and Mr.. friedman was accepted. The
defense objected to Silas T. Kendall
Charles j. Eaton and Dennis Mahan had
expressed opinions and Robert l.. Titcomb
was not free from bias. In the consultation
over Archibald McAllister, the prisoner
3pined in hearty laugh with his counsel.
the first and last approach to mirth of the
day, following which Mr.. McAllister was
chosen. The next three of the panel, Ben
Jamin w. Tedder, William c. Wade and
Robert /. Jackson, were objected to- the
last named by the State
PANELS NOS 5 AND 6.
The fifth panel yielded but one juror, Joseph
y. Gnann, who was the eleventh man on
the panel, d. c. Carson being prejudiced
Solomon Walker, James Reilly, Charles
Lamotte and Robert l.. Gould being object
ed to by the defense, Julian Schley. David
J. Shebau, Hiram Ketchum, Frank Nj. It'd
well and Max Robinson being biased, the
latter admitting that his mind was not
clear to deal as between the State and the
prisoner, while Thomas J. Harrison was
opposed to capital punishment. John T.
Glass was objected TO by the defense.
Richard Kitchen was opposed to capital
punishment, John s. Bordley was accepted !;
Thomas Fender and James +. Dillon had ex-
pressed an opinion; William f. HusSey's
mind was not clear and he was excused,
ard at HAS John ID. Bowling, after
lengthy consultation of counsel was &C