Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-10
THE CRONIN TRIAL.
Judge Mcconnell Shows Tendency to Facii-
tate the Work of Securing Jury.

CHICAGO, ILL, Sept. 9.-The weary work of
finding jury for the Cronin trial was resumed
before Judge Mcconnell this morning, and,
from a ruling soon after the examination of
talesmen was begun, it would appear that the
court is disposed to accelerate the work.
Henry Sweet, farmer from Glenwood, was
examined and cross examined at length, and
finally Mr.. Forrest, for the defense, said: II
challenge this juror for cause for two reasons:
He has formed an opinion to the existence
of a conspiracy 20 Kill DR.. Cronin and also as
to whether or not some of the defendants were
members of that conspiracy, and further that
DR.. Cronln was killed in pur5 uanCe OF the action
of a certain supposed trial committee appointed
by Camp No. % OF the so-called Clan Na-GaeI
society,"
COURT want to ask the Juror q ques-
tion before ruling upon that challenge. 10
the juror If taken and sworn as a juror would
you, Notwithstanding the opinions formed
these matters be able to give those persons fair
and impartial trial and find verdict exclusively
upon the evidence received from the witnesses
and the law as received from the COURT?
Answer-''Y Yes. sir. -
The court-''The challenge is overruIed.' -
Mr. Forrest-''Then we take an exception,
your honor, from the rulings OF the court and we
challenge the juror Peremtorily on behalf of
Beggs.'
dldate, and he was peremtorily challenged on
behalf of Burke.
After the court had overruled challenges for
cause in several other cases in which the cir
cumStances were similar and the talesman had
been peremtOrily excused, Judge Mcconnell
SAID: - want to say word To the gentlemen
on both sides in reference to this line of Chal
lenge. AS l understand the law, and 1 think
have taken it from very high authority and from
rules of practice well approved In the early i'm
panelling of jury in case which has been
very much discussed and very much
published in the newspapers as this
has and concerning which the sherihs
sUmmOning officers have gone to nearly all parts
of the country and summoned nearly all classes
and conditions of society, II 1t becomes apparent
that an ideal or perfect jury cannot be secured,
that is jury which has not formed any impress
sion upon the matter, then the court must take
it is a legal jury. So while great
Hberslity viii be permitted, such as
this court has permitted in this in the early
impaneling of the jury, necessarily as the court
becomes convinced that it cannot be so liberal;
that if it were to continue the course no jury
could be impaneled; that hberality must be linn
tied. So. whatever might be the ordinary rules
OF law which govern the impeachment of jury
in an ordinary case, they must bend to the
otherwise the result would necessarily follow
that in a certain case no Jury could ever be I'M
paneled. Now 1 mean to say By that that
where find these opinions are simply formed
on newspaper reading and men come here
whose intelligence and character are estab-
Iished the court is obliged to come to
the conclusion that from what they say they can
fairly nd impartially try the case on the law
and evidence. I shall not be so liberal as have
been. We have already consumed nine days IN
endeavorng to impanel a jury
In all about twenty-five talesmen were exam
ined during the day, and all of them were ex-
cused either for cause or on peremptory Chal-
lenge. a new venire was ordered for to-mOrr-
row.