, 1889-12-19
TRIAL OF Mrs. SKEELS.
The Jury Impaneled-Openi state
ment of the Prosecution.


After the jury in the Liebold case
had been dismissed the case of the
state vs.. lone Skeels was called and
the defendant was brought into
court by deputy sheriff,
| She was neatly dressed, wearing q
bonnet tastefully trimmed and
rich black cloak trimmed with light
colored fur. She appeared stouter
than when committed to jail ten
months ago, her long confinement
having increased her obesity and
produced no visible trace of suffer-
ing or anxiety OH her countenance.
She took seat beside her at
torneys, Thomas w. Murphy OF
Cascade, Mont, and Thomas Q.
Grlfiitts of this city, and the impan-
cling of the jury began and contin-
| ued until noon, when court adj
journed until 80 p. M.
Upon the reassembling of court in
the afternoon the impaneling of
the jury was proceeded with. One
juror after another was peremptorily
challenged or excused until the reg
ular panel had been exhausted.
Another venire was ordered,
Sheriff Hinchliff selecting from the
spectators i'm the court room. After
twenty-three of the special venire
had been exhausted the sheriff
was compelled to rustic on
the outside. He brought up
w. l.. Raph, who proved to be sat
isfactory to both sides, and at 4:l5
follows: Gavin G. Mount, Thomas
| rfnta w NNamnar n III
man, William Peters, V. w. Van
Vie, A. l.. Christian, Charles
Marks, w. b. Ramsey and w. l..
Raph.
After the jury bad been sworn,
Judge Norman Buck, who will as
sist States Attorney Ridpath i'm
conducting the prosecution, read
the indictment presented by the
grand jury, charging lone Skeels
with the crime of murder In
the first degree in having
purposely, deliberately, and in a
premeditated manner shot and
fatally wounded Charles w. Skeels
In the city of Spokane Falls ON the
LIST day of March, 1889.
Judge Buck then briefly addressed
the jury on the part of the state.
The defendant had been arraigned
at former term of court and plead
not guilty.
The state would attempt to prove
that Charles w. Skeels, who resided
i'm Spokane Falls on March |, 1889,
was ON that day called from room
where he was sleeping and shot by
defendant; that before doing so she
had gone through the town search
ing for revolver and making
threats against the life of her hus-
band; that she procured revolver
and took pains to pro-
cure ammunition and load
IL; that she sent word
to him that he was wanted at his
place of business, for the purpose Of
enticlng him out of the room; and
that when he came out she shot
him, and he died from the effects of
the wound. The state would provo
that after the shooting defendant
had made statements to the effect
that she had notified him that she
would do this thing, and that she
had not only with malice, but with
premeditation, prepared herself for
the commission of the crime.
At the conclusion of Judge Bucks
remarks, Judge Blake asked If the
defense desired to make a statement
TO the jury, to which Mr.. Grifiitts
replied that statement of the lina
of f'defense to be pursued would be
reserved until the state had pre-.
sented its evidence.
Judge Blake informed the jury
that II had been mutually agreed
between the attorneys for the state
and the defense that the jury should
be allowed to separate during the
progress of the trial. He then gave
them the usual instructions as to
their conduct during adjournment,
J etc.