Telegram-herald., 1891-03-31
BRAINS NOT WANTED
IGNORANCE Is The QUALIFICATION
Required TO Enable . Man TO hear, Fry
aud Determine W neither Eagan Killed
O'Coaner-Amas astng oaestioss fst
by the Defendants Lawyer.

Crowds thronged the superior court
room yesterday and the seating ca
pacity of the chamber was sadly in
sufficient. In addition TO the regular
panel, fifty tslesmen drawn especially
Tor this trial, were IN the court room
and they, together with witnesses and
spectators, made up the crowd that all
day awaited with impotence the conf
pleton of the selection of jury. just
inside the rail sat Minnie Dyer. 1he
good looking young Irish girl who IA
alleged To have been the cause OF the
tragedy. She noted every act In the
preliminary proceedings, and seemed
To be totally oblivious that upon her
story depended the fate OF the man
who is to'be tried.
William Eagan, the accused, sat with
his attorneys, Mathewson and Sauls-
bury. lie WAS neatly attired but his
face wore a haunted look of nervous
ness as he gszed anxiously at the faces
OF the spectators, the lawyers and tile
Jurors.
Story of the killing.
The story of the crime is too well
known TO require extended recapltula-
ton. On the night of September l3,
1890, Patrick Glbiin, l42 Oakland-av.,
gave dancing party. Eagan attended,
accompanied 10y Minnie Dyer. Pat o.
Connor was also in attend lnce and paid
a good deal more attention to Miss
Dyer than Eagan thought necessary.
Beer was the beverage of the evening.
Later III the evening the two young
men left the house together and OCon-
nor was never seen again alive. HIS
dead body was discovered Sunday
morning bearing terrible wounds. The
case seemed shrouded In mystery till
Minnie Dyer was examined 10y the de-
tectlyes, Her story was that her lover,
Eagan, had told her she never would
dance with O'Connor again. He took
her TO where the body lay after which
they returned to the dance. On their
way home he said that he and OCon-
nor had had n quarrel and OConnor
had attacked him when he killed him.
Both were intoxicated at the time.
There were no witnesses TO the tragedy
and Minnie Dyer is the principal wit
ness. Messrs. Mcknight and McGarry
salisbury for the defense.
Tedious Jury Challenging.
The State used up all the forenoon
challenging jurors for cause, and in the
afternoon Mr.. salisbury began opera
tions for the defense. The process was
tedious for everybody, though some
amusement was offered during the af-
hxyt ho lon ,f,.,rr -.tt
of Mr.. Salisbury who questioned the
jurors. One of the extra panel was
asked if he had a fixed opinion IN re-
gard to the case. Yes, sir, | think he
ought to be hung" was the answer.
He was dropped like hot brick. Again
Mr.. Salisbury seemed ratified, for he
asked Juror: "ln reading the papers
at the time of the tragedy did you form
the opinion that the man who commit
ted the murder was guilty. laugh
ter.) Again he asked: WAS O'Con-
nCr's name mentioned IN the paper"
"Yes, SIR"
"Was Eagan's name mentioned"'
"Yes, SIR"
"Did you form any opinion of the
guilt or innocence of the man men,
tionedT'
The witness did not state, as he
might, that he thought O'Connor
guilty.
salisbury Grows Facetious.
Another one was asked. "If itshould
appear in this cause that Eagan was
the one, would it affect you IN render
ing your verdictg'
1T seems TO me that the question is
mixed" WAS the reply. Mr.. Salisbury
was IN an accommodating frame of
mind and replied, "Well. give Us a
mixed answer"
When the court adjourned last night
it was impossible TO tell how long it
might take to secure jury. The de-
fense has the privilege of thirty per-
emptory challenges and the State
fifteen. None of them have been used
IA yet. As all but one or two have
been challenged for cause.
The jurors so far have represented
almost every trade and have been an
intelligent looking lot of men. Almost
every one testified that he was a con-
slant reader Of the daily papers, n fact
which seems To fill with horror the soul
l.