The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-30
THE EYSTER MURDER TRIAL
Whole Day Spent in Getting Jury
Satisfactory TO Both Sides.
Challenges on All Sorts Of Grounds-Heirs
Of Congressman Conn's Partner Bring
suit to Collect Royalties.


First Day OF Their Trial Spent In Obtaining
Jury.
It was q much mixed crowd that as
sembled in the Criminal Court room yes
terday morning when John Parker and
Edward McAfee were placed On trial Tor
the murder of druggist Charles Il. Eyster
In bis store. at the corner OF MississipDi
and Third streets. on the night OF April IA.
A special venire of forty names had been
drawn. and when Judge Cox took his seat
ana the court was formally convened by
bailiff Sheehsn, the regular panel was
called and seated in the jury box. The at
torneys for the defendants at once objected
to this procedure and insisted that twelve
men be chosen from the special venire to
take the place of the regular panel. The
Court overruled the objection and the de-
PENDANTS took an exception to the rul-
ing. Judge Cox ruled that the special
venire was only to provide for
vacancies caused by challenges and that
the regular panel would first haye to be sx-
hsusted; this was done very quickly. how
ever. and then the special venire was called
one by one until q few minutes after 2
O'Clock in the afternoon, when the entire
had been exhausted and bailiff Sheehan
was compelled to seek jurors in the by
ways and hedges" After several futile at
temps to secure in the court room jurors
that would prove satisfactory to both the
State and the defense, he went upon the
street and brought men from their business
houses and was kept a. this work all after
noon. IL was 5 o'clock before jury ao-
oeptable to both sides had been obtained
and not until the defense had all but ex-
hausted their rights In the way OF per-
bmptory challenges.
The selection of the panel was tedious
and the questions asked each man as he
was sWora were searching and exhaustive.
One OF the attorneys aptly expressed the
situation oy quotation from Scriptures.
many are called but few are chosen"
Joseph Il. Healing conducted the examine
tion for the defense and every juror called
had to say upon oath as to whether he had
heard of the case before; had formed or
expressed an opinion as to the guilt or In
nocence of the parties; whether the fact Of
the defendants or any of the witnesses for
the defense being colored people wonld
affect the weight of their evidence In the
minds OF the jurors; whether he was re-
lated to Mrs. Eyster. and whether be had
served on a jury within year. Wnen they
were turned over to Prosecutor Hoffman.
who conducted the examination for the
State. they were compelled to tell whether
OF not tncy were couectentlOuSly OppOSoo 10
infiicting the death penalty.
During the whole of the proceedings the
defendants sat behind their attorneys and
eagerly watched the men as they wero
called and took their seats In the jury box.
1t was noticed that McAfee was little
restless and seemed more agitated by the
proceedings than his codefendant Mr.. aud
Mrs. Parker, father and stepmother of John
Parker. and Mrs. McAfee, mother of Ed
ward McAfee. were present. and sat behind
she defendants during the entire day. Be-
hind Prosecutor Hoffman and Deputy Cox
sss Mrs. Eyster clad In deep mourning. her
face covered with q veil. She remained in
the same position during the whole day,
perfectly motionless. her white face
through the veil. showing no signs of emo
tion. 1t was noticeable. however that she
never looked at the defendants. AT her
right sat her uncie and at the left a cousin.
At o'clock the jury was accepted by
both SIDES. They were sworn Immediately
and discharged until Wednesday morning,
to which time the court adjourned.