Evening star., 1894-01-24
TRIAL OF DR.. L EON.
1t Was Begun Before Judge Cole This
Morning.
The Court Forced to Adjourn Withou,
Completing the Jury-Twelve
Men Challenged.

The trial of DR.. Edward Leon for murder
was begun before Judge Cole in Criminal
Court No. this morning, but. as is In
| variably the case in such causes here In
the District, the court was forced to ad
journ for the day after a fruitless attemp,
of about an hour and one-half to obtain q
jury of twelve men, good and true.
Leon is charged with the murder on Oc.
tober 81 last of "a certain male child OF
Miss Estele Z. Beach. a young woman c1
this city, the death Of the babe being al
legged to have resulted from an abortion
claimed to have been performed by Leon
on Miss Beach on the 10Th of last October
District Attorney Birney and his assist ant
Mr. Levin, represented the government
while Messrs. VIM. A. Cook and z. T.
Cason appeared for the prisoner. The cour
room was literally packed with an expect
ant throng Of men and boys when Judge
Cole ascended the bench and inquired II
both sides were ready.
District Attorney Birney replied that the
government was, and Mr. Cook explained
} that the defendant was as near ready as
he we'll could be. The regular panel OF
jurors were then sworn to answer inquiries
Of the court. prosecution and defense ie-
specting their qualifications as Jurors In
! the case.
After aScertalnlnS tnat the jurors nel0 nc
opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the
prisoner, that they had no bias or prejudice
against him. and that there was no reason
why they could not render a fair and I'm
partial verdict based alone on the law and
evidence in the case, Judge Cole turned the
talesmen over the district attorney, who
inquired of them whether they were &C
quainted with Leon 70 with Miss Beach
and whether they had any conscientious
scruples against capital punishment. Their
- "a N N ad n
the defense who inquired If they had read
or talked of the case whether they had
formed or expressed an opinion, and ask ed
many other similar questions.
Challenged the Whole Twelve.
Geo. F. Mcgee. Mathew McNally, VIM.
Thorowgood. VIM. Holmead. w. H. Coving
ton, Henry Bredekamp, Geo. c. Collision
Chas. G. Schorth, E. Pierce Walsh, Arthur
Burt. Chas E. Galliher and George Pimpel
were the first twelve talesmen called into
the box. Mr.. Burt stated that he had a
bias against the prisoner. which he though,
would operate against him, and after many
inquiries made by court and counsel re-
specting that bias, Judge Cole finally decid
ed that Mr.. Burt was disqualified, and
James III. Cathell took his place in the box
Thereupon Mr.. Cook inquired II the defense
could challenge one or more jurors at a
time.
You can now challenge one or al
twelve" replied Judge Cole; 1.-The defendant
has twenty peremptory challenges and the
government five"
We'll then. your honor" remarked Mr.
Cook, I'VE will challenge the whole twelve >
That, of course. emptied the box, and the
following thirteen men on the regular pane
We're examined: David X. Meredith, Chas
w. Downing, Fenton Brewer, VIM. Wan
stall, John NJ. Birckhead, VIM. w. Riley
VIM. H. Brinkley, Henry S. Thrift, John
NJ McClintock, W. S. Henry, Henry Nay
lor, jr., James f. Bromweil and Henry
Kuhn. Mr.. Downing and Mr.. Bromwell
stating that they had fixed opinions. were
declared by the court to be disqualified
and Mr.. Kuhn was excused because OF
sickness That left but ten men in the box
subject to the eight peremptory challenges
of the defense and the five of the prosecu
ton. and after cautioning the ten men
against talking about or discussing the
case Judge Cole discharged them until to-
morrow morning, directing the clerk tC
summon forty additional talesmen. The
court then adjourned for the day. and Leon
was taken back to Jail.