The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-14
OSBON JURY SECURED.
It is Found without Much TrOuble-Large
Crowds Attend the Trial.

Iii Found without Much TrOuble-Large
Crowds Attend the Trial.
LAWRENCE, May 14-The Osbon
murder case has attracted to Lawrence
quite large number of people. AS
there are over seventy witnesses sub
pRnaed the case has assumed surpris-
room is crowded long before the time of
session. 1t is good opportunity for the
university law students to take notes,
and they take advantage of it.
Mr.. A c. Mitchell, who has charge of
the prosecution. is the county attorney of
Douglas county. He is very boyish
looking man, but he knows what he is
doing, and he had better, for ]. r. Bur-
ton is looking for bad breaks. He touched
up Mr.. Mitchell pretty sharply at the
empanelling of the jury.
County Attorney g. A. Crane of Jack
son county is assisting Mr.. Mitchell, and
Mr.. Joseph G. Waters of Topeka will
cross examine the witnesses and see that
everything of importance ia told.
]. R Burton OF Abilene and Eugene
Hagan of Topeka are conducting the de-
fense. Judge J. o. Norton of Lawrence
is assisting them.
Some funny things happened during
the empanelling of the jury. One man
being asked his profession, said: "Tm a
thought he said "tired," and there was
a general laugh Another man had to
count up on his fingers before he could
tell the court how many children he had.
The jury is made up of men who will
average over so years of age. Most of
them are farmers and have lived in this
vicinity for from is to 30 years.
Clinton G. Osbon, the man who shot
Chas. Handle at Holton last summer, is
small man. He appeared in court
dressed in very plain black clothes
he wears heavy chin whskers.
While he is very nervous he does not act
like an insane man. Mr.. Osbon is pos
sessed of very searching eye and his
face has determined look upon it. His
wife sits near him. She is dressed in
| black. She is woman that impresses
| one as having seen N uch trouble in her
life time Next to her sits her daughter,
Estelle. She also is dressed in black.
The costume is good fitting and becom es
her.
She shows great nervous excitement,
| but she bears up we'll and smiles to her
friends occasionally. With her are two
| ladies from Topeka who are here to see
that she secures justice. These ladies
are here representing the Social
Purity league of Topeka. They are
Mrs. w. F. File, wife of the minister and
Mrs. Van Cleaves.
1t was through the efforts of these la
dies that Miss Osbon was released on
habeas corpus pr0ceedings-Mr Van
CleAves having taken it to the supreme
court Since her release Miss Osbon has
| been taken care of by the league; t hat il
a position was secured for her and she
made her home with one of the N EN-
bers.
Miss Osbon was seen by a STATE
JOURNAL reporter aud asked abont the
case, but she refused to be interviewed
John aud Jake HANDLE, brothers o.
the murdered man, are present at the
trial. John Hamble, who was with hi
brother Charles when Clinton c. Osbor
shot him, wears glasses and is portly
man.
As there is no doubt that Clintor
G. Osbon shot and killed Charles Ham
BILE, the defense brings forth the plea ot
insanity Dir. Osbon's father is said to
be confined in an insane asylum a
present and his son was at one time con
tined in the Topeka asylum and died
there only a few years ago. Th'
plea of the defense, therefore, i
greatly strengthened by these circum
stances. The prosecution will attempt
to prove that he is sane man and tina
the murder was malicious. Judge Ben
son adjourned court yesterday afternoon
long enough SO that he could have hi
picture taken with the university Law
students.
The jury empanelling was completes
at 4:1O yesterday afternoon, and after
short charge to the jurymen, Judge Ben
son adjourned court till this morning.
The jury as completed is: A. B. New
by, Louis Reedy, s. R. Holloway, E. I