The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-26
AN EXPENSIVE TRIAL.
Wilcox Case Imposed a Heavy
Load on Taxpayers.
TIE PRICE OF FREEDOM %, 900.
Burglar Williams VIII Not Escape-A
Homesteader Demands Possess
sion OF His Claim.

The great cost necessarily imposed upon
4axDsyers by a criminal prosecution is
vel illustrated BY the wilcox case The
runaher OF witnesses was unusually large
ever for a murder trial. and the fac, tina
r.oss Of them lived out or the city mate
rally Increased the expense. One OF the
ssa,A,s best Witnesses was brought from
los Angeles. another from Spokane and a
fhi-d from Olympia A drug clerk. who
fx now In Portland, could not be secured
f,v me state. or his bill would have been
.Aded All OF the other witnesses reside
a Tacoma. except one from Snohomfsh
n behalf of the defense and those in this
city.
ness. according 10 the record Ia the clerks
Office. was allowed sI37. his certificate be-
.ng no greater because Prosecuting At
sorney HASTE and Deputy Wiltshire re-
fused 10 grant him fees for the 2sJ4 miles
he had to travel IN coming and returning
Masssna's bill Substantially covered his
attendance, mileage from the Columbia
river and reasonable expenses outside the
,tafe Tho next largest bill was that OF
II. johnson, OF Spokane county. who
was given 40 miles and two days attend
,nee. Most OF the Tacoma witnesses were
each In attendance three days, and their
average bill was Sli.e1 that Is. s. attend
ance and $50 for the round trip OF fifty
etx miles. Thirty-nve witnesses were sub
penaed for the state and forty-one for the
defense. a total OF seveniy-six.
Little difficulty was met with IN secur-
eng the Jury. Seven Of the-regular panel
wero retained and out OF the nineteen men
brought in on open venires the remaining
I've were chosen. The expense In this re-
sne~t was not 80 great as at the former
trial when IL was most difficult to obtain
3urymen
Tabulated, the expense is as follows:
Witnesses for e...........-.......-kois 80
Witnesses for defense. 2I6 10
Total for witnesses............. .ssse 20
Special Jurors ..........-...........'...l -o ~
ro,s, 1913 20
THE above statement includes merely
,ha cost OF the proceedings IN court, the
sherin's fees and the expenses or the pre-
iminary hearing and previous trial not
b4ing counted in. Adding the sheriff 8
fees. see Sc, and the expense of the hearing
preliminary 20 the first trial. ss0I.7V. the
total IL a,G2l.os. II TO that Is added the
ooSt of the previous trial and the number
less other items. the grand total of ex-
n.nse TO the state and county in setting
a. liberty William A. Wilcox has been
more than 5000.
In the trial lust closed the expense has
been kept down to the lowest figure. the
court and counsel for state and the ac-
eused having co-operated to that end.
zach witness was excused. II possible. at
.he instant his testimony was completed
The Wilcox trial has also shown the
sigh value at which county warrants are
held as an investment. All certificates
anrlny the week were eagerly bought up
Al o. Heretofore the figure has been
much lower.
The missing witness, ex-Sherin James
II Woolery. was brought before the BAR
~ ths court Yesterday on the bench war
rant issued May -. He was released on a
personal recognizance of $50 and the cause
was continued for further investigation