Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-10-03
ON TRIAL FOR ARSON.
Alderman Baughn1an and Two
Others Accused.
FULTON COUNTY's BIG SENSATION.

ting Fire to the Court House the
Night of Dec. IA. IS94-The Examina-
tion of Jurors Very Searching-Two De-
tectives aud Twenty Witnesses from Chi
cago Present at the Trial.
LEwIsTowN. his, Sept 24.-The trial
of Oscar Baughman alderman; Ellis
Brown, ex-night Waterman, and Frank,
alias Chase Henry, former nightwatch
of Lewistown, charged with setting fire TO
the Fulton county courthouse on the
night of Dec. Il, 1894. has begun Farley
and Clark and dozen other men from
Chicago arc here. together with the Can
ton contingent.
Judge Orr called the name of the case
and the names of the defendants. They
were on hand Attorney Masters an
swercd mot guilty for them Judge Orr
then ordered that jury be secured, and
Clerk Breckenridge began to call the reg
ular panel. Court then adjourned until
o'clock The afternoon. up TO o'clock,
was consumed in questioning jurymen.
The regular panel has been exhausted and
new one ordered Grant & Chipperfleld
and States Attorney p w Gallagher of
Canton are conducting the prosecution.
while the defense is handled by Hardy
Masters, Kinzie Thomas and a Gray,
all of Lewstown
Want to Know Where Jurors Live.
The examination of jurymen is very
searching. The chief question and the
first one asked is: 'Whcft IN Fulton
county do you reside?'' The location of
the juror in the county, it would seem,
has great deal to do with his fitness to
try the case. What newspapers have
you readb?h is another question, and then
the victim is asked if what he has read has
made any impression upon his mind One
man was found who had read nothing
about the case and had formed or ex-
pressed no opinion ON the question. Two
or three jurymen like this were accepted
during the day, but it is doubtful if a full
panel will be secured during the entire
week
About twenty Chicago witnesses are
present and they cluster around Farley
and Clark in one part of the court room.
One of the witnesses is the chief cook Of
the Hotel Grace, and it is supposed that
by him the prosecution intends to show
that Baughman, Brown and Henry were
royalty entertained while at that hostelry.
Among these witnesses from Chicago are
S. Laing Williams, Il colored attorney;
w. A. Karat, Frank Bryan, Victor Bish,
James Mills, Martha Siddell, Harry
Vaughn, II d Robinson and r w.
Beach They will be expected to testify
ON behalf of the prosecution
Must Appear in Court Each Day.
OF course Farley and Clark will be call
ed to the stand These men, who are I'M
der heavy bonds to appear in court from
day to day and term To term, appear in
court each day and - Is Canton to spend
the night The attorneys for the defense
say they have ample evidence to clear
Baughman, Brown and Henry. 1t is
claimed by Lewistown people that Canton
sent prisoner down here from that place
a few evenings ago on some trumpet up
charge and that the alleged prisoner was
no other than detective with the mission
in hand of pumping Henry and getting
him to confess that after all he did set fire
to the courthouse.
The line of defense is not known, but it
is claimed by the attorneys that it viii be
easy to disprove all the statements of wit
nesSes for the prosecution IL will de-
volve upon the prosecution to prove, in
the first place, that the fire was of an in
cendiary origin Friends of the defend
ants claim to believe that this cannot be
proved The defense will attempt to show
that Henry was helplessly drunk all night
of Dec IL, 1894, and that Ellis Brown was
nowhere near the court house.
Sensational Evidence Expected.
The prosecution, which is led by the
members of the committee of the board of
supervisors selected to investigate the al
legged burning claim that they have evil
dence to convict not only Henry, Brown
and Baughman, but many other leading
citizens of Lewistown. They say they
will not depend upon the statements of
Frank. alias Chase Henry, but will bring
other witnesses to prove the allegations
They expect to prove that the confessions
of Baughman and Brown were made with.
out fear and We're voluntary, and that the
men were we'll treated while in custody in
Chicago.
The cases of Farley and Clark, charged
with conspiracy, have not been set Lew
istown attorneys, who have the prosecu-
ton Of these cases in hand, are anxious for
speedy trial but it is thought no trial
will be had this term or at tie December
term as it is claimed by the defense that
they could not have fair hearing 1t ID
also claimed that no verdict will be
reached in the cases of au@Rman Brown
and Henry, as the trial will be merely a
courthouse trial. both Canton and Low
istown men being On the jury in spite Of
all precautions.