The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-16
THE GOLD BRICKS AGAIN.
PARKER, THE SWINDLER. on TRIAL
IN HENRICO COUNTY.
The Jury Will Probably Begin to Hear the
Testimony o-Day--PIct res OF = Sad
laced Woman and Pretty Girl.

| alias Joseph Carthwrlgnt, was COM
menCed.
At II o'clock the prisoner OF gold-brick
fame was brought into court by tue sner-
| 1T and his deputy.
He took his seat between his counsel.
MIR. Hul Carter and Mr.. l.. o. Wenden-
| burg.
Near him sat his cousin. Mr.. F. ID.
| Smith. a lawyer from Kansas, who has
come on to attend the trial. Just across
| the bar opposite Parker and his counsel
| the representative Of the Commonwealth
occupied seats. Mr.. Conway Sands Is as
sisted In the case by Messrs. T.. BThom-
ason and II. NJ. Smith. Jr.
A few mil utes after the prisoner had
entered the court the case was called,
and Clerk Wsddnl read the indictment.
in which Parker is charged on the ith
! day Of last January with defraudins
| and stealing from A. w. Withers the
sum OF 5000.
At the conclusion Of the reading OF the
| Indictment Parker plead not guilty. Be-
fore the impannelling OF the jury was
commenced the counsel for the defence
arose and made a motion 10 quash the
yonire faolas and its return because Of an
| error In the initials OF the name OF one
| of the men summoned.
The Court overruled the motion, when
| Mr.. Smith arose and said that he had DIS
| covered that the initial In the name OF
one Of the men summoned was incorrect,
both on the clerks and the return list,
AMI he asked the Court as an extra pre-
caution that the motion asked for by the
defence be granted.
THE vENIRE QUAsHED.
Judge Wickham then quashed the venire
and Sheriff Solomon was ordered TO sum-
mon another. This caused considerable
delay, and n was ] o'clock before the
case was resumed
During the interim, while a second
venire was being summoned. / noticed
number Of people in court who had been
summoned as witnesses, and who have
figured more or less prominently before
the public IN connection with this celc-
brated case.
They were NJ. A. ". Withers. Norris
the Granger detective, and the other
alleged western victims OF Parker. There
were also the local witnesses, and the
detectives who worked up the case.
When the new venire facias was called
Mr.. Wendenburg moved TO quash IT,
making the old writ a part OF the new.
The Court overruled the objection, to
which action the defence excepted.
Thirteen jurors were secured from the
second venirc two Of Whom--Nessrs. j..
S. Brauer and i. Shipman-had express
ed their opinions and did not think they
could give the prisoner a fair trial, at
least they said they would have to so in
the box with the opinion on their minds
although they thought it might be re-
moved one way or the other by the evil
dence.
The defence made no objection to their
being accepted. but Mr.. Smith. for the
CommonWs alth, said he thought that
they could not be accepted as Jurors, and
Judge Wickham so decided, to which ac-
ton the defence took an exception.
At 2 o'clock tales was issued TO COM
plete the jury. returnable at 4:SO o'clock.
The court then adjourned until the re-
turn Of the tales.
SECOND SESSION.
The afternoon session Of the court was
resumed promptly at o'clock. After
the necessary panel had been secured,
Messrs. q. NJ Holiday, Thomas Guy
e. s. Rogers and j. W. Warmer were
thrown cut from the panel upon the OBJ
lection Of the defence and the following
jury was DULY sworn In: Messrs. ". b.
Groves. James Phillips. j. G. Schermer-
horn, Robert Moughan, -. NJ. Booker
e. T. Maynard, A. j. Smith, +. l.. Chris
tian, Jacob Feitig. H. j. Via, Il. j.
Dietrich and John Il. Tiller.
Upon the request of both the counsel
for the defence and the Commonwealth,
the court was adjourned until 10 o'clock
this morning.
Parker was very bright during the pro-
ceedings yesterday lie was dressed i'm a
new suit of gray English tweed CLOTH
with a black silk tie. He cOnversed free
ly with his counsel. his cousin. and in
fact. talked very pleasantly with any
one VINO addressed him. The few people
attending the trial was the source OF
much comment, considering the great in
terest that has been previously shown by
the public. There is a certain story con-
nected with the gold brick man that has
a romantic tinge but no bearing upon
the case.
ANOTHER CHAPTER.
The detective gave Parker yesterday
six pictures which the granger claims
tells a certain chapter in the gold brick
mans life. that shows that he js man
% history. one of the pictures is of
Parker taken about ten years ago In
It Re looks much younger is stylishly
dressed, and quite handsome. Another
of the pictures Is the likeness Of a
handsome sad-facad woman. yho looks
as she had not always found this life
a bed of roses. The woman in question,
according to Norris statemnt Is a
former wife OF Parker. from whom he
has been divorced for several years. Her
maiden name was McCurdy, and she
married q man named Collins. from whom
she was afterwards divorced. before she
became the wife of Parker. BY the Col
Inns marriage there was one child.
girl, and four of the pictures are of this
girl taken at different ages from eleven
10 eighteen years, which Is al present her
age. Her name. says Norris. Is Lula
Smith, and she has been educated by
Parker at great expense. She has re-
Gently graduated from St. Mary Convent
in Canada. The girl is exceedingly
pretty and handsomely dressed.
When l questioned Parker about the
pictures and their history l found him
even more reticent than ever.
EDUCATED The GEL.
He claimed TO know very little II any
thing about them but he admitted that
he had educated the girl at considerable
expense He said he found her half
clothed and hungry. ana that anything
he had done for her was prompted pure
" by a spirit Of charity. When I ques-
toned him about the woman he became
visibN affected. lie admitted she was
Lula's mother. "Oh she is alright as far
as family is concerned" he said. but.
poor woman, she has fallen and is sorry
for it,"
When asked II she was his wife he
referred me TO Norris. saying that the
Granger detective knew more about the
case than he did. The girls name is
Smith, but she was the result OF the
woman's marriage with Collins. II is
very probable that when Parker married
he was using the name OF Frank l..
Smith. and the girls name was changed.