Evening star., 1897-01-18
Trial Of Mrs. Irwin for Aiding in
Murder.
MATTHEW'S ANGER HAS VANISHED
He lntimates That He viii Not
Testify Against Her.
HELECTIN THE JURY
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE. Nc. January 1S.-An i'm
m anse throng OF people gathered about the
temporary court house at 10 o'clock this
morning to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Emma
Irwin. the good looking young woman
who to be placed on trial in the GRIM
inal court. She is charged with being ac-
cesscry to the murder of her husband.
James j. Irwin at Aliens Fresh. Charles
county. August 2. for which crime George
Matthews. her confessed lover, has already
beer. convicted and sentenced to death.
The throng was disappointed however,
for an hour before the crowd began to
gather the prisoner was brought over from
jail in Warden Bailey's wagon and locked
up in the female prisoners room.
Matthews brought over from Jail
also, but prior to leaving the prison broad
ly intimated he would not testify against
the woman for love of whom he slew her
husband His testimony would be most i'm
portant- He seemed bitter against her at
the time he made his confession. and ready
10 do anything to make her suffer, too. At
the time that he killed her husband. he
said, he had doubts as TO whether he was
killing the wrong one. He seems to have
changed recently.
There is way of compelling him to
testify. If mis- lips remain sealed during the
trial the outcome of the case is very doubt
full
Mrs Irwin was neatly dressed in black.
with a black sailor hat and veil. Her face
is an exceptionally sweet one, aid the
sympathetic glances of the talesmen
the jury was being summoned seemed to
reassure her. for she smiled faiItly once
or twice. There is little doubt among the
court officials that she viii be acquitted.
\ Packed Court Room.
The court house was packed. and an
ira detail of police duty to keep
the idle crowd out There was great curios-
ity 10 see the woman, and all sorts cf ruses
were resorted to to get past the police into
the court room. All the forenoon Mrs
Irwin sat beside her counsel Sydney E.
Mudd and William F. Campbell. watching
with interest the selection of the jury
which was not completed until noon a
noticeable fact in connection with the selec-
tion OF the jury is that it is composed of
young men. whose sympathies are more
than likely with the prisoner. The attor-
neys IN the case were early in court, and
IL was very evident that they intended to
make a hard fight over the case.
Representative Mudd is an old-time hard
hghter in criminal cases. though he has
never conducted murder case in Balti-
more before Probably his best-known
case was about two years ago when he
successfully defended Belle Farrell on the
charse or poisoning her husband Mr.
Iainpoell Is also a well-known fighter In
criminal cases. "
JudSe "1ckes came on the bench shortly
after 10 Oclock. The task of seIec,i,o =
jury was then begun Deputy State.s
torney Robt- NJ McLane examined tho
prospective jurymen. To the first he told
the story OF the killing. and then he asked
the three important questions: First had
the -Juryman any conscientious scrup,es
against capital punishment second wouId
ne pe dIected IN bringing in verdict of
nuFuer ~ by the fact that the prisoner was a
woman, and. third. had he formed ana ex-
pressed any opinion as to the case
The hrst surprise in selecting the iurv
was III the fact that the attorneys for the
uelelse accepted the first four men offered
from the regular panel. They then chaI
Ienged two and accepted the next iI,ror
and challenged one and accepted the sixth
man Inis meant six jurors out of the first
!iine % men offered Two more then were
taken from the regular panel and then the
hst OF 100 talesmen was taken up IL was
some time before No. o was secured hut
No 10 and No IL followed him promptly.
and there was long interval before the
last juror was selected
Mrs. Irwin's Ordeal
When Mrs. Irwin was ordered brought
into court all eyes were turned to the
doorway that leIds to the lookup below
stairs 4 deputy warden went througa IT
and then returned with his prisoner fol-
lowing him There Is no doubt that the
nrst impression she made was favorable
W hen she reached the criminals dock
which she has to occupy for several DAYS
she first spoke to her counsel Mr. Mudd
and theE raised ner eyes and spoke TO the
Judge.
OF course, he took no notice of the salu-
tation. but II was an evidence of her pres
ence or mind that she could locate him i'm
mediately. for he was not in his seat hut
had taken chair near the jury hox She
was rather pale when she first came into
the court roon-prison pallor 1t looked like
-out when she began to realize that she
was the cynosure of all eyes. the color be-
gan to rise in her cheeks until by the time
the jury had been selected a bright GRIM
son had suffused both cheeks. She seemed
10 be listening to and understanding all
that wes going on around her. but to be
taking no particular interest In It,
The greatest ordeal the fair cuIprit had
TO undergo this morning was the frequent
references TO capital punishment. The
word hanging was brought out with
ugly emphasis a number of times while
the jury was being challenged. The first
taiesman was asked: Are you opposed to
capital punishment No" he renIie1
hesitatiasly. Are you opposed to hanging
executing a woman?''
The word hanging was plainly hear5
by the indicted woman. She did not look
up, but her hands clasped and unclaspei
In her lap 1t was evident that the omi-
nous word mad affected her unpleasantly.
Examinins the Talesmen
The effect of the prisoners good looks on
the talesmen was evidenced when a num-
Der frankly confessed they would not con-
yict her. no matter what the evidence was
Whether John p H. Philburn had any
conscientious scruples or not was a per-
picking question for him to determine.
Il don't like to hang women" he said
We'll. if the evidence made out a case of
murder in the first degree. would you de-
clare her guilty. asked Deputy States
Attorney McIane
Il guess So. he replied dubiously
Don't guess. admonished McIane
w ell-er. L don't know. my conscience
has quit work" he replied.
challenged" said McI4ane, and he STEP
red down.
Chas. Fisner shook his head from side to
side. but said YES when asked II he was
opposed to hanging a oman.
What do you mean. anyway" asked
hCLane.
Yes" replied Fisher. shaking his head
again In the conventional manner OF indi-
eating no" Fisher was finally induced
TO get his speech and head wiggle in har-
mony. when ii was discovered that he
couldn't. think of sending a woman to the
galiows.
why. the sight would haunt me all my
life" he exclaimed He was spared the
haunting.
Jos FeIdnan had too soft a hear., AID