The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-24

ana ne ana his assistant, Mr.. motifs,
took charge of the prosecution, The
presiding judge was an able suprems
Justice named Edwards. The law then
gave him as assistant judges the re-
corder- the Richard Riker, who had
long served as district attorney-and
three aldermen, who were the learned
t!gbert Benson. David Banks, the law
publisher and Daniel p. Tngraham, lat
er Judge of the present common pleas.
and father of the supreme court JUS
ttce. The court was then held In the
large room at the northeast corner OF
the city hall, afterward divided, ana
now used by two terms of the city
court. 1t would contain at most about
500 auditors, but fully 5000 persons
were in and around the building
such was the public excitement-when
the trial began, clamoring for admit
tance. Such was the confusion on the
opening day that the court of common
pleas and the supreme court, then
held in the city hall, were compelled to
adjourn, because lawyers and Witness
es. and even Judges, found 1t impos-
sible to enter the building.
Two whole days were exhausted in
obtaining jury. At that time, when
the regular panel was exhausted, the
court ordered the sheriff to summon
talesmen at his discretion from specta-
tors, and the presence of so large "a
crowd gave the sheriff great scope. AS
the first juror was called the presiding
judge selected two gentlemen from by
ISLANDERS in the court room, customar-
lily lawyers, to serve as triers of the
competency of the juror. These We're
l,,l,y e., t,,,yN toll n1
the first two seats in the jury box and
there listened to the counsel examining
the juror simply as to his eligibility
and bias. Questions were confined to
those points and did not, as now, roam
over q Jurors biography. Counsel on
each side addressed the triers accord
ing to their professional views of elig-
ibility; tnen the Judge briefly charged
the triers and they decided. If the two
disagreed the juror was set aside, but
he was sworn if they agreed that he
would be a fair juror. If sworn the
first juror now became a trier in place
of the bystander in the first seat, and
of course, foreman of the panel When
a second juror was obtained these two
jurors became triers over the ten to
follow. 1t was observable during the
particular; but after a while, SEEM
ingly wearied, they would accept al
most anyone called in order to facili-
tate business. If the lawyer for the
defence did not like the decision of the
. triers he could take exception, which
would serve on writ of error. No
juror In the Jewett case came from the
regular names in the box and the jury
impanelled was entirely made up of
these summoned by the sheriff, and it
was afterward complained of him that,
sympathizing with Robinson. he had
used his discretion in summoning tales
men in accordance with his sentiments.
Assistant District Attorney Morris
opened fer the prosecution very TIM
idly and was evidently embarrassed
by the crowd and the tumults without
and by the presence of distinguished
counsel against him, in the midst of
whom Robinson sat in rather juvenile
attire (evidently a dramatic idea of
counseD and wearing an air of wonder
ing innocence, devoid of the slightest
bravado. Mrs. Rosina Townsend was
the first witness and gave testimony
identifying Robinson and also the
cloak. She swore to having seen him
in Helen Jewetts room two hours be-
fore tho fire, and to finding Helen
Jewett's lamp burning in the back
room near to the door into the yard
and to the impossibility of any out
slider obtaining admission to the house
without her knowledge. On cross-ex-
animation she could not ascribe any
motive to Robinson for the deed, and
testified that there had been three 9TH
er men in the house at the time of the
MURDER Counsel Price, q very adroit
! cross examiner, insinuated by his ques-
tions that one of these men might have
done the deed and have placed the
cloak and hatchet where they were
found in order to throw suspicion on
Robinson.