Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-02-12
Ell A M 2 TON NEW S.

yesterday sixteen men were selected as
conpet mt pssons to sit as jurors in the
AShby case, anGA this morning. unless
the lega. sparling is renewed, twelve of
Ter hufinDer Will GaN pick d cut to de-
termlES whether CT not Mr.. Ashby is
SuFity OF the charge preferred against
MINI The Siv.ilt'-r part of the day was
spent IN discussing the CualitiCat .onss Of
MI. HARRY Parker. The s. ung man was
placed on the stand and subjected to A
painfully heroic probing 10y both the at
torneEs' for thu commonw. ufth and 1na
defense. Mr.. Parker informed the law
yerS mat he preferred nSt TO S5rv,s as n
juror, put when pressed to say Whether
he could ienG,r a fair verdict, based
Non the evidence in the case. his con-
Science competed him TO return an af-
hrsrativs, answer. So there he was, and
the attorneys made the most of his en-
barrassing position.
Colonel Tabb and Mr.. y'ausev contains,
d that Mr. Parker was cyinpetent
juror, but Mr.. Caller and Mr.. Garrett
denied the alh CATION and defiei TIE
alllgators. The discussions that fol-
lowe. We're animated. sparkling. som,
tunes sizzling. They inc u,l.i in their
scope multitude of questions as remote
from TN, real issue as the burning sands
or Sahara are from the, frigd wales of
the hlond!k". They embraced the pro
ceedings Ut Masonic committees and
"StonSh-d TIE crowd of eager soecta-
tors Men stood with open mouths as
II IN that way they might aid their ears
IN catching the flow of wit ami wisdom
and wind that rolled on and on from the
gal drama within the bar. Bur II VIZ
an risSt. despite the fact that everyone
knew it to be al: wrong, and no Judge on
earth could have stopped it.
MT PARKER T. longs to the Masonic
lrat@!nity ehd ha, was q member of the
order when certain charges We're pre-
&'rred against Mr.. w. Fl. BriJgsforth
at WnCse instance the' present warra Mt
charging Mr.. Ashby' With peGjury was
sworn out. The evidence was taken by
committee. writtv down uh[l after
wards read t. tbs lodge. without rec
ommendation other than that the mat
ter should be decided by volt, of the
1fIrn"oers. MI Parker was AZ first I'M
dDi's to remember whether h was pres
ent or not. But utter being probel and
punched by enc side and afttp,war1
punched AMI, trobed by The other. th,.
dim cutlinSs of the retrospect began to
bright n and with the change can,. tn
hope of escape.
The defense contendvd tina, tn. Ma
sonic proceedings had nothing to do
( with the cas-, The Charge of perjury
they said, was entirely separate from
any other matter in which Ashby ana
5rtdgefcrth were concerned and HI nee
.Mr. farker could not be disqualified
from sitting as a juror h.c.,ls,a of his
connection with the Masonic trial. To
this the pros cution replied that il there
was made upon NJ. Parker's mind at
the time the i11prs ssion that Mr. Bridge
forth was guilty of improper conduct
With Miss Birch. it necessarily followed
that he y lieved the Statement of Mr.,
AShby, w5o swore that he saw Bridge
forth enter the store at night.
Finally tbs, EladiatOrS lyS1 their. win
ans. Mr.. Parker, after a few mo-,
punches and probes. was turned over to
Judge Lee, Whu Very properly inform. :.
him th.lt HI, had better retire