The herald., 1898-02-04
Compton's Third Trial for
Forgery
INDICTMENT OF NICHOLSON
WILL PROBABLY PROVE TO BE
WASTE PAPER
The City Not Liable for Employees
Three Lunatics-Creede's Will.
Shannon Goes Up

When the case of Charles Compton
was called in Department one yesterday
forenoon, where the distinguished pen
man is to undergo the third trial for the
one and same offense, the musical and
persistent voice of William H. Shinn. the
prisoners attorney, was Immediately
lifted for the purpose of securing con-
tinuance. He wanted some witnesses
that were not present, and would also
like to have time to prepare some affl-
davits, ETC., etc. The eloquence of the
lawyer was directed, too. to point out
to the court that the panel still consisted
of the same jurors of Departments one
and five who had been available at the
second trial, which, as Mr.. Compton had
so ably predicted when taking a drink
in the company of deputy sheriff at
saloon while the trial was on, resulted
in a disagreement. And Mr. Shinn very
much feared. and expressed himself to
the effect, that there were not enough
talesman on hand who might be consid-
cred sufficiently ignorant of the story of
Mr.. Compton's experiments with pen
to select twelve good men who would be
able to answer his preliminary cate
chism of qualifications satisfactorily to
himself.
Mr.. Shinn deprecated in that persua-
sive, if somewhat nasal tone of his.
divers and sundry things too numerous
to mention, but which were all to the
effect that he did not feel exceedingly
anxious to proceed to trial right there
and right then. 1t may be that the COM
plexion of the term trial panel, which
has lately earned the reputation of being
one that convicts, did not inspire him
with more confidence than it deserved.
when viewed through the optics of an
attorney for the defense.
Be that as it may, his persuasive ef-
forts in the direction of a continuance
proved futile, because the court curtly
replied that the judge, jury and attor-
neys were assembled for the purpose,
and no other, of trying Mr.. Charles
Compton for the crime of forging the
name of l.. H. Greene to bogus deed by
means of which several conspirators.
two of whom are now doing time in the
penitentiary for their share in the job,
secured $1,000 from a bank in this city
This settled the matter, and the busi-
ness of empaneling a jury commenced
at once. 1t was exactly 3 p. m, however,
before the requisite number of jurors
was secured their names being: George
Hull. Homer Lapp, John Smale, Charles
r. Foote, Joseph Hamilton. D. C. An
drews, A. E. Meiggs, j. S. Melick, Walter
Thomas, Hall Stole, j. C. Whitaker, R.
A. Brown.
In view of all the funny" business
which had previously transpired in con-
nection with the trial of Charles Comp
ton, and which led to the indictment
of Nicholson, his punishment for con-
tempt, the fining of Mcintyre and burn
ing, scathing remarks directed from the
bench at certain lawyers, whose names.
if not spoken by the court, We're never
theleSS in the mouth of everybody, it
was to be presumed that Judge Smith
would not dismiss the jury until today
with the perfunctory, customary warn
ing.
1t proved to be the case, the court lay
ing special stress upon his directions
that they should allow no one to speak
to them on the subject of Comptons
crime and he admonished them to report
to him at once any person who should in
the least broach the subject to them
The taking of the testimony for the
people begins today at 10 o'clock.