Evening star., 1898-11-03
C0BURN ON TRIAL
Violation of the Postal Laws Alleged
Against Him.
UNUSUAL POINT RAISED BY COUNSEL
Defendant Said to Have Profited
Through Fraudulent Money Orders.
NAMES OF THE JURORS

| point of law considered to be out of the
| ordinary was raised today at the outset Of
the trial of Frederick s. Coburn, charged
with a violation Of the postal laws, in
Criminal Court No. 2. Attorney Tracey L..
Jeffords. who appeared for the defendant.
objected to the swearing of the jury on the
ground that Ii was not properly drawn and
was not !; wful jury. The objection was
| overruled by Judge Bradley, an exception
to tfe ruling was noted, and the trial
proceeded. Assistant District Attorney John
E. Laskey making the opening address to
the jury.
Coburn WAS formerly the manager of the
branch post office known as substation No
Il, located in his. drug store, at the south
west cor1er of 9th street and New York
avenue. Willie in charge of the branch
POST office it is alleged, Coburn secured
possession OF a large sum of money be long
ing to the United States through the frau
ouient issue o. money orders 1t is further
alleged that Coburn fed from the city and
was arrested later in Canada He was
brought to Washington, arraigned and
pleaded not guilty. The case attracted con-
siderable attention at the time of the ar
rest.
Messrs Laskey and Joseph Shillington,
assistant district attorneys. appear for the
,lp hE
fendant.
Those called by the clerk into the box TO
sit as juro"s ere Messrs. C. w Stewart
Jehn r. Nally, Lake F. Sweeney, Mar Gus
Il; 3: Fisher. John W. Steele. Edward A
McDcrmott James Fl. Chamberlain n
keyser and 4. o. Brady
Provisions of the Statute,
When asked by the court if any objection
10 the jury existed Mr.. Jeffords stated
t'ere was objection, and on the ground that
TIE jury was rot properly drawn anu was
rot d iaWfI jury. He read from the Re
''seu statutes of the United States relating
10 The District of Columbia as follows:
oh'li otherWise provided by the legisla
tive assembly, the Supreme Court of tbe
District may, by orders in general term.
from time to time, designate necessary cf
hCers or persons to make the lists of Jurors
Tor service in said court
Inc names on the lists shall be selected
as near as may be, from among the cit-
Iehs OF the several wards or districts of
the cities of Washington and Ceorget0wn
ana the three divisions of the District o,,-
sac the limits of said cities formed by tha
Eastern branch of the Potomac river and
ROCK creek. in proportion to the number If
tii4ia'itah's residing therein respectively"
objections Specifically Stated.
Judge Bradley remarked that the obiec
tion OF Mr. Jeffords was not sufficiently
specific The latter tkereupon set forth N
writing, his objection, stating:
mat the jury, seated. was not a law
iul jury that the list of names of tn,
Jurors We're not prepared according to the
law III force in the District relating to
JEr1es; that the names on the iurv LIST aro
not selected from the several wards or dis
tricts of the cities of Washington and
georgetown, and the three divisions of the
District outside the limits of the citias
termed by the Eastern branch of +b.- T,o
tofnac river and Rock creek in proportion
10 the number of inhabitants rasiaip,
,hereih respectively, that the jury was Sc
iecteo without any reference to the, yards
or districts, or divisions outside thu city
either IN respect to boundaries or pon,i,a-
tlon lhefeln; that the boundaries and wards
VI ulStricts ana divisions outside hing
ton and Georgetown are unknown To tho
jury commissioners who select or rnalxa nm
the list of names from which the names nf
)uries are drawn by the clerk of the corr.
tnat lhe population of the wards or dis
trlctS and divisions outside tho citias ,f
Washington and Georgetown is unknovn
TO the jury commissioners: that the jury
commissioners do not and haya not in Sub
stance and effect, observed the law Of
selecting juries jury lists in any manner
Whatsoever
Judge Brad!ey's RuiinS
UD1pctlDn
saying, in connection therewith. that if il
well known that Georgetown is now A parf
oil the city of Washington and no wards
exist.
An exception was noted the jury sworn
ara MI Laskey then explained the case
1rom the standpoint of the government.
First Witness Called.
The first witness for the government WAS
Mr.. q. NJ. Hunt, a clerk in the money or
der division of the post office Mr.. Hunt
was on the stand several hours, and was
examined and cross-examined at length
regarding the methods followed in the con-
duct of the postal money order system
Mr.. James p Wiilett, postmaster of
Washington, D. c., testified that Cohuru
had been formally appointed postmaster in
charge of substation No. II.
Mr. Hunt, who returned to the stand after
Mr.. Wilett testified was under examira-
ton when this report closed