Evening star., 1899-12-11
Proceedings Before Judge Cole il
Criminal Court No. 2.
REGULAR JURY PANEL EXHAUSTED
One Hundred TaIesmen to Be Spe-
cialIy Summoned.
THE RIME CHARGED

Soon after the session Of Criminal Court
No. opened today United States Attorney
Anderson announced that the government
was ready TO proceed with the case of
Frank w. Funk, indicted for the murder of
William H. Brooks. 1t was stated that the
de efense also was ready. and the work of
fmpaneling a jury was thereupon COM
menced. AT the end of three hours the
twenty-siX members of the regular jury
panel of the court had been examined
Only ten members retained seats in the
box, and no challenges had been exercised
The courL directed an adjournment until
tomorroWAho at 70 o'clock the Unit ed
States marshal in the meantime to sum-
mon 100 talesmen.
To judge from the state of affairs today
it is not tho light jury will be secured un-
til wednesday, or possibly Thursday. The
question of the qualifications of Jurors is
being gone into more fully than heretofore
Justice Cole is presiding at the trial, Attor-
peys ID. w. Baker, Alexander Wolf and
Newton {, Price appear for the defendant.
and United States Attorney Anderson and
Assistant United States Attorney Taylor
are conducting the prosecution. The
hearing is being held in the room usually
occupied by Criminal Court No. /. for the
reason that it is of larger size than the
room assigned Criminal Court No. .
Although appearing somewhat pale and
wan. due, no doubt. to the confinement in
Jail, Funk seemed to be in the best of spir-
its today. He was deeply interested in all
that transpired and smiled frequently. His
entry into the court room was followed by
an emotional outburst the part of one
of the female witnesses.
The Crime Alleged.
AS is generally well known, the crime for
which Funk is being tried was the killing
of William H. Brooks, about 6 o'clock the
evening of June 23 1898, at 9l4 22d street
Brooks, q veteran of the civil war. was sew
enty-three years of age. He was beaten to
death in his room. the implement used be-
ing small ak. When his body was found
his wife was lying near by in what was
thought TO be dying condition.
The surgeons at the Emergency Hospital
to which institution she was taken. found
five depressed fractures on the skull of
Mrs. Brooks. 1t was thought at the time
that nothing short of a miracle could save
her life. She survived. however. but could
tell nothing of what had occurred. The dis
covery was made by George d-arson who,
when he went to the room which was the
scene of the murder, found the door bolted
on the outside.
crime-was attestei by the fact that in the
| neishborhood of 81 G0o had been taken from
a false pocket worn by Mrs. Brooks about
her waist.
Funk Suspected.
Suspicion pointed to Funk as the murder
er 1t was found that he had left the city
the evening of the murder and, before de-
parting, had changed bloody clothes for
new garments. lie was apprehended at
Columbia, Mo, last August, more than a
year after the killing. The defendant de-
MES that he murdered Brooks. His con-
tention is that he obtained the money from
daughter of the murdered man. and knew
nothing of the murder until he read a
newspaper account of it while in New
York He stoutly maintains that he is not
guilty under the indictment