The Portland daily press., 1899-03-22
TWELFTH JUROR LACKING.
Trial of Nancy Guilford Began Yester-
day at Bridgeport.

| DIiuktPOTts OOhh
Nancy A. Guilford, the midwife. was
today placed on trial before Judge George
W. Wheeler and a jury Of the Superior
court, on the charge alleging second de-
gree murder in the killing by criminal
operation of Miss Emma GIL Of South
ington, last evening.
Harry Oxley of Southington, Eudora
GuiIford, II airy Guilford and Mrs. Gull
lords oolored servant, Rose Drayton. are
charged with being accessories.
The court was opened shortly after ten
o'clock and promptly on time DIR. Gull
ford was ushered into court between H1gn
Sserir Hawley and DIR. Banks, the jail
| physician.
The woman was also accompanied by
her daughter, Eudora, who took seat in
the court room near her mother.
| Mrs. Guilford was apparently very
| weak and to the spectators 1t seemed 10
| be evident that the woman had been very
| i'll. Her face was pale and hnggard. she
moved slowly and sank into her chair as
| IL exhausted.
| The spectators we're not numerous. the
previous postponements of the trial on
| account of the Illness OF the prisoner,
having given rise to the belief that the
proceedings would be again postpon I'd to-
day.
The central figures in the court room,
aside from DIR. Guilford were Judge
Wheeler, the trial Judge; State Attorney
Samuel Fessenden OF Stamford, and At.
torney J. b. Klein of Bridgeport, counsel
| for the accused.
In addition TO the regular panel OF Is
| taiesmen, there was n special panel OF ~.
The usual preliminaries of an important
murder trial were not necessary In TO-
days proceedings in view Of the fact that
at the January term of the court this
prisoner had been put to plea In the In
dictment.
1t was about 10.30 O'Clock when the
work of selecting the jury began. Before
eleven o'clock two jurors had been &C
cepted from the seven examined. lhe
| first two men were excused by the court
because they confessed to opinions on the
case 1he third man, however. had
formed no opinion and he WAS accepted as
the first juror. He is Samuel p. Thomp-
son of Darien, farmer. The next man
accepted was the seventh, Thomas II.
Wheeler n Bridg eport carpenter.
| At Il.l5 during the examination OF the
thirteenth Juror, Mrs Guilford gave signs
of collapse DIR. Banks had teen watch
| ing the woman closely and noticing that
her face was becoming asheH gray, sprang
| to her side, felt the pulse and motionlng
to Sheriff Hawley, half carried the
prisoner to another room. Judge wheeler
imm ediately declared recess of ten
lin utes. At the end OF that time, Mrs.
Guilford was brought back to the court
room and the proceedings continued.
| The session OF tbe court was resumed at
| two O'Clock. Mrs Guilfora appeared after
IA hearty luncheon and displayed consider
able composure. just as the sheriff was
| about to RAJ for order six mbers of the
| GIL family OF sart III gton, four brothers,
u sister and the mother of Emma Gill
| tho victim of the alleged crime, entered
| the court room.
Henry Gill, the father did not appear.
The work of securing the jury was con.
tinucd. AT 2.30 p. H., two addition !
jurors had been chosen. Charles Baird, a
Huntington farmer and Keller Il. Clark.
farmer from the same town Six men
had thus been chosen and of the 5S men
on ths two panels, 2S or nearly hall had
| been exhausted.
Shortly before one O'Clock when recess
was taken for lunch, four jurors had teen
accepted out of "A examined. The state
had at that time excused eight and chsi-
| enged five, while the defense had chai-
| leneed the same number. The third Juror
accepted was George Gregory of Darien,
a livery stable keeper. lie was the
| tifteepth examined, W. II. Fairbanks, a
farmer of Dsrien was the fourth juror
| chosen.
Mrs Guilford was feeling much better
| when the recess was taken until two
O'Clock Just before recess Harry OxIey
of Southiugton. and his counsel, judge
Marcus Holcomb, came into count.
| Rufus Todd. kidgeheld, farmer; ard
| Charles &. Stevens. sherman, farmer,
were added to the jurors selected shortly
| after $50 o'clock and with but four men
then remaining out of the regular and
extra panel of t3 talesmen 1t was impos-
sible to select the 18th juror and the court
adjourned until 10 u. H., tomorrow
| A special panel of fourteen talesmen
| will be summoned tonight and IL is be-
lieyed that the trial will proceed tomor
row with little delay in securing the one
man needed to complete the jury.
pCST MOT pnIIrfGS