Evening star., 1900-11-26
SHEA TRIAL BEGINS.
sheriff and C0-Defendnnts Arraigned-
Senator Blackburn as Counsel.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. :.
LA PLATA, Md. November 26.-Edward
L. Shea. William I. Fox, Herbert BoteIer
William Shea and Leo Smith, whose trial
commenced today for alleged felonious as
sauit. spent Sunday quietly in Smoot's Ho-
tel. in this town They were removed from
Jail by Sheriff Nicholson Saturday evening
and. spent the night. Sunday and Sunday
night in a large room over the bar in the
hotel. This action of the sheriff was
deemed necessary because of the crowded
condition of the small Jail here, which con-
taips room for only about ten prisoners but
which has now confined therein fifteen
The defendants named were guarded by
four deputies who slept in the room with
them. They are taken to their meals, and
eat together at table in the hotel dining
room.
All of them are apparently in the best of
health and spirits, and no one would sup
pose from their bearing and manner that
they are the parties. accused of a gross
OffenSe.
The case called promptly to-day at
10 o'c.ock. Thirty-nine witnesses have been
summoned, twentythree for the defense
and sixteen for the state and they, with
DR.. and Mrs. Fox, Mr.. and Mrs. Smith.
parents of two of the accused parties and
nl;tny others. their relatives and friends,
arrived here on the morning train.
<
the trial alone, Chief Judge Briscoe is
one of those constituting the court of ap-
peals. and that body. being now in session.
he will be compelled to remain with it dur
ing its sittings.
The counsel for the defense are Charles
III. Stanley of Laurel, James c. Rogers of
HyausVille, Fillmore Beale of Beltsville,
Prince Georges county; Representative
Sydney +. Mudd, eX-State's Attorney Ad-
rian. Posey of this town and Senator-elect
Blackburn The state is represented by
States Attorney w II. Levin of Prince
Georges county and Gen. l.. A Wilmer,
states attorney for Charles county.
Judges Crane and Merrick were on the
bench when the case was called for trial
Proceedings were started by Representative
Mudd, who made a motion 10 admit j. c. S.
Blackburn of Kentucky, who had been re-
tanned az one of the counsel for the de-
teEse, to practice in the Charles county
court Judge Crane. speaking for the court.
said II would give the court great pleasure
to admit the senator, and he instructed
70 sign the text book and take the oath
usually administered TO attorneys when ad
mitted.
Both sides being ready the prisoners were
brought into court and the list of witnesses
called, after which the prisoners were
Gered to stand up. Through Representative
MUdd they elected to be tried by a jury.
Then commenced the effort secure a
jury from the regular panel for the court
term, and from the list of twenty-five
seven were selected, after fifteen had been
state, and excused.
the court then drew twenty names from
the 1o2 still remaining out of the $50 placed
in the box by the court under the law out
of which the grand and petit jury had
been drawn for the November term of
court. The court instructed the sheriff to
have them in court by tomorrow morning
AZ 10 o'clock.
This ended the proceedings in the case for
the day, and the large crowd left the court
room.
The jurors drawn are J. B. Matthews,
residing at Lothair; II. H. Wade. colored,
of Malcolm's: Edward G. Turner mint h dis
trict: George W. Carroll of Gallant Green,
ninth district; Henry Bush, colored, first
district: William Hamilton. fifth district;
Morgan l.. Monroe, second district.
The state being entitled to but four chal-
lenges and the defense twenty, the jury
VIII be easily secured from the list sum-
moned to appear in court tomorrow morn
ing. and it is more than probable that they
will commence to take evidence in the case
after the noon recess. The prosecuting
witness. Miss Hart. her father and sister
with the two little Cunningham girls, who
will be used witnesses for the prosecu-
tion, came down on the morning train.
The Hart girl heavily yelled and
walked from the depot with her sister, Miss
Nellie Hart. She is stout, st-looking
girl much larger than her elder sister and
has the appearance of being older than she
is stated to be-sixteen years.
A very large number of persons are here
in attendance at the trial over one hum
dred having come down from Prince
Georges county on the morning train The
court house at the calling of the trial was
so packed that there was scarcely standing
room for those present. 1t Is thought the
case Will occupy the best part of the week