Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-23
JURY SECURED
For Prof. Eastman's Trial for
Murder Of Grogan.
Great Interest in Case Owing 10 Prom
inence Of Th,sc Concerned.
Attorney General viii Open ior the Pro. &C .Aion,
This Morning.

Cambridge, Mass. April 22.-The trial
Of Charles r. Eastman. an instructor
| Mt the Agassiz museum. Harvard Uni
| versity. charged with the killing of
Richard II. Grogan. his brother-in-
| law, on the fourth of last July, began
in the Middlesex county court at East
Cambridge, today, and before the noon
| adjournment jury had been secured
| from the 100 talesmcn called together
by the special venire issued by the
! court. This work being finished. fore
man was appointed by the judge when
the court sat in the afternoon, and tho
| remainder of the day was occupied by
\ visit to the scene of the fatality on
| the estate of the late Alvin Clark. the
| telescope maker Of world wide fame.
whose daughters Eastman. the accused,
and Grogan. the dead man, married.
| The opening argument of the attorney
| general. on behalf of the prosecution.
| will be the first work in hand at TO-
morrow's session.
| TIE case has attracted wide atten-
| ton, as it involved many unusual fea-
| lures, particularly that presented by
| the fact that after the hearing in the
| local court Eastman was discharged
| and his subsequent arrest followed an
| indictment found by the grand jury
| of MiddleSeX county. to which the case
was taken after the local judge hal
| failed to hold Eastman. The defendant
| is an instructor al Harvard University.
| He has claimed that the shooting Of
Grogan was an accident. but the victim
with his dying breath. accused East
man of having murdered him.
| The scene in and about the court
room. Monday. when the trial opened
was an animated one. Every available
space was occupied. the larger number
of those present being men who had
been summoned as jurors. There were
100 in the special call. and all but a
very few of these answered to their
names. There were very few women
present.
Eastman took his place in the dock
ut 10 o'clock and was Immediately the
subject of critical observation by the
men who had been summoned to par
ticipatc in the trial and tho few other
spectators who could crowd into tho
room. Eastman appeared very cool and
calm He was dressed in a modest suit
. Of black. wore a black tic. a derby hat
and = neat fitting ovcrC 0at. AS he sat
in the enclosure he surveyed the room
very carefully and appeared perfectly
at ease.
Judge John A. Aiken of Greenfield,
and Judge Francis A. GaSkcll of Wor-
cester. who were presiding. entered the
court room at 10 o'clock. The first bus
mess in hand was a motion made by
Attorney General Hosea Nj. Knowlton
relative to the impancllinE and swear
ing in of the jury. Mr.. Knowltons ap-
pearance in the interest Of the COM
| monwe3lth in this case was rather I'M
cxpected until Sunday. because of the
sudden illness of District Attorney
Fred NJ. Weir, who has had charge NJ
the case.
Immediately after Mr.. Knowltons
motion the list of men summoned un-
der the special venire was called. At
the conclusion of this. Lawyer s. j. FL
der senior counsel for Eastman. ex-
pressed the desire for n private con-
suItation with the court. Attorney Cen
eral KnoHlton agreed to this and with
the other counsel in the case. they re
tired to the judges office.
At the conclusion Of the conference.
which lasted half en- hour, Judge Gas
kill announced that the request OF the
counsel for the defendant had been re-
fused except so far as that request
had to do with the question OF the
court Just what point was discussed
at the conference did not appear. ex-
cept that it referred to the questions
to be put to the jurors. Lawyer Elder
took exceptions at the ruling.
Jusice Gaskill explained to the jurors
that those who had formed opinions on
the case could not serve. nor Couit
those who had such opinions on the
lqucstion of death punishment as would
fpreCIudc them from rendering an I'M
partial Judgment.
The Jurors are: II. H. Searles. Maui
boro a shoemaker: e. F.. D. Fletcher.
stow. farmer: Jason y. Whitaker.
Hudson, contractor: John f. Lawrence.
farmer Concord: George G. Tarbe'i.
real estate. Peppcrell; Arthur r. Har-
yey, fireman. Belmont: Fred Perry.
clerk, Wakefield: Frank r. Houghton.
sta bic keeper. Natick: Elias Y. Grant.
machinist Westford; Charles Il.
| Knights laborer. Framingham: Frei
| <Coc%{ruod IN nm 70 ~