Evening journal., 1903-03-17
GREAT INTEREST IN CASE

GktAl INTEREST IN CASE
Dingy Little Court Room Crowded BY
Thronss of Curious.
STAFF Correspondent Evening Journal
Georgetown, March 17.-Elmer Col
Inns, the accused wife murderer. is two
days nearer death on the scaffold or
freedom. Two days of his trial have
passed, and he knows some Of the evil
dence the sleuths of State. Detec-
tiyes Francis and Ratledge, have col
lected against tim. He went through
the ordeal well, and there was no break
in the WONDERFUL nerve of the little
Bethel farmer.
The first day was spant in getting a
jury and the first witness was not put
on the stand until today.
When the two tipstaves, Charles
isaacs and Jacob Sharp, went after him
yesterday afternoon to anraign him in
court they found him in his cell talking
to his aged father, Jacob Collins, and
his devoted brother, DR.. Collins, of
Crisfeld, Nd. who have pooled their
iall to employ counsel and secure wit
nesses to testify in the behalf Of the
son and brother.
Collins turned to the Gbailiffs and said
Il am ready" Then he put on his coat
and hat. AS he went out the door he
turned his head and cast longing
/ glance at the wall of his cell on which
were tackled the pictures OF his mur-
dered wife, his two children and the
house where he lived and the church
he and she attended before she was
murdered.
Sisters Sobbeo.
To the crowd the scene in the court
room was of interest because it was
unusual, and because They were hoping
\ something sensational would occur.
They were disappointed. Still they
saw the prisoner and part Of his fam
lily. For the next six months they will
have something to gossip about. There
Iwere several persons, however, to
whom the scene meant much. They
were the members of the Collins fam
lily. Seated on the bench in the rear OF
the court room back of the Jury
benches were the two sisters of the
murdered woman. AS the indictment
was read rehearsing how the woman
was beaten, hacked and murdered they
began to sch, and it was only through
the frequent application of a smelling
salts bottle that one was kept from
fainting.
There were other wet eyes in the
room besides theirs. Seated inside
the railing separating the attorneys
from the spectators between Mr.. White
and his colleague, Mr.. Richards, was
Dr. Collins, the brother of the defend
ant This devoted brother wept, too, as
he listened TO the charges made in the
indictment. He braced up, however,
= after this was over and aided the de-
Tense in going over the jury list.
Strangers in the court room noticed
two men, bdnt with years and gray
headed, sitting side by side during ses-
sion of the court yesterday afternoon.
s lone was Jacob Collins. father of the
e prisoner and the other was the father
of the girl When the prisoner was re-
moved from the court room to his cell
in the Jail they were not far behind
following his steps.
Jury Not Completed.
4 After working all the afternoon
4 from until after 6 O'Clock, to get q
t jury the court found that as it was
! about to adjourn that a change would
! have to be made in the jury this morn
n ing. Philip r. Layton, who was tn,
4 last man called, announced to the coUr
e just before it adjourned that if The
d court was going to be in session more
ifhnu fIrrr Il.
c would be incapacitated from serving
This statement fell like a bOmbshell
!. Mr.. Layton was told by the judge,
!. that he should have spoken of thi
$ before he accepted. The attorney
y for both sides said that they were win
/. ing to excuse the juror, but Deputy At
- torney Richards said that he woul'
d rather wait until this morning unit
il Mr.. Ward arrived.
Il AT this point Mr.. Layton arose an
II said II am hard OF hearing" Chic
N Jstice Lore asked what he said, an
N Mr.. Richards said. ''He says he
D. deaf" mo. | am not deaf" said Nh
e Layton, 81 am only hard Of hearing.
m This caused a laugh. The settlement @
! the matter was left until this morning
IL when it is thought that NIr. Iayto
q will be excused. This will result i
/. another delay, as it is thought NOR
J. than an hour will be consumed in gel
IS ting another juror.
4. Hard to Get Jury.
re- The work Of selecting the jury wa
re no easy manner. Five men were "
wanted to make the twelve necessaT
" when the clerk of the peace announce
ie that the jury panel had been exhaustes
ID Chief Justice Lore called Sheriff Steel
a and instructed him to get talismen.
er soon as the words had left the mout
CT the judge there was rush for th
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