The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-11-20
IT s LIBERTY
OR THE PEN
HARRISON BAUM TRIAL
HAS BEGUN IN COURT
Did He Shoot With In
tent to Kill.
The PRISONER HOPEFUL
THE PRISONER HOPEFUL

Jury in Sensational Howenstine Case
Easily Secured = Testimony Taken
Monday Afternoon - First Contro-
versy Over the Admission of Evidence
as to the Size of the Shot Used.
The trial Of Harrison Baum, charged
with shooting with intent to kill Mar
ion Erase, at Howenstine, March 13
last, began in common pleas court
Monday morning in court room No. 2
before Judge Amber. The case was
called at 1890 with Prosecuting At
torney r. II. Day and c. c. Bow repre-
senting the state, while Shields and
Pomercne represent the prisoner.
When the parties to the case came
into court the interest of the spectators
was divided between an effort to 'ee
the prisoner Baum and Erase, the vic
tim of the shooting. Erase, however,
did not appear. but will be in court
Tuesday. Baum showed no sign of fear
or embarrassment and carried himself
with an air that seemed to show con-
fidence.
But two OF the regular jurors were
excused. Counsel for the defendant ex-
cused peremptorily Joseph Ehret Of
Massillon. John w. Howenstine, who
lives near the scene OF the crime, was
excused for the reason that he had
formed an opinion.
The jury that will try the case is as
follows: Horance Sponseller, Alpheus
Hamilton, Amer Oberlin, Andrew
Youngblood, David Cochran, David
Braucher, Henry Humbert, ]. X. Nc
Dowell, Louis Menser Frank w. Nell,
Peter Schneider, Anthony Eager.
The case was stated on the part of
the prosecution by Prosecutor Day,
while r. S. Shields made a statement
for the prisoner. The prosecutor stated
that it was expected to prove that the
shooting was done by Baum and that
there was bad blood between the two
men. TIE details of the crime were
gone into at some length and general
outline of what the state expected to
| prove made.
Attorney Shields denied the guilt of
the prisoner, stating that he was not at
the scene OF the crime; that he wore
felt boots the night of the shooting in
stead of the rubber ones found in the
house, and that the shot which was
found in the face of Erase was number
or 8, while that in the shells found
in the Baum home was No. 5.
A map Of the scene of the shooting
and the surroundings was submitted
which had been made in the county
surveyors Office. 1t was identified and
admitted as evidence.
| Doctor Webster Becher, of near Spar
ia, was called as a witness by the
prosecution. He was called to attend
Erase, and described in detail the
wounds and the condition OF the man
the night the shooting occurred. There
was quite a controversy over the ad-
mission Of the testimony of the doctor
as to the size Of the shot taken from
the wound. He thought they were Z
or 8. He admitted however that he
was not an expert on the sizes of shot,
but his testimony was allowed to stand.
AS there were no other witnesses
ready to be heard, the case was ad-
journed until Tuesday morning when
the jury will be taken to the scene of
the shooting so as to get a clear idea
of the position Of the building and
points in dispute.
On March 13 Marion Erase was sit
ting in his home in rocking chair
near the window. About $3.50 load
of shot came crashing through the
window, striking the old man in the
face. 1t was thought that he would not
live more than a few hours. Word
was sent to Canton and the blood
hounds and officers were sent to the
scene. The dogs took trail at the
cellar door near the window and fol-
lowed 1t to the home OF Baum, and il
is claimed that one of the dogs went
up to the accused.
Other testimony was secured which
seemed to point to Baum as the guilty
man, and he was arrested and has since
been In Jail in default of s, 500 bond
The case will attract a large audi
ence to the court room and its pro-
gress watched with interest, especially
by those. living In the neighborhood.
|