The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-12
HAMLET IS ON TRIAL
Case Of the Melancholy Dane Opened
in Junior Law Court at
Iowa City.
r. A. Cook of Independence, the De-
PENDANT by Procuration, Pleads
Not Guilty.
Epecial to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. .. q
Iowa City, March :12-"Hear We! Hear
We! Hear ye The honorable junior law
court of the University of Iowa is now in
session." shouted Colonel George r. Bur
nett the sheriff of Judge Deemers Junior
law court which is trying Hamlet for
murder, in opening the first day Of the
case. .~. ---.....
Produce the body Of Hamlet, prince of
Denmark, who is charged with murder In
the case of the State of Iowa against
Hamlet before theA court, commanded
Judge Deemer to Sheriff Burnett.
BY a crook of the finger Sheriff Bur-
nett produced the prisoner for the pur-
pose Of the trial, r. A. Cook of 1ndepend-
ence. who represents the prince of Den
mark by procuration. on the theory that
as it was the custom for royal personages
Of Hamlets time to be married by procur-
alton they can certainly be tried by the
same process.
The prisoner refused to plead. but an
swered that he was indicted by his true
name.
Have you any attorneysQ" asked the
court.
The attorneys came forward and de-
manded their statutory time to plead
one day-and three days time after that
to prepare their case. The court allowed
their one day time to plead and said he
would suppose the time had elapsed.
Whereupon the attorneys pleaded Not
guilty." and the venire was called by the
clerk.
The first twelve men called by the court
were: J. L. Norton, Des Moines; III. M
Mercer Of Burlington; J. l.. Meighen Of
Newell. c. r. Sutherland Of Center Juno
ton, T. Sturgeon Of Iowa City, R. b.
Bergman Of Newton, H. E. Klise Of Bax-
ter. E. K. Brown Of Scion. r. G. Gray Of
Rockwell City, J. T. Vaughn Of Fort
Dodge. W. E. Kahler of Traer and James
Wilett Of Tama.
The questions Of the states attorneys
developed the fact that they hoped to Sc
cure a death penalty from the jury and
that the defense of insanity was expected
from the defense. Five veniermen-Wfl-
lett, Gray, Bergman. Meigen and Spur
geon-answered in low tones that their
age was 20, a cause for dismissal over
looked by States Attorney Herrick The
defense refused to challenge them for this
reason, expecting to secure ground for re-
versal by acceptance of minors on the
jury. The first days session adjourned at
the close Of the states examination of
the venir
States Attorney Bracket in opening the
case for the prosecution ridlculed the plea
of insanity as the last refuge Of the guilty
criminal. He asserted Hamlet had plan
ned. the murder for long time. Attorney
Whiting in his opening speech held Ham
let up for pity as a poor insane person
whose mind had been deranged by the
death of his father and the subsequent
marriage Of his mother. He said that for
two months before the murder Hamlet had
been insane and had been sent into Eng
land by King Caudius on that account.
The interest taken in the trial is great
Bailiffs are stationed at the door with in
structions to refuse admission to all save
members Of the junior law class and law
professors. Applications for copies Of the
81
being received from SHAKESPEARE clubs In
Illinois. Iowa and Nebraska.