The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-27
RANDOLPH
 IS ON TRIAL Court Has Difficulty in Securing a Jury. MANY SIGNED PETITIONS. Twelve Embszzlement Cases to Be Tried Separately. Former Probate Judge of Montgomery County Pleaded Not Guilty to
 old indictment When 1t
 Was Read.

Y It took from noon yesterday until af- Fter s.o'cfock 6 last night to empanel a jury to try Francis C. Randolph. ex- Probate Judge of Montgomery County, who Is charged with embezzlement.
 Over twenty-five talesmen were ex- amined by the court before the last two jurors qualified, Ten of the jurors were selected within an hour from the time the case was called. The rest of the time was spent in examining prospect i've jurors. h every instance. either the State or the defense objected to the juror for cause.
 About o'clock, James J. Campbell, a bank clerk. qualified and took his seat with the ten men already chosen At 6 o'clock Cecil Walker. clerk, qual- ihed.
 Many of the prospective jurors were disqualihed by testifying that they had signed petitions to the court and to the Solicitor to mol prosse the cases against the ex-Probate Judge. Others testified that they had fixed opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant It Is said that fully 5000 citisens of Mont gomery County signed petitions for dis nissal of the cases against Judge Ram dolph.
 After five or six mon had been turned down by the State on account of their having signed the petitions. the deputy shertffs who were sent out for more juror possibilities carefully picked their men. but even when these qualified. ob- lection was raised by Solicitor Dent or counsel for the defense.
 The work of selecting the jury was tedious. A large crowd had convened to hear the evidence. but the spectators soon became tired of the humdrum court procedure and in the afternoon only few close personal friends of the defendant waited to see the jury drawn.
 The full jury. which was sworn short- ly after 6 o'clock is as follows: W. F. Middlebrooks. James Opp. c. F. Dove. bett. s. A. Pruett, R. J. Gregory, J. D. Davis. Pat Gibbons. James ]. Campbell and Cecil Walker.
 Judge Randolph occupied a seat with his counsel. Judge J. NJ. Chiffon and George M. Marks. at the table on the west side of the City Court room. He was entirely at ease and during the long wait for jurors he aided his law years in looking up citations from Ala bama reports. He evidenced an inter- est in all.the proceedings and consulted with his counsel in reference to every juror.
 when the IulI Jury naQ been select ed and sworn by 1T. H. Matthews. Clerk of the Court, Deputy Solicitor W. T. Seibels read the first indictment, charging that Panels c. Randolph. while Probate Judge of Montgomery. had em- bezzled from the moneys of the State of Alabama in his charge the sum of about $9,000. The indictment was found by the grand jury of July. 1895.
 Judge Chiffon entered a plea of not guilty for his client. and Judge W. H. Thomas. presiding. immediately ad- journed court untif 9;30 o'clock this morning. when the case will be taken up and the taking of evidence will be- gin. a
 There are three other cases set for trial today. Jim Broach, burglary of a car; Berta Davis. grand lar- ceny, and Son Golson, murder in the second degree. It is highly probable that all of these cases will be passed, as there are eleven other cases of em- against Judge >> Randolph. A separate jury will be drawn to try each case.