The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-01-12

Chas. Deemer, Burrell.
j. w. Mullin, Burrell.
David Tapscott, Lamont.
G. w. Pryor, Decatur.
f. M. Osborne, Leon.
r.. B. Stone, Decatur.
G. r. Mitchell, Franklin.
G. Bradshaw, Richland,
Jshn McCully, Burrell.
Marion Harp, Fayette.
G. E. Cain, Leon.
G. e. Mills, Eden.
Virgil West, Long Creek.
e. A. Lamphair, Hamilton.
j. S. Naylor, Grand River.
John Andrew, Grand River.
c. L. Norton, Leon.
Oscar West, Long Creek.
G. L. Gibbons, Burrell.
Fred Bowman, Garden Grove.
George Keller, High Point.
G. r. Piercy, Bloomington. #
A. W. Bryson, Woodland.
o. L. Frazier, Davis City.
George Bentley, Fayette.
M. j. McCaull, Garden Grove.
L. f. Euritt. Decatur.
When court adjourned few minutes
after 5 o'clock Monday evening sixteen
members of the regular panel of jurors
had been examined, four being excused
for cause, and the jury had been passed
by both the state and defense for cause.
The law in trials of this kind gives.botlt
the state and the defendant ten per-
emptory challenges, and after consulta-
ton it was thought best to adjourn
until Tuesday morning at 8 O'clock be-
fore starting in on the peremptory chal-
ia.,ssesssgs as tj gi ttie atffsneys. tins
for consultation in regard to the Jurors
who had been accepted.
When court opened at o'clock Tues
day morning the task of selecting Jury
was resumed each juror summoned be-
ing carefully examined as to his quail
flea tions, and several were excused on
account Of having formed and expressed
an opinion as to the innocence or guilt
OF the accused while others were ex-
.cused on account of defective hearing
and other disqualifications. The secret
system of exercising the peremptory
challenges was used, the state waving
their challenges after, having excused
six members, while the defendant exer-
cised the entire ten challenges given
him under the law.
The jury finally selected is a very
good one, being composed entirely of
farmers, and nearly all Of them reside in
remote parts of the ecounty from where
the crime is alleged to have occurred.
There are quite a number of young men
on the jury, several middle aged men,
but not very old members. After the
jury was sworn Judge Evans announced
that they would not be allowed to sep
arate during the progress of the trial
and the jury will be closely guarded by
bailiffs A. f. Kemp and Add Ausman,
who will remain with them night and
day. The jury are prohibited from dis
cussing the case among themselves or
from talking with any person except in
the presence of the court. The twelve
men who will decide the fate of the ac-
cused are Charles Weable, Of New Buda;
M. O. Ryan, of Bloomington; E. C. Hol-
lister, of Hamilton; G. e. Thompson, of
franklin, Aldie Roe, of Garden Grove;
w. ID. Mitchell, of Burrell; John Nc
Gully, of Burrell; G. E. Mills, of Eden;
G. r. Piercy, of Bloomington; A. w. Bry-
son, of Woodland; Fred Bowman, of Gar
den Grove; G. w. Pryor, of Decatur.
The opening statement to the jury
was made by County Attorney W. B.
Kelley, who first read the Indictment as
returned by the grand jury charging
Charles Woodland with having wilfully,
unlawfully, feloniously, and by lying in
wait, administered poison to his wife
which caused her death, the degree OF
murder by poison being fixed by the
statute as murder in the, first degree
After reading the Indictment he made a
statement of what the state expected
to prove in support Of the Indictment
first that Woodland was tired of his wife,
wanted to get rid of her, had threaten
ed her life, locked up all the food in the
| house and taken his children and gone
away end left her, knocked her down re-
peatedly with his fist, had cut her with
a knife, and had told different parties
that he wanted to get rid Of her. That
a few months before her death he hunt.
ed up and solicited insurance on his
wife's life, and had made application fol
policy payable to him for s4,oOo,and ii