The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-29
Iaorea .ot,sfactoYy and became No, o

he could s;lve tho prisoner 9 fair and I'm.
partial trial. Thinking wont 40, shi S
Mr.. smith, fare you sure of 1T. ID
t.of course, ain. replied Mr.. Moore,
AZ was only talking short.
Mr.. Moore made No. II III the jury co s.
Mr.. j. Ii. Bowman, n SILK maker, vas
found acceptabie to the court ana tne
.,asa,,.c, and was accented. lie was NO.
~ .s ~
IN Arr John Slaughter, a trunk maker, OIL
r,etarshurg. who lives III the county, was
H thn thirteenth Juror selected. Il. lg5
d n Mr. ii, r. Mclaughlin Carpen 20
+, MA 4. II haven't read or heard anything
about 1t. "a
He was considered competent ana
brought the list UP to No. IA
Mir NJ, e. Bridger, q carpenter, was va
+ Az STARTING member from Matoaca. l1e
Was attired Iii a brown suit that startled
Manchester, and wore raEish looking
bit of headgear.
Mr.. pritleer had not expressed or formed
~ onin,ofl regarding tho guilt or innfi-s
4 cence OF the prisoner. He was sent INTO
The box as No 10.
Mr.. b. j. Moore, "a trunk mahel, a."
.wercd the questions propoanued oy lst1
!. ro,,rt Id the satisfaction of the dctense'
and to Ills Honor, and was sciect co. i1s
y made No 1G, and completed the l'st'
Jury is Secured.
OF the fifty venremen, only sixteen
Il were examined, and QUE Oh ,iie ,s iN.se -
ten wcrs secured. .,,oso3
.yho were In. the jury box, taking occa-
s,,,r 10 thank them for their promptness
~ ,nd readiness to serve the commonwealth.
After a delay Of thirty minutes, ~hiio
counsel for the defense held consuith.
ton. the following four names were
stricken from the list:
NJ. A. Rightsall, of Manchester. rs
G. NJ Schaatt. of Manchester.
i. r. Mclaughlin. of Chesterllcio, anu
i, ]. Munroe, Of Chesteri ~ u. nes "a
1rho twelve men who hold the life OF
1sstnl,e Townsend Smith III their hands
,vsre then sworn By Clerk Du Val as
follows: !, ~
,e,i,,eronce mako, between the Common
wealth and tho prisoner at the bar bar, Whon'
YOU shall have in charge. and a truo sNet'
dict render according to the evidence
so help you God! 5
Would Only Affirm. i}s
1,ycrv Juror kissed the Bible. except
Ar Reams. who declared that he would
otlv affirm, and SO the oath was rereaa
to him while no held his mana n'sn y.
tho air and wagged his head, as ohlS o ~.
men do.
The sergeant then maze ms ai lnp1'u''
mcnt to the jury:
S"oyezi oyez! oyez! If any can inform
the Judge OF this court or the attorney
for the Commonwealth of any murders,
trensons or misdemeanors done or COM
mitted by the prisoner at the bar. let
them come forward and they shall be
heard The prisoner stands upon her
deliverance.
The clerk then said
"Estelle Smith, stand up
Mrs. Smith arose and walked steadily
10 the railing Of the bar. Mr.. Wells stood
beside her while for the second time she
listened to the indictment which tells
in detail and in endless phrases the story
OF Ralph Smiths death.
It is an ordeal for any woman. DO she
Innocent or guilty, to listen to the cold
e recital Of 6the death of her child.
Not a movement marked tho agony OF
those six minutes. The tall figure IN
black was ,notionless behind tho thin
curtain of her impenetrablc black veil. w
~; The twelve Jurors listened attentively to
tho reading OF tho Indictment for to
many OF them It was the first knowledge
of the case they had been sworn to well
and truly try.
The clerk then charged the jury, tell
ing them the punishment prescribed by
law for the crime II proven
Charges to the Jury.
The charge was as follows:
your charge therefore, gentlemen OF
the jury, is to Inquire whether the pris-
pner be guilty OF the felony whereof she
stands indicted. or not guilty. II you find
her guilty, you are then further to in
ouire whether It be murder in the first
or In the second degree. II you find the
prisoner guilty of murder In the first de-
gree say SO, and 10 more; but II you
find the prisoner guilty OF murder in the
second degree only, say 80, and you are
then further to ascertain the term of hel
Il confinement In the penitentiary, so a:
such term be not less than five nor more
than eighteen years.
"If you find her not guilty either o.
II murder in thsa first or second degrees
but guilty ef voluntary nansaughtel
pnly say so. and you are then further
to ascertain the term of her confinement
in the penitentiary, SO as such term d.
not less than one year nor more thai
five years.
.'If you find her not guilty. either o
murder in the first or second degree. 0
voluntary mansaughter, but guilty OF In
voluntary manslaughter only, say 80, u
which event you will ascertain her pun
ishment by a fine or confinement IN ia
or by both fine and Imprisonment In jai
In your discretion. II you find her nc
guilty say so, and no more. SO hearke
to the evidence.
AS the charge was slowly read Mr.!
Smith broke down md fell upon tn
shoulder OF Mrs. Ashburner VINO wa
Il sitting next to her. AS Mrs. Ashbnrne
supported her. she cried bitterly and he
whole body shook as though in fenrfl
agony.
The court called Sergeant Saundcl
and Deputies r. p. Smith and George Y
Blankenship to take charge Of the jur
to which he spoke as follows
~ Now gentlemen of the jury. want
caution you that you must not speak
any one concerning this trial nor allo
any one to speak to you, not even II
Sheriff or his deputies. You must ket
I'm sight of these officers, and YOU mu
y not read any NEWSPAPERS.'' Turning
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