The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-08
MIST AIKEN IDENTITY
PLEA OF DEFENDANT
Harry Dowd on Trial in the
Criminal Court
NINE JURORS SELECTED
Detective cavanaush of Jersey City Is
Here to Attempt to Identify the
Alleged Murderer of the
NINE JURORS SELECTED

Harry Dowd, alias New York Harry"
criminal court of Jefferson county, the
charge being highway robbery. He Is
alleged to be the last member of the
notorious gang of highway robbers and
murderers, headed by Frank Duncan and
Frank Miller, who operated In Birming-
ham and this section of the state about
six years ago. Miller and Duncan were
executed for killing Patrolman Kirlley
and Adams, and several other members
of the gang are now serving long terms
in the coal mines.
Dowd was arrested in Bridgeport, Conn,
last winter, and was brought back to Bir-
mingham to answer the charge of partici-
pating In the safe-blowing at the Stand
ard Oil company's office in the western
portion of the city and the crime of as
saulting the night Waterman, j. A. Clay
ton. Up to the time of his death on the
gallows Duncan asserted that New York
Harry was the man that killed the two
OllceIS Ill Lie SllduOW OI Tile IloOu
ing on Twentieth street, but an indict-
| ment for such an offense was never
brought by the grand jury against the
| man on trial.
Since the arrest Dowd has commended
that he is not the man wanted and his
attorneys entered such a plea yesterday.
| The defense also pleaded not guilty.
Organization of Jury.
The task of selecting a jury commenced
yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock, and two
| hours later the entire venire had been ex-
hausted and only nine jurymen were Sc
| lected, as follows:
Thomas j. Bailey of Birmingham,
butcher.
G. w. Dorman of Smiths Mile, farmer
T. d. Moore of Irondale, carpenter.
John Broda of Ensley, merchant.
G. l.. Wood of Ensley, carpenter
w C. Montgomery of Irondale, car
penter.
George Sexton of Ensey, bookkeeper.
Fl. II. Hahn of Smiths Mills, timer.
When the venire had been exhausted
Judge Samuel L. Weaver, presiding in the
first division, drew the names of twenty
or more special Jurors who will report to
the court this morning at $3.50 o'clock.
About ten of those summoned to serve
| as jurors were excused by the court upon
the ground that they had fixed opinions as
to the guilt or innocence of the defendant
on trial.
Assistant Solicitors Edward W. Winston
and j. B. Arid of the criminal court and
Circuit Solicitor John Mcqueen are con-
Quoting the prosecution, while the defense
Is being represented by Attorneys Gibson
& Davis
Detective George H. Bodeker of the
local police department, who worked up
much of the evidence and assisted in
the arrest of several of the principals
of the Duncan-Miller gang, is assisting
the solicitors in the prosecution. De-
tective Bodeker and Chief Deputy Sheriff
Albert Stradford went to Connecticut
to Birmingham.
Many Spectators Present.
The court room was filed with specta-
tors when the organization of the jury
was taken up yesterday afternoon. Dowd
held In his hand sheet containing the
names. residences and occupations of
those summoned on the jury venire and
he consulted his attorneys whenever
juror was questioned as to his qualifca-
tions to serve. The man on trial kept his
eye almost continually upon Detective
Bodeker.
n1ta tft-n Ta1af Va to1, nf fI,0
Jersey City police, who arrested New
York Harry eleven years ago this month
and sent him to the New Jersey peni-
Tertiary at Trenton for a term of three
years, arrived in Birmingham yesterday
He came to try to identify Dowd, at the
request of the local police department.
THAT is the man / arrested eleven
years ago in Jersey City on the charge
of pick-pocketing, said Detective Cava-
naugh yesterday afternoon in the court
room. II was sitting in the corridor of
the court house when the deputies
brought him over from the Jail just now,
and 1 am sure that he recognized me.
He went by the name of Thomas Muir
ray, and gave his age as 26 years when 1
arrested him in 1885,
Another Detective Expected.
Detective Cavanaugh will remain In Bir-
mingham until the conclusion of the
trial. He has several photographs In his
possession that bear a striking resem-
blance to the man on trial. Detective
Abbott of the Boston police force is also
expected to come TO Birmingham for the
purpose of Identifying Dowd.
The organization of the jury will be
completed this morning and the taking of
testimony will probably begin before noon.
Dowd contends that his name is James
Rooney Yesterday in court he wore a
dark suit of clothes, black neck tie and
watch chain. When court was not in
session he smoked cigarettes continually.