Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-18
Frank Womack Goes on Trial for
The Murder Of His Friend,
Joseph Mathews.
THE DEAD MAN WAS JEALOUS.
Had Heard the Wagging Tongue
OF Scandal and Went Home to
See With Fatal Results.
Slayer viii Attempt To save Himself
by Saying lie Was Compelled
70 Act In self Defense.

The trial OF Frank Womaok. who IL
charged with murder IN the second de-
gree for the killing OF Joseph Mathews
at the latters' residence IN this city on
the night Of Oct. %. 1905. was COM
menced in the criminal division OF the
district court this morning before Judge
Armstrong, Almost the entire morn
ing session was taken up in the Sc
lection OF Jurors To- Try the case. col
NJ. NJ. kalghn and George G. Buckle
are attorneys for The defendant, and
Dist. Atty. Loofbourow Is representing
the state. Mrs, Mathews, tho widow
OF the murdered man. was present In
court today ready to testify in the case.
MATHEWS WAS JEALOUS.
According to the evidence at the pre-
llminary hearing, Mathews became
jealous OF the alleged attentions which
Womack was paying to Mrs Mathews,
and on the night Of the shooting came
home late and called Womack out OF
his room, and ordered him to leave the
house. Womack refused To go, saying
that he paid his board and was entl-
tied to stay, whereupon the men en-
gagged In a scuffie and Womack drew
revolver from his pocket and shot and
Killed Mathews. Womack then tele-
phoned TO the police and told them
what he had done. and then awaited the
arrival OF the patrol wagon, when he
was taken 70 jail. He claims that he
shot Mathews in self-defense. and will
make that defense 10 the charge
AN AMUSING JUROR.
Joseph H Mellen.- who resides lust
across the street from the Mathews.
| home, furnished some amusement to
the spectators during his examination
as a juror. In answer TO Col Kaighn
as 10 whether or not he had expressed
an opinion as to the guilt or innocence
or the defendant, he replied mo.
only what | said 90 you when you came
to me and asked questions about the
case" HIS reply intlmated that the
attorney for the defense had talked
with him with view to using him az
a witness in the case provoked consid-
cradle laughter among those present In
court.
The juror said that he had known
the deceased Intimately ana mad worked
with him in politics In his district but
he refused to admit that he had ever
expressed an opinion as to the guilt or
innocence OF the defendant. He tried
several times to tell the court the con-
yersations he mad had with neighbors
and with Col Kaighn In regard to the
case but the court Instructed MIN to-
refrain from repeating what he had
said concerning Il, Melien was chal-
lenged for cause by the attorney for
the defendant but the challenge was
denied by the court but he was later
challenged pertemptorly by the de-
Tense and excused.
THE PANEL COMPLETE.
The jury was secured at l1:45 o'clock
and is composed OF the following men;
Herman Grether, Il, ID, BlackmarT, q.
Il. Gushing, w Il. Richards, +. NJ,
Cummings, A, g, Smoot. j. H. Hams
lin and T.. G. Dern. After the Jurors
were sworn, Clerk King read the In
formation to them and the taking "a
testimony was then commenced Orin
Humphrey. an employee OF the county
surveyors office was the first witness
called oy the state He produced q
map OF the premises where the killing
occurred and testified a. 10 the gem
eral location of furniture In tho house
and OF distances. He was still under
examination when the court took its
noon recess.