The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-26
WARY TALESMEN.
They Are Becoming Harder to
Catch on Thaw Jury.
Don't Like the Idea of Being
Made Prisoners.
RULES ARE STRICT.
Mail of Those Accepted, Under
goes Rigid Censorship.
Letters Are Opened and News
papers RiddIed With Scissors.

New York, Jan. 26.-Three days of the
trial of Harry K. Thaw have passed
and the net work of all this time has
been the selection. OF seven jurors. To
get these seven jurymen 1o1 talesmen,
half of the panel drawn, have been ex-
amiaed.
While the lawyers engaged have got
so that the examination of the talesmen
consumes less time than was taken il
the early stages CT the trial, the tales
men themselves have become more
wary, apparently, and the excuses put
forward for not serving are varied and
ingenious. 1t is possible the remain
ing five jurors needed will be found in
the 100 talesnen still awaiting exam
ination, but if yesterdays proceedings
are any criterion, this is doubtful. Fifty
men were examined yesterday and
from this number two jurors were Sc
cured. Five We're drawn from the first
so talesmen examined.
The chief reason for the general de-
sire not to serve is probably found in
the order of Justice Fitzgerald prac-
tically locking UP the jurymen from the
time they are drawn until the trial is
over. This is an unusual proceeding
and as most of the talesmen are active
business men, 1t involves possible imam
cial loss, beside the hardship.
About the only physical exercise the
jurymen enjoy now or are likely to en-
joy for some weeks is the little walk
twice daily accompanied by court Off
Gals to and from the Broadway Cen
trail hotel and the court house. The
men are practically prisoners. They
dine together and then spend the even
ing in chatting until they retire. Every
letter that is sent to the jurors is open
ed and read by Police Captain William
J. Lynch, who has immediate persona
charge of the jurymen. This is not done
with the mail of prisoners in the Tombs.
No newspapers that have in them any
reference to the trial or tragedy are
permitted. Captain Lynch cuts out
those parts of the ne wspapers that re-
fer to the case and the jurors have to
be content with his censorship. Even
the books and magazines are subjected
to the same sort of scrutiny.
The men are comfortably housed at
the >. hotel. seventeen rooms. with
baths and private dining room have
been engaged for them. The jurors
so far selected are accepting the stu
alton in philosophical spirit and
with the utmost good nature.
The plans of the defense while they
have not definitely developed are still
believed to be those which have been
generally prophesied-efn otional in
salty anu al dDQ6dt 10 the SOCdll0u
higher law. Only the faintest indi-
cation in this direction has appeared
at the trial so far and that was yes
terday when Clifford w. Hartridge,
chief counsel for Thaw, asked a pros
pective juror this question:
would you take into consideration
all the evidence tending to show the
condition Of this mans (Thaw) mind
at the time of the killing of Stanford
White ?"
There were rumors in the court
yesterday that there had been seri-
Gus disagreement among the members
of Thaw's family. The reports started
when Harry Thaw's wife and Miss
ion, arrived at the court house some
time before Mrs. William Thaw and
Mrs Carnegie, mother and sister of
the prisoner. The gossip was intensi-
Mrs William Thaw sat near her
the two apparently
took no notice of each other all day.
Lawyer Hartridge, when his atten-
casion to deny that there had been
any disagreement between members of
his clients family.
They lunched in silence during the
noon recess, and departed with the ex..
changes of those who meet on terms OF
cold formalicy and necessity.
Just as they Were leaving the court
room for the day Mrs Thaw having &C.
c8SfOn to speak TO O0lIHdS- dp-
nroacheds where he was standing in
conversatio with Evelyn Nesbit Thaw
and, coldIy eyeing her daughter-in-law.
said: Pardon me for interrupting you"
The Countess of Yarmouth did not at
tend the session of the court yesterday.
1t was announced in her behalf that she
At the close of the days session court
was adjourned until Monday.
O'Mara Coming Next Week.
Pittsburg, Pa, Jan. 26.-Roger
O'Mara. the former superintendent of
police of this city. who was employed
by Harry K. Thaw, to gather evidence
in his case will leave for New York
with a number of witnesses early next
week to be present at the Thaw trial.
There is much speculation as to the
nature of the evidence he has secured.
Several trips that were made by the
detective to Brookline. the residence
of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles ]. Holman,
the stepfather and the mother of Eve
Ivn Nesbit Thaw are taken to indicate
that Mr.. O'Mara was after documents
in possession of the Holman family
or information.