The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-16
TRIAL GOES OVER.
Jurors Scruples Stop Prose-
cuti0n of HansfOrd.
mr.. Lands Decides He Has a
Great Prejudice.
CASE A PITIABLE ONE.
Young Girl Charges a Man With
Her Ruin.
Term Of Court.
CASE A PITIABLE ONE.

IF your honor please said Juror
Lands. the seventh man chosen to try
the case of the state against Allen
Hansford this morning as he arose
from his place in the jury box, 81
nave such prejudice in a case of this
kind because of a similar experience in
my fathers family that 1 feel that I
cannot give the state and the defend
ant a fair trial in the case now pend
Ing. When I was chosen as a juror
to try this case thought that could
serve impartially but find that can
not and in the interest of justice I ask
that / be excused
such was the plain statement of
one or the jurors selected to try Allen
Hansford for his liberty in the district
court case where Minnie WorraI is the
complaining witness and the state is
prosecuting on statutory charge.
me regular panel of jurors was ex-
hausted early yesterday and a special
venire had been summoned and the
trial OF the case commenced early in
the afternoon
The testimony of the prosecuting
witness, Minnie Worral had been COM
pleted, and she told even to the min
utest details of her intimacy with the
defendant in the case as well as the
details of a criminal operation per
formed on her in one of the hotels of
or the acquaintance of Minnie WorraI
ana the defendant, Allen Hansford
was told by the complaining witness,
who claims that she was but Is years
OF age at the time she left the Soldiers
Orphans home in Atchison to
make her home with the Hansford
family
Then came the story of the declara-
ton OF love and with tears streaming
from her eyes and between her sobs
fol- I,<r -
the Orphans home in Atchison to the
Hansford home IN Menoken and there
met the man whom she claims is re-
sponsible for her ruin and disgrace
she told of the first meeting and how
after being constantly thrown in the
company of young Hansford, she fell
In love with him and listened to his
protestations of love. Then came the
promise of marriage and the misstep
which brought disgrace to her, and the
refusal of Hansford to right the wrong
which he had done, the present trial
being the Sequei.6
The complaining witness in the case
who was one of twins, claims that she
was less than eighteen years of age at
the time OF the commission of the act
for which Allen TIanford is being tried
and that being without home as both
or her parents are dead she went to
make her home in the Hanford family
Fri Hanford father of the defendant
one Of the wealthiest farmers in Shaw
nee county where he has lived for
years.
So far as taken the testimony in the
case has been of such a nature as to
be unfit for publication and but little
has been said in the newspa peFs of the
details of the case. There is another
case pending in !, the district court in
which the parents of the young man as
we'll as the doctor who performed the
operation are defendants in a $4,000
damage suit brought by Miss Worral,
though the present suit is criminal
one prosecuted by the county attorney
assisted by Joseph G. Waters.
After hearing the statement of
Juror Lands, Judge Dana compli-
mented him for his candor and hon
esty. He dismissed the jury, declared
a mistrial and adjourned the case un-
til the next term of court. On behalf
is assisting the prosecution, eulogized
the attitude of the juryman who had
so plainly stated his attitude and said
that his position was one of a prose-
cutor and not a prosecutor and that
under the existing conditions he felt |
that the trial of the case should go
over to the next term of court.
The incident is one of more than
usual interest. inasmuch as the Thaw |
case has been constantly before the
public for the past two weeks and
many of the details are similar, though |
this appears to have been a tragedy |
in rural rather than in social life. !
Juryman Lands who caused the mis- |
trial by his frank statement of his con- |
viction has lived in the same town. |
ship with the Hansfords for years
his acquaintance with the fam
lily has been limited to business deal |
ings. f- ,s--