The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-30
GREAT SCANDAL IN WEST HAVEN Woodruff a Jailbird, Main a Monomaniac, Dr. Barnett
 Guilty of Many
 Things.
COURT TRIAL BRINGS FUN
James D. Mcrwin. the Accused Man, Didn't Take the Rooster, Net Jury Says He Must Give
 it Back.

N'o' iiNNti was pdlS Nlln tN'it'- ment by the time 1t retired last night. Incidentally West Haven retired much later than usual The great event of the evening which aroused more en- thusIasm and resulted in larger turnout than even politics has in the rural borough for some time was a mock trial held in the town hall which had been advertised as sure to bring more fun than at any time since you had the measles Evident ly all West Haven had had the meas les 10 n unit and was willing to ac- knowledge that 1t was from Missouri and didn't know what was funnier.
 It took three good hours to prove that Robert j. Woodruff (accent on the "rob"), the prosecuting attorney of the common pleas court, has q long jail record in Jericho, Vt, and Is a member of the famous Jimmy Merwn gang; that Dr. John F. Bar nett has been expelled from several medical societies and is willing to say anything on the witness stand in court as an expert; that George becte Peck has been long an Insane patient in South Dakota at the Rockville asylum; to accusing persons of stealing his chickens; and that James D, Mcrwin is not guilty of having taken from Mi Main Plymouth Rock rooster, but yet that he must give t back un- der the terms of iury's verdict
 The trial was little long winded = especially so to those who did not comprehend the inner meaning of cv- cry local hit But incidentally it must be said that II gave the prolitarat of the village q chance to acquaint them selves with court proceedings without themselves falling into trouble at the hands of the arm of the law.
 IL was conducted under the general supervision of Col. A. Y. NeNton, of | Worcester, Mass, who has given a number of similar entertainments else where. He took the part of the at torney for the defendant, who was James n. Merwin, accused of stealing rooster from Walter Main, whose ! attorney was C. K. Bush, prosecuting officer of the West Haven town court. Judge $. J Bryant of the same court acted in his usual judicial capacity. The clerk was John Wilkinson the court officer. Robert B. Macdonald ST. and the crier, George McIarcn.
 There were some distinguished names among the iurists. Col New ton, however. took occasion to object to each of them. His objections were later withdrawn. The names of the l jury were; Grover Cleveland David
 E. Hill, Thomas C. Platt, Admiral George Dewey John D. Rockefeller J. Pierpont Morgan, William II. Taft
 Rollin $. Woodruff Morgan E. I}ulk- ley President Roosevelt, and John L. Sullivan Mir Roosevelt, by the way
 said that he was "de-e-lghted" to bl
 there. It was said on the side that all of the jury had other aliases. These
 were rumOred to be as follows H. A
 l.. Hall, foreman; George H. Thomas
 A. E. Wilkinson, E, A. Richards, liar.
 " C. Tollcs, James NJ. Tolles, Harry
 V. Richards Benjamin Richards, Cy
 rus w. Futile, Rolin Coe, Leverct
 Goodyear, Clarence Clark.
 The Jury was sworn by Clerk Will kinson in short order under the pain! of polysamy, So help you Carrie Nation" The first witness was thu complainant, Walter Main, who prom ised the clerk that he would tell a' much of the truth as he wanted to i George Washington would help him He later related in a humorous veir
 how he had been awakened after h'
 had retired on last Christmas eve anC
 had gone out to find the accused mar making way with one of his Plym outh Rock roosters.
 And that bird deserves more thai | passing mention, incidentally it wa | brought into court as states exhibit A but cooped securely SO that 1t coul, not possibly get out to endanger tn peace of mind and equilibrium of tn | hats of the spectators in court HI
 Birdship promptly went to sleep.
 Mr. Main told how he had been tn Continued on Tenth Page,)