The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-04
JURY READY TO TRY SMITH Quick Work by Court in Columbus. TO HEAR LAURENI's SLAYER citizen Accused of Tamperiag with
 Venire.
 ----e---@- / Suass nackIey Heaa. xishs sss.sss asa Despatehes Rusines. = Fe.asie Relatives of Deaa msn
 Are Present.

Columbus. Miss. Feb. 3--tspeciaL) )-- The jury which is to try Charles R. Smith for the murder of E. A. Laurent was completed tonight Judge Bnclxley before whom the case is being tried having held night session in order to complete the work.
 The jury is made up of the following men: !. K. Jones. J. P. wiggins. R. A. Burns. !. L. stiIiman, George Iernigan, B. c. westbrooks. J. c. Perkins. D. A. Hearon. J. W. Bailey, J. N. Savage. W {. c. .Dodson and R. O. Anderson. All are farmers. and all come from Dis- trict No 3. The killing occurred in the Fourth District.
 There was large crowd in the court room when the case was called. but the number of women was small, less than a dozen of them being present
 Several of the defendants female relatives were seated in the rear of the court room, but his daughter, Miss Es- telie Smith, and Miss Letitia King, who. 1t was claimed by the prosecution. was the real cause of the killing. were not among those present.
 Relatives of Lsurent.
 : Mrs Edward Laurent and Mrs W. T, Draughan, mother and sister. respect ively, of Smith's victim, arrived from Nashville today, but have not yet ap- peared in the court room.
 Judge Buckley announced at the out set that he would proceed to qualify the veniremen for jury service, asking in addition to the questions required by law, such others as counsel might sug- selected, would present the panel to the prosecution and defense for either acc ceptance or rejection.
 The selection of tentative JuryfI1en progressed rapidly and shortly after II o'clock Judge Buckley presented q full panel to the attorneys.
 A mild sensation developed when Hon. K. T. Mcconnico, leading counsel for the prosecution, announced that he had reason to believe that !. H. Bar row, the second man who had qualified for jury service on his examination by Judge Buckley. had, since he was sum . moned as venirenian been approached by 8. E. Hale, relative of the defend- ant who discussed the case with him and asked him how he stood in the mat ter Barrow had alluded to the con  tioned by Judge Buckley. but led the court to believe that it vAas chance meeting and only a casual discussion of the case had been induiged in.
 Hale aa Questioned.
 At the request of Mir, McC0nnico, Judge Buckley directed the jury to re- tire, and the leading counsel for the prosecution then stated that he had reason to believe that Hale had ap- preached Barrow for Che express pur- pose of discussing the case and asked that he be brought into court and questioned.
 Judge Buckley sent deputy after the man. and although Hale Is known to have been Tn the court house few minutes before his connection with the case became apparent he could not he found in the building. Deputies were sent out and the noon hour having ar- rived. court recessed for dinner. #
 when court reeonvened at o'clock Hale was present. and upon being inter rogated by District Attorney CurPie. stated that he was out in East Coiuri- bus trying to sell horse and merely waited ct Barrow's store while the pros pective purchaser tried the animal. Fur. ther questioning brought out the fact that Hale and Barrow are related hv ties of consanguinity. the late wife os the former and the wife of the iatte~ having been c0usiIae.
 It also developed that Hale had in his possession a typewritten list of the .ve- niremen which he secured from MT Iandruna leading attorney for the de fense, but when asked about this he said that the praseeutIon had 'scouta" working among them. and he wanted to watch these scouts.
 Judge Buckley finally decided that Barrow was competent. but he was irt- mediately challenged by the prosecus tion.
 SEr. Landrum Explafna.
 After Barrow had been challenged. Mir Landrum arose, and stated that he had decided to put himself right with the court. He said that he had nuus- Der of typewritten lists of the venire- men in his ofgice and that knowing Hale 10 be related to the defendant he glad. ly gave him one of these lists when he asked for it. Mir. Landrum declared. however, that he cautioned Hale not to talk to any venireInen concerning the case. it being understood that his purpose in securing the list was merely to watch the men, and see that thev were not approached by representatives of the prosecution.
 When court adjourned for supper at o'clock, there were six jurors in the box, and the prosecution had exhausted elght of it's twelve peremptory chal- lenges, while the defense, which has an equal number, had used but six.
 MT, Landrum protested against Q