The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-11-26
Prosecutor Starts With Cir
cumStanceS of Poole
Murder.
JURY IS CHOSEN
WITHOUT DELAY
Large Crowd at Rockville Court
House TO Hear the Pro-
ceedings.

ROCKVILLE. Nd. Nov. 26.-Rapid
progress was made this morning in the
trial Of Oliver II. Harris In the circuit
court charged with the killing OF John
Henson Poole. July 21 last
The jury was completed from the spe-
cial panel in about two hours. The
twelve men who viii pass on the guilt
Of young Harris are: John II. Cordell,
Lewis w. Barnesley, Leonard L. Mich
olson, Walter Y. White, Josiah j. Hut
ton, William T. Jones, George Riggs,
Andrew G. Daley, Clarence Moore,
Davis 5. Craven, Francis P. Musgrove.
and Clifford L. Howard
Explaining in full the chain Of cir
cumstantial evidence which the State
will show by testimony Of witnesses,
Commonwealth Attorney 3. f. Waters
made long address to ,he jury.
Tells of Crime.
I'VE viii show that on July q John
Poole and Harris met at a store IN
/ Trivilah, where they remained for an
/ hour or two. Poole had a large sum
of money in his pocket which he ex-
hibited and threwn down on the coun-
! ter. saying to Harris, Doesn't that look
good 10 your It looks good to me,
Harris replied"
/ Poole invited Harris TO spend the
night with him at his home near Penni-
/ fields lot. on the Chesapeake and Ohio
/ canal. about a mile and a half from
/ Travinah. We will produce witnesses
who Will show that the two men left
the store together, and that next day
! Harris was seen returning 70 Trsvillah
I from Poole's home. He had sum Of
money with him and also a flask Of
whisky.
I'VE will also show that before this
/ Harris had very little, ~ any. money.
and that he had been hard pressed for
funds"
First Witness.
John w. Poole. father OF the muir
4 dered man, was the first witness
called 10 the stand. His eyes filled with
tears aud so overcome with emotion
that II was difficult for him to talk. Mr..
Poole described in detail the finding
Of his sons body.
Mrs. Poole sat in a chair near the wit
ness stand. and was 50 affected by her
husbands testimony that she had to
leave the court room After telling
about going TO Penniheld's lot and max
ing inquiries about his son on August
i, after young Poole had been missing
nearly a month. the father said that he
and Charles Butterfield, a lock keeper,
who owned the house, effected an en-
trance by breaking in the dooE-
Found in Closet.
His sons body. badly decomposed
was found "a a closet I'm room on The
first floor The body was dressed only
in the underclothing. wrapped in ar
old quilt His son S street clothing was
hanging in the same closet He said
he had no trouble in identifying tho
body and while there were several
stains in the roora that looked TO hin
Ike blood, he did not notice any marks
of violence on the body.
The witness then identified a small
rifle, a hatchet. and a hammer, which
he and Pennineld found In the house
Pennineld was the next witness called
and his testimony about discovering th'
body was substantially the same as thai
given by Mr.. Poole.
Will Be Foreman.
John II. CordeIl. a farmer living ir
the vicinity OF CIarksburg, was one OF
the three men selected yesterday from
the fOrty-hve men examined by coun.
sell He will serve as foreman OF The
jury.
The othcr two jurors chosen YESTERDAY
were Lewis W. Barnesly, a farmer. ot
Oakdale. and L. L. Nicholson. Of Rock
Vile. In selecting the jurors. the de
feDse exhausted fourteen OF its Swentl
peremptory challenges and the state on,
Of it's four, the others being excused fot
/ ..r use.
Charles i. Bean was selected as on,
OF the jurors. but he was excused late
after the Judge had been informed tina
Beams wife is second cousin 10 Harris
When he was dismissed. Bean was giveT
"A judicial scOldinE for attempting q
qualify as Juror when he knew tha
this relationship existed.
/ Judges James j. Henderson and Johr
O.. Motter are sitting IN the case. Chle
Judge WorthirEton not being present.