Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-05
COUNTRYSIDE AT COURT
Prisoner Is Charged With the Muir.
der of Her Husband.
QUARRELED OVER A LETTER
It Was Written to Her by Another
Standing in Corner.

| this morning in the Wayne county court
| house, defendant to the charge that
she murdered her husband, Harry Samp-
son. nephew of the late Rear Admiral
PSampson. Wayne county prepared to hear
| the greatest trial in its history.
Long before 10 o'clock this morning
crowd had gathered outside the fence
surrounding the courthouse yard and on
the front steps. They were chiefly tales
| men. but there were also many inhab-
| itants of the countryside who had gath
cred to hear the testimony
| Several women tried to get in an hour
before the doors were unlocked. When
| court finally opened few women, who
looked like the wives and daughters of
farmers, took seats in the gallery.
The old bell in the tower doomed forth
| its summons to court at 10 o'clock. Ten
| minutes later Justice Rich took his seat.
| Then the aged court crier announced the
formal opening of court.
Accused Woman 70 Calm.
At 1925 o'clock the glass-paneled door
at the left of the judges bench opened.
There was a rustic of interest as the de-
PENDANT appeared.
The courtroom saw q young woman
of medium height and rather plump figure
dressed in mourning, whose face was
partially obscured behind a thick black
veil. She has round. typical country
| face. While not unattractive. it is Of an
ordinary type.
Mrs. Sampson has a dark complexion
| and thick dark brown hair, which she
parts in the middle and wears marcelled
| She had on a round black hat with mar
| row brim covered with feathers and let
She also had on black feather boa
This young woman defendant must be
a person with steel nerves. There was
not a visible tremor as she passed into
the crowded courtroom. She took her
! fathers sitting room at home.
She even smiled in a cold sort of way
as If the proceedings rather amused than
alarmed her There was no display of
err came forward from the throng and
| kissed her.
| His is the characteristic appearance of
the prosperous farmer e has grisled
| hair and beard. He looked at his daugh-
ter fondly from time to time after en-
| bracing her.
Examination Of Talesmen.
| With the defendant, who walked to the
Jail from the courthouse. few blocks
away. closely accompanied by Deputy
Sheriff Collins. was her aunt. Mrs. Annie
| Rays of Chicago, and Miss Theresa Col
| Inns. sister OF the deputy sheriff. All sat
l
After the talesmen had answered to
| their names and those who had excuses
had given Them the district attorney
arose and. addressing the justice. said:
Il move the trial of the indictment of
the people of the state of New York
| against Georgia Sampson"
The county clerk then formally notified
the defendant that twelve men would
| be chosen to try the question of wheth-
| er she would live or die. and that she
| had the right to challenge If she SO
desired. Mrs. Sampson looked back smil-
ingly at the court clerk, but no express
sion of feeling. either one way or the
other, crossed her COuntenance.
| The examination of talesmen was then
| begun. The sixth man to be examined
| was acceptable to both sides and he
| was sworn in as the first Juror. He is
Noah Parrish. Shortly afterWard Jacob
| Liable took his seat as the second man
| in the box.
Court Seeks Honest Jury.
| John E. Right, farmer, the first
| talesman examined. was excused by JUS
| tice Rich. The justice said that the
| court did not want any jurors who
| would merit the least suspicion that
| they would deal unfairly with either
| side to please their neighbors or to
| satisfy previously formed opinion.
| The third talesman examined was
| asked whether he would be prejudiced
against defendant If she did not take
| the witness stand. Many talesmen said
| they had formed opinions of the case,
| and seemed loath to serve.
| Gordon Allyn of Buffalo. brother of
| Frank Allyn. arrived at the courtroom
| this forenoon, accompanied by his wife.
and took a seat near the defendant. None
| Of SIMPSONS family was in court
George Tinkelpaugh and Assemblyman
Hamn of Wayne county represented Mrs.
| Sampson in court.
Not once during her long Incarceration in
| Wayne county Jail has Mrs. Sampson in
dicated any apprehension over the out
| come of the trial.
II am innocent and that's all there is
| TO it,, she said.
Trial Excites Countryside.
There has been more than one noted
| trial in the old courthouse. but never one
in which the elements Of mystery and
| pathos figure SO extensively, nor one in
which SO many connected with the trial
| were bound to the defendant by ties of
| blood relationship Another reason why
| all Wayne county takes such an absorb
| ing interest in the proceedings about to
| take place is that the principals in this
trial are well known about the countryside.
| Frank H. Allyn, the defendants father,
has large and prosperous farm in a rich
| and sloping tract of land four miles east
| of Macedon and twenty miles from here.
| He represents the wealth in the case,
while the Simpsons represent the social
| side
| 1t will be trial in which all the evil
dence will be circumstantial. Some of
those who have followed 1t from the be-
ginning say that in this respect 1t is
somewhat similar to the Nan Patterson
| trial The case hinges upon the quarrel
| which the Simpsons are said to have had
| twenty minutes before the shooting and
concerning which Mrs. SIMPSONS father,
who overheard it, as alleged will be called
| to testify.
| That is the most painful circumstance
| about this case. The testimony against
| this young woman must come from those
| of her own kin. The family relationship
includes even the district attorney and the
attorney for the defense.
Law Officers Related.
Joseph Gilbert the district attorney. is
cousin of Mrs. Sampson. George 8.
Tinkelpaugh, chief of counsel of the de-
defense, is also a cousin. Tinkelpaugh was
Mrs. SIMPSONS attorney during the in
quest at Macedon. Coroner Jennings, who
was presiding over the inquest, is still
another cousin.
Judge Sawyer of this place was to have
| tried the case. but declined because he
also was interested as a relative. There
fore, Justice Rich of the supreme court
will sit in his stead.
Mrs. Frank p. Allyn, mother of Mrs
Sampson. suffers from chronic heart
trouble There are fears that she will not
be able to stand the ordeal OF giving tes-
timony. During the coroners inquest she
nearly collapsed and had to be propped
up on pillows in the witness chair She
is very deaf.