The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-24
FREE PRESS

and try the case impartially?" was
asked by the state.
II could not, after seeing what l
did at the morgue, which impressed
me to the extent that it untitled me
to be juror" replied the young man.
The state admitted the challenge.
Orange Little was not challenged by
the defense. Answering the state, he
said that he had no conscientious scru-
pies against capital punishment. He
said that he had read and talked about
the case but little, but had formed no
opinion. The state used its fifth per-
emptory challenge on him.
Had Strong Opinion.
s. a. Swanson of this city is a
subscriber of The Daily Free Press. He
had an opinion from what he had read
and heard of the case, and the defense
challenged for actual bias.
us your opinion one that it would
take evidence to remover" was asked.
Eyes, sir, considerable of it at that"
that"
would it take mu.h evidence to re-
move it,"
eyes, sir, and it would have to be
pretty strong evidence"
The state admitted the challenge
and the juror was excused.
w. A. Just of Rapidan was excused
the state admitting a challenge by the
defense for actual bias.
w. E. Polzin was excused by the
triers when they found a challenge
by the defense for actual bias true.
Henry Jacoby of Mankato township
was not challenged by the defense. He
said that he had no scruples against
capital punishment, and hal read and
talked some about the case, but had
formed no opinion. The state chal-
lenged peremptorily.
Ed. Nyquist was not challenged by
the defense. The state brought out
the fact that he has such conscientious
scruples that he would not vote for
verdict of guilty ON circumstantial
evidence, where the penalty might be
death. The court sustained chal-
lenge by the state for implied bias.
w. H. Gary said that would be a
prejudiced juror, and the state admit
ted a challenge for actual bias by the
defense.
The court, after ordering the second
special venire, took recess until 10
a. m. today, when the examination OF
the remaining talesmen was proceeded
with ~
This Forenoon's Proceedings.
Miles Chenoweth, o. local lather, was
challenged by the defense for actual
bias, and it was admitted.
Alderman G. w. Ei,hstaedt got off
just as easily and quickly as his prede-
cessor, and in the same way.
William Polchow, the barber, was
not challenged by the defense. To the
state he said that he had no scruples
against capital punishment. Inquired
of as to whether he had read of the
Ledbeter murder case he said that ne
"was not in the habit of reading such
Junk" He had read nothing of the
trial of Frank Smith, and didn't know
that he was on trial until after Smiths
conviction, when he heard someone say
that Smith had been convicted The
case had never been discussed in his
shop to his knowledge. He had no
opinion in the case The state used
a peremptory challenge to get rid of
the juror.
Bail Petition Comes Up.
Fred Guentzel, farmer from Lime
township, was challenged by the de-
Tense for actual bias. He said that
he reads The Free Press, and had read
and talked of the case and had some
opinion. He had signed the petition
against allowing Mrs. Ledbeter to bail.
The defense demanded that the petit
ton be put in evidence for tie defense
or else ". r. Geddes sworn, as being
the one who had written it. Court
Reporter Da"ies produced the petition
that was presented to Judge Pau.
The stG.e objected to the petition, and
the court overruled the objection. The
jurors found a callenge by the de-
Tense for actual bias true.
Chris Burmeister was challenged "
the defense for actual bias. He sal
that he reads The Free Press. He
had formed slight opinion, but could
lay it entirely aside and decide the
case according to the evidence, if sworn
as Juror, and would do so. The
triers found the challenge not true, and
the defense used its second peremptory
challenge.
w. E. Harlin of this city informed
the defence that he knew the late
Mr.. Ledbeter years ago. He was in
Canada from March IS until Oct. %,
except two weeks the last of August
and the first of September, and he
was out of town most of the two
weeks. He knew of no reason why
he could not try the case fairly. The
defense had no challenge. Mr.. Harlin
told the state that he had no scruples
against capital punishment on circum-
stantial evidence, provided the evidence
was strong enough. He had read
something of the trial of Frank Smith.
He had formed no opinion. The state
used another peremptory challenge.
Frank Graves was not challenged by
the defense. The juror told the state
that he had conscientious scruples