Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-17
ADMIT
HAVING BEEN SEEN
Prospective Jurors in Browne
Case Examined En- Masse
and Excused From Duty.

CHICAGO, August 17.-When the sixth
panel of veniremen called in the case OF
Lee O'Neil Browne reported today, near
ly all OF them. as was the case with the
fifth panel yesterday. admitted that they
had been approached" with reference to
their possible service as Jurors. Judge
Kersten called counsel for Browne into
his chambers for consultation
When Judge Kersten asked those
veniremen who had been spoken to
about the case to come forward. the
request was not clearly understood, and
only FIVE men responded.
His next request was more successful.
Judge Speaks Plainly.
Let those whose families have been
visited by any one with reference to
this case come to the bench"
Fifty OF the panel OF sixty-nine arose.
]. Tutener. q member Of the panel, said
that his wife had been asked IL he be-
longed to any reform or secret society.
asked similar questions by two In
vestigators.
walter o. Klein said one man came t.
his home.
mother had been called up by telephone
and that later two investigators inter
viewed her.
The stories told in court by all of those
tenor. AS fast as they made their admis-
sions they were dismissed from the venire
Karl Byrnes. one of the eight jurors
sworn in. was excused because OF the
to visit her deathbed last night. and
neither side objected to his withdrawal.
Veniremen Were Approached.
Declaring that nearly all the veniremen
had been approached" in connection with
the retrial Of Browne. Judge Kersten yes
terday dismissed q panel OF seventy-two
men. This action came after several
days endeavor to get q jury to try
Browne. Judge Kersten pronounced the
situation "deplorable.''
The veniremen were Immediately taken
to the ONCE of State Attorney Wayman,
where Judge Kersten asked each man
by name IL he had been called on by
any one in connection with his possible
services as a juror. Nearly all answered
In the Affirmative
Judge Kersten said before the venire
was dismissed:
THE court wants to know IL this is
going to be fair trial or q travesty
on Justice The situation has reached a
point where an investigation is necessary
don't want to blame either the state
or the defense, but some one is doing
crooked work, and I am loathe to go on
with the case. When a juror Is sub
poenaed no one has a right to talk to him
AS 1t Is. probably every man on this
jury has been approached
At this point Attorney O'Donnell made
mis- accusation against some third
party" Then Mr.. Wayman jumped to
his feet and said:
Il can prove that the defense has been
systematically calling on all veniremen.
Man after man has been excused from
service on this jury and has been taken
to my ONCE, where all told me they had
been approaches. directly. or through
members OF their various households"
Defense Not Afraid.
Attorney Erbstein OF the defense told
reporters that the defense had nothing
to fear. that they would show that the
for the prosecution.
One venireman, whose name was not
disclosed. created excitement after the
panel had been taken to the state at
torney's ONCE. There was a hurry call
for a stenographer. A member of Mr..
Waymans STAFF later said that the
venireman had been asked by IAN agent
to stick IL out for Browne tiii -
freeses over
The first trial of Browne for the al
legged bribing of State Representative
White resulted in a disagreement. four
for acquittal against eight for convic-
for the retrial began three weeks ago
Progress has been slow because most
OF the veniremen had formed opinions
during the first trial.