Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-01-04
Meyers Shows Great Inte
in Examination of Jurors
by His Counsel.
THIRD VENIRE OF
FIFTEEN MEN ISSUED
The Taking of Evidence Was Com.
menced at 3 o'clock This After.
ROOn-The "Standing Room Only
Sign Was Hung Out by the Court
This Morning.

With eight of the permeptory
challenges allowed to the defense un-
der the law, and three of the six al
lowed to the state uneXercised, the
spec al venire of s men summoned
by Sheriff Mimic last night as jurors
in the case of the State of Oregon
against George Meyers, charged with
the murder of Night Patrolman Eek
hart last fall, was exhausted before
II O'Clock this morning, and an ad-
journment was taken by the court
until 1 O'Clock this afternoon, in or
der to afford the sheriff an opportuni-
ty TO summon another Venire of 10
men. When the court convened in
the afternoon Sheriff Mimic was on
hand with his venire of prospective
jurors, and the work of empanneling
a jury in the case was resumed, but
the progress being made is about the
same as that of the forenoon-slow
and it is not believed, at a late
hour, that anything more would be
accompl shed in the trial than the
securing of jury-if that much is
achieved. At least neither District
Attorney McNary of the counsel for
the defendant, Messrs. Carson, Rich
ardson and Darcy, expect to get into
the evidence until tomorrow ses-
sion.
Court Room Crowded.
AS at yesterdays session the court
room at the convening hourthis
morning was crowded, and the ses-
sion had not progressed long until
the room was completely filled, and
large number had to be excluded.
There were fewer women in attend
aRce at the session this forenoon than
yesterday afternoon, but they made
amends for this during the after
neon, and this session was well rep
resented by the fair sex. The de-
fendant occupied the same seat as
yes sterday-between Attorneys Car
son and D'Arcy-and the nervousness
that characterized his demeanOr yes
terday afternoon was absent today
and he was perfectly calm; signified
a great interest in the exam nation
Of the jurors by his counsel, and from
time to time he consulted with them
with relation to questions to be pro-
pounded to a juror. While the pro-
eeedings of the day were entirely
confined to the examination of jur-
Ors as to their qualifications, pro
eeeding which is slow, tedious and
generally of no public interest, they
we're given the closest attention by
the audience, so close that it seemed
that not a single question of the at
torneys or Teply of the jurors was
permitted to escape the ear of the
individuals entering into its compost
ton.
Many Excused for Cause.
The jury box was filled-that is
passed for cause-when j. M. Co
burn qualified for the twelfth man.
and the defense exercised it's per-
emptory challenge on Zadoc Riggs. |
Joseph A. Cook was summoned to
take his place, but did not believe in f,
capital punishment, and was excused
By the court. H. r. Curtis was then
summoned, and, after qualifying, the
state exercised its first peremptory
challenge on G. A. Bort. Newt Cook
was called by the clerk to fill the va
oancy, but, after an examination by
District Attorney McNary, it devel-
oped that he was opposed to capital
punishment, and he was excused.
The second peremptory challenge Of
the defense was used on J. NJ. COburn
and G. B. Meier was called, but an
examination disclosed that he enter
tanned a friendship so strong for the
defendant and his relatives that he
was unable TO qualify and s. Ames
was called, but excused on the
ground that he did not believe in the
death penalty for the crime of muir
der. w. F. Buckner was then sum
moned to the stand, but he had n
fixed opinion as TO the merits of he
Ease, and could not qualify. s. Pres
aall was unable to qualify because
Df his views in regard to capital
and VIM. Skipton, who
took his seat in the jury box, was
by the defense on the
ground that he had formed an opiu-
on as TO the merits of the case, but
he court denied the challenge.
Selected From Bystanders.
A. p Burton was also disqualified