The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-01
TRIAL Of POWELL
BEGINS IN halifax
Scotland Neck Merchant Charged
With Killing Officer
Dunn.
EIGHT JURORS ACCEPTED
Motion for Continuance or Re
moval Overruled by
Judge.
Lspecial to me Times-plspatch.l ]

Halifax. N. c., March 31.--Consid-
erable progress was made to-day in
the trial of Z. E. Powell. the Scot
land Neck merchant charged with the
murder of Police Officer Charles w.
Dunn at Scotland Neck on Friday.
March 4, when he also shot and Sc
riously wounded state Senator E. L.
Travis and Assemblyman A. Paul
Kitchin. brother of Governor kttchin
and Congressman Kitchin, which be-
gan here to-day in the Superior Court,
before Judge George III. Ward, OF
Elizabeth City.
The most of the morning session
was taken UP in argument on motion
of Judge Winston. of counsel for the
defense, for a removal of the case or
continuance to the next term of Hall
fax Superior Court. Judge winston
made strong plea for continuance,
claiming that on account of illness
of Governor Aycock the defendant
was not ready for trial. ". e. Daniel
and Congressman Claude Kitchin OPP
posed either removal or continuance.
| and Judge Ward promptly ruled that
| the trial should proceed.
Courtroom Packed.
The courtroom was densely packed
! this morning when Judge George W..
! Ward ascended the bench at 10 o'clock.
| E. %. Powell, the defendant, was
brought into court. and occupied a
seat near his attorneys-Judge Win
| ston and Gay and Midyette. Solicitor
| John Fl. Kerr and W. E. Daniel 1ap-
| peared for the State, and We're ready
| for trial when court convened Judge
| winston, In presenting his motion for
! removal read extracts from various
state papers expressing belief that
| L., = - tI.co y-c-
| ports having been copied in the Scot
land Neck Commonwealth and widely
/ circulated throughout the county
was, in the opinion of Judge Winston.
| grounds for a continuance or re-
| moval.
| The regular panel was exhausted at
the morning session. OF this number
| the answer was generally that the
Juror had formed and expressed the
! opinion that the prisoner was guilty.
1 Only one juror was accepted from the
| regular panel. j. 4. Carter, who took
his seat in the jury box as No. l..
Court then adjourned for dinner.
| Afternoon Session.
AT the afternoon session seventeen
| veniremen We're examined. and each
and every one had Invariably eN-
pressed the opinion that the defend :
y ant Is Rullly. al lCc VI 'ltS -
| qualified and were peremptorily chal-
! lenged and set aside by the defend
ant
/. Eight jurors had been accented
| when court adjourned this evening.
i one hundred veniremen we're exam
| ined TODAY. and Judge Ward ordered
4 an aditional venire OF twenty five
4 men for tomorrow morning, There
are about sixty of to-day's Nenire left
4 over to be rendered tomorrow, and
out of the seventy-flve It is expected
that the remaining four can be Sc
cured Nv 10 o'clock. and that the TAX
!. Ing of testimony will begin at the aft
ernoon session. :,
It now looks as II the trial Will run
into next week. Congressman Claude
Kitchln is here. taking an aet'Ve par'
In assisting the prosecution iudse
Ward rules nromptly and deeisiVelS
on all questions coming up Senator
1 Travis is not so we'll to-day.