The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-11-17
PROSECUTION
HECT0RS CIVIL
WAR VETERAN

Los Angeles, Cal, Nay. l6.DJudge
Bordwell shocked the attorneys for the
defense and the spectators in the court
room when he supported the prosecu-
tion's challenge for cause and discharged
George W. Morton, a socialist and veter-
an of the Civil war under the assertion
that the venireman was not mentally
competent to serve.
Horton harrassed the old veteran for
two days. His opening remark when the
venireman entered the box was; "You
are socialist, aren't you?" Morton
parried with Horton for hours and
brought many laugh at the expense
of the young attorney. Mercilessly hour
after hour Horton baited the venireman
until the spectators, newspapermen and
attorneys for the defense were boiling
with Indignation at the procedure. Fre-
quent Interruptions by attorneys for the
defense. Over and over again objections
came to naught and the prosecutor went
on and on with his cruel work.
Morton's admission that he was a So
cialist and read socialist and labor pa
pers seemed to have caused the prosecu-
tion to work itself into frenzy "
hatred for the man. Time and again
the old man sharply rebuked his tor
mentor for injecting politics into the
case but he was forced to sit and listen
to a volley of most insulting questions.
"You read the Social Democrat and
the Appeal to Reason, don't you. 1 sup
pose you are against the government ?"
The old mans hand strayed up to
bronze button on his coat and tears
welled in his eyes. Then he straight
ened up as memories rushed over him.
In thunderous tones that made the lit
tie lawyer shrink into his seat;
"YOU! YOU ASK ME THAT! ME
WHO FOUGHT TO SAVE THIS GOV
ERNMENT! NO, l AM NOT AGAINST
THE GOVERNMENT"
The sneer came back to the face of
lHe HClle ldNyeI anu He SIdiIeu III
again:
But because you hold the views you
do about capital and labor, you incline
to the gas theory, don't your"
Attorney Davis for the defense sprang
to his feet livid with rage as he ex-
claimed:
Il object to any further examination
of this kipd. 1t is of positively insult
ing nature and designed to humiliate
this old man"
A wordy war between Davis and the
court ensued and finally Bordweu or
dered the Mcnamara attorney to sit
down and the inquisition went on. Fin
ally Horton challenged the juror and
Darrow arose to resist. He said:
IF the court please, l would like to
say few words in reply to my young
friend here, who seems to catch at any
straw he can to get rid of man be-
cause he has not a strong bias on his
side Old men are not the only garru-
lous ones as has appeared amply in this
court. Lots of people talk too much,
and too often and too long, and ask too
many questions. Neither will the
green old age of 20 look so green or so
old to my young friend in few years;
it is possible a few years added to his
life will tend to balance him up and
make him not quite so bloodthirsty in
this case.
Nov, your honor, anything that has
been said or offered in this case is
trifling in the extreme Is there a
juror in the box who is better qualified
under the law than this juror? Not
one. The court is asked to excuse this
man so that, forsooth there shall be no.
body in the box upon whom they shall
have to exercise a peremptory challenge.
We have at least one juror in the box
against our protest who has reached the
age of 72.
"We have a large number of them
who have expressed the strongest and
most decided opinion and are still sit
ting there awaiting the peremptory
challenge of the defense as far as those
challenges may go. And in every in
stance, no matter how strong the opin-
ion, counsel for the other side has sought
Continued on Page Four.l