The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-05
JURY SECURED TO
TRY MRS. G0VARE
FOR MURDER
Testimony Starts This Afternoon in
Case of Woman Who melted Son
To Shoot Down Sheriff Mathews
of Mt. Clemens.
Members Of Panel Nearly All Farm.
ers-Defense Is Likely To Make
Plea of Justification.

After the prosecutor had fin.
lshed his opening statement to the
= Jury IN the case Of Mrs. Govare,
charged with implication In the
killing CT Sheriff Matthews, Of
Mt. Clemens, Attorney Spiers for
the defense, moved that the pris.
~ oner be discharged because the
prosecutor had failed to say shat
ne woulu produce evidence sui
ficient &c convict her. The mo-
tion was promptly denied by the
court.
= Or. Henry G. Berry, OF Mt.
Clemens. who attended the sher-
if, after he was shot, was the first
witness called.
William Brouse, Huron town
ship; lsadore CadieuX, Crosse
Pointe; George Case. Brownstown
township; Lester Clark, Canton
township; Hiram Day, Sumpter
towns h ip; Plato Hough, Ply
mouth, William r. Kuhagen. No
75l JOS. Campau-ave., Detroit:
August komow, Romulus: Arthur
Meyer. Greenfield tow ms II Up;
Frank Miller. Redford; Julius
Neff, Crosse Pointe, and w. Il.
Packard, Nankin township.
The foregoing jury, composed al.
most exclusively OF farmers, was
sworn In at noon, Wednesday, in the
wayne circuit court, 10 try Mrs. Mary
Govare, OF Harrison township. Macomb
county, on the charge of murder in
connection with the death of Sheriff
Joachim Matthews, OF Mt. Clemens.
shot by Benny Govare. l4year-old son
OF the defendant. on the Govare farm.
Dec. /. Benny. also charged with mu".
der III the same case, will be tried a.
the close of his mothers trial He is
now out on bail. In the court room,
Tuesday, he was a conspicuous figure,
but he was absent on Wednesday
morning. Another brother. Achille, 20
years old, sat at the side of his
mother today. The latter, unable 10
understand English, appeared To take
no interest in the court proceedings
The securing of II unbiased men
TO sit as jurors was no easy task, the
majority OF The prospective jurors
called and examined, explaining mat
they were prejudiced to IL certain ex.
tent IN regard - the shooting of tie
WOULD be necessary 10 clange their
fixed opinion. they informed for,lcr
Prosecutor Warren s. Stone, who is
associated with Prosecutor Hum.
mt:!ch, of NJ. Clemens. In mos In.
stances the jurors said thcy acquired
their views n. a result: OF what they
read about the case in Detroit ncws.
papers. The exact nl.IIe of their
md n
for the reason that the attorneys
didn't press them for a revelation.
The prejudice OF one man, Henry
Johnson, NJ. go McGraw.ave., u,
troit, became apparent, however. NJ
ter being excused by the prosecution.
because of his opinion, he said tina; he
believed Sheriff Matthews had no
right on the Govare farm il he had no
warrant but that Il he were possessed
of the legal document, his presence
on the premises was warranted.
After hearing this statement, Attor
ney Spiers, for the defense, evidently
being of the opinion that the sheriff
had no warrant, wanted Mr.. Johnson
left on the jury. arguing with the
court, Judge Mckay, of Mt Clemens,
that testimony might remove the pre-
even asked by Mr. Spiers if he wished
TO remain on the jury.
Mr.. Stone objected TO the question.
and the court sustained the objection.
The court also recognized the chal-
lenge of the prosecution.
George Coan, of TAILOR township,
was excused without complaint from
either the prosecution or defense. lie
said he expressed an opinion to a
grandson in regard 10 ~ hat would be
done with Benny Govare, who shot the
sheriff. He also explained that he had
served as deputy sheriff for num-
Der OF years.
The defense wanted no former po-
lice Official of any kind on the jury,
and Mr.. Spiers took particular pains TO
find out whether the men examined
had ever been connected with con
stabulary at any time.
Both sides were satisfied with Will
lam Mckinney, Of Liyonia township,
but he made plea to be excused on
account of having an aunt at the point
of death. She might die at any min
ute, he explained.
Prosecutor Stone was willing to eN-
cuse him, but MI Spiers wished hun
10 serve. Mr.. Spiers said that Mr..
Mckinney ought to be requested to
remain on the jury because OF the
difficulty being experienced i'll get
ting suitable men.
Mr.. Spiers finally said he would let
the court decide the question. but the
prosecutor removed the responsibility
from the judge by putting in a per
emptory challenge on Mr.. Mckinney,
releasing the Juror without further
parley
William Shafer, No. 1901 Jefferson
ave, young man, who sails for Inv
Ing, was the only man examined who
said he had not heard OF the Matthews
case before the present time. He was
excused by the prosecution.
The jury is TO be locked ut night in
the Hotel Brunswick during the pro
gress OF the trial
Playground Institute to Meet Here.
To better inform the citizens OF De
troi on the subject of municipal