The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-04-14
MURDER
Trial Starts In This City On
Tuesday Morning
Lewis Bolton OF Newark Is
Placed On Trial
Work Of Securing The Jury
Has Commenced
Witnesses From The Pen
Here To Testify
incidents In Connection With
Opening Of The Case

The trial of the first degree murder
case of Ohio Va. Lewis j. Bolton,
brought here from Licking county on
change of venue, was commenced in
common pleas court Tuesday morn
ang.
Mt Vernon people are giving no evil
dence as yet as being in any wise in
terested in the case, and there were
not over fifty persons present in the
court room Tuesday morning outside
OF members OF the bar and those who
were called as veniremen.
Court was announced to be opened
at o'clock, but there was a long
wait, due to the failure OF two of the
Sc veniremen to reach the court house
on time. On Tuesday morning Sher-
in Parker received word that e. l..
Wolfe of Martinsburg, venlreman,
had recently cut one of his feet and
that inflammation had set in, making
1t impossible for him to be in court.
A certificate from his physician was
received
Judge Wickham, who is presiding at
the trial arrived from Delaware, o.,
at 8:30 Tuesday morning and went
directly TO the court house, where
numerous matters of detail claimed
his attention, for more than an hour.
From 8 o'clock Court Bailiff Purcell
was busy man. receiving veniremen,
looking after the comfort of all, in
cluding local and visiting newspaper
men Among the latter were Mr.. Hen
ry Cochran OF the Newark Americans
Tribune and Mr.. Joe Miller of the New.
ark Advocate.
The morning train from Newark
was little late. On this train were
Prosecuting Attorney Phil. B. Smythe
aud Mr.. James X. FitZgibbon, attor
ney for the defendant Bolton Upon
their arrival at the court house they
we're net by other lawyers employed
in the case, Messrs w. II. Miller ant
Seth l.. Mcmillan OF the attorney gen
erals office, and Prosecuting Attorney
Tate Cromley of Knox. who will as
sist in the prosecution OF Bolton, ant
! Messrs. Waight Il Moore and over
sei for the defense.
One OF the interesting features o
the morning was the arrival in towr
OF Mont Waltha, William Mckinley
and Oliver Timmons, all of whom are
serving time m the Ohio penitentiarS
AT Columbus, having been convicted
of manslaughter in connection will
the Etnerington lynching. They were
subpoenaed by the defense In the
case at trial The convicts were
brought here by Guards Thomas Bucy
OF Newark and Henry Ehret OF Colum
bus and were placed In custody o
Sheriff Parker and locked up. They
will remain here until called as wit
nesses
II was 1917 o'clock when Judge
Wiokham asceaded TO the bench ant
directed Baillff Purcell TO open court
Defendant Bolton was brought into
the court room from the jail by Sher
iH Parker and given seat among his
counsel
The yeniremen's names were call
ed. Thlrty.fve answered, The state
asked the court OF II was not neces
sary that there be 80. Judge Wickham
who had looked the question up, said
shat II was not necessary unless the
defense demanded IL. Mr. Fitzgibbor
Informed the court that the defense
was making no such claim.
The first venlreman called for ex
animation as to his qualification fol
juror was MIR. Siias Weaver
The examination OF veniremen Wen
along rapidly, and when the noon re
cess hour was at hand 22 had beer
questioned. Some were found to be
opposed TO capital punishment anc
others were found who felt that the,
could not qualify as jurymen for var
ious reasons. Out OF the 22, nine hat
been accepted condItionally, or passed
and were In the jury box at 1870
Judge Wickman warned the nine mel
shnt while II was possible that non'
Of them might be members of the jur!
they nad been passed by both stat'