The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-20
INTEREST HOT
 OVER JURY IN M 'NAMARA CASE
Especial from United Press.)


 Los Angeles. Oct. 2O-With the is- sues squarely confronted, the State de- manding the excuse of any venireman with opinions and who says he be- lieyes the Los Angeles Times building was destroyed by gas explosion, and the defense demanding the same rul- ing in the cases of George W. Mckee and Otto A. lessen, who declare it must have been wrecked by dynamite, interest in the McNamara case is at fever heat today.
 AS soon as court reconvened, Assist ant District Attorney Horton contin- ued his cross-examination of Adams, further developing the gas explosion theory
 The language used was the same as used by the defense in framing the challenges against Mckee and lessen, the only difference being that the de- fense said they were ineligible because they demanded evidence to remove the opinion that dynamite was used, While in the Adams case the State used the word gas"
 The situation is one of the most complex in the history of California Criminal jurisprudence because of the contention of the State that while men who believe dynamite was used are capable of serving, those who be- lieve in gas explosion cannot. The outcome is awaited with great l interest. but it is expected Judge Bordwell will reserve his decision. The case is already filling with sensa- tions. As. an instance of the care with which the State has investigated the opinion of every possible juror, when Horton began the examination of Adams, he asked if he was not a Socialist, and then proceeded to try and disqualify him. After securing an admission that Adams is a con- stant reader of a Socialist paper, Hor- ton demanded:
 t'Is it the view of the Socialists that there is involved in this case moro vital issues than the guilt or inno- cence of McNamara and that you, as Socialist, believe a great deal more hinges on the outcome with regard to labor?''
 Here Judge Bordwell interfered and said the question was improper. Adams insisted that the only issue he knew of was whether McNamara gets a fair trial. He insisted he could be fair to the State and fair to the 6e- fendant.
 Horton then demanded if he had not told two women, one of whom, it la ter developed, was a Burns detective, on July 8, 1911, that no one could make him believe that dynamite de- stroyed the Times building, that he had placed a small quantity of dyna- mite on a rock and covered that with mud and ignited 1t, blowing the rock to pieces and leaving a big hole, and that the fact that absolutely no hole was found in the Times cellar while the entire building was completely wrecked, proved -conclusively that either gas or gasoline had caused the explosion.
 Adams said he was unable to recall such a conversation though he said he held substantially the same view as far as the gas explosion is con- cerned.
 When court opened today only Il men were in the box, the State hav- ing eliminated Jordan Roberts, the first man it examined, because he had conscientiouss scruples against capital punishment
 Three men, George w. Mckee. Otto A. lessen and E. J. Sherwood. have been challenged for cause, by the de- fense. The defense has also laid the preliminaries for the impeachment of H. Y. Quackenbush. It is satisfied with the others. but it is known the State is not and will try to eliminate most of them, by showing they are biased in favor of the defense because they believe that gas and not dyna- mite caused the destruction of the Times building.