The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-09
Causes Several Prospective
Jurors to Be CHALLENGED.
MY Owe SEAT IN COX FILLED
Justice Goff Favors Night sessione.
"5is Jack" zelig 5uried-Unable to
Find Any Motive For Killing
Thought Gang Feud.

new 1OrK, OCJ. Sine net result or
the first day OF the trial of Lieutenant
Charles Becker for the murder of Her
man Rosenthal was the selection of
one juror. He Is Harold b. skinner,
manager Of the branch Office OF the
New York Edison company at $50
Third avenue. Mr.. Skinner, who be-
comes foreman of the jury. lives at
COL West One Hundred and Thirty
fifth street He Is the son OF Charles
Skinner. state superintendent of pub
lie instruction from 1895 to 1904 and
who is now an assistant appraiser of
the port.
Fourteen talesmen were examined
In the two sessions Of the opening
day, and after five hours passing with
but one juryman In the box, Justice
Gof notified District Attorney Whit
man and Lieutenant Becker's chief
counsel, John F. Mcintyre, that II the
jury is not completed by p. N. to-
day he will order night sessions.
Justice Goff said very plainly that
he will not tolerate methods Of jury
selection which have been, he said,
scandal in the past. Presiding with
firm hand, alert in detecting strata
gems Of counsel distasteful to him
and emphatic in repressing unneces-
sary argument and time wasting tao
tics, the justice was at all times the
master of his court Boarding him
early in the proceedings Mr.. Mcintyre
subsidized speedily upon being told that
removal and arrest was imminent.
May Hold Night Sessions.
When the days work was over It
was plain that the difficulty OF getting
a jury satisfactory to Lieutenant
Becker himself would require night
sessions. Incessantly watchful, keen
In sensing the antagonism Of talesmen,
the lieutenant rejected more than one
man who appeared to be satisfactory
to his counsel, Impassive and con-
centrated, the accused policeman was
figure to be marked.
The cause Of the slow progress was
The statement of every talesman ques-
toned that from reading the newspa-
pers he had formed a strong opinion
as to the guilt or innocence of the de-
PENDANT Nearly all believed that their
opinion could be changed by the evi-
dence, but there was that in their man
ner and In their tone which made
Becker and his counsel wary Of them,
even though the justice In many in
stances held that they should not be
disqualified because Of an opinion
formed previous to the hearing Of tes-
timony and overruled Mr.. McIntyre's
challenges for bias, so that counsel for
the defense were compelled to use four
Of their thirty peremptory challenges.
The district attorney challenged per-
emptonly three times.
"eis jack ZeIig Buried.
When big Jack" Zelig, who was
murdered on Second avenue Saturday
night By Red Phil" Davidson, was
buried In Washington cemetery, Brook
lyn, Jack Sirocco, himself gang lead
er and an enemy Of Zelig, said:
There goes a guy who won't be in
the movies at the Becker trial"
Just how important Zehg would have
been as witness 10 the defense or the
prosecution was a matter which inter
estsd many persons.
Jacob Sander, who has a small eof-
fee house in Broome street and from
whom Davidson says he borrowed SO
on Saturday, denied that he had given
any money to Davidson. Sander says
he saw Davidson twice on Saturday, In
the morning and about O'Clock in the
evening. but he did not give him any
money. This knocks out part of Da-
Wilson's story Of how he got the money
with which to go to Jersey City and
buy in a pawnshop the revolver with
which he killed Zelig.
Ex-hagtstrate Wahle, who was coun-
sci for Zelig, said that after interview
Ing the gang men In the Tombs and
friends Of Zelig he had been unable to
find any motive for the killing Of Zelig.
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