The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-29
JURY. IS SELECTED
TO TRY MRS. HALL
Four to Be Stricken From Panel
To-Day and Remaining Twelve
Will Sit in Case.
GREAT INTEREST DISPLAYED
Counsel for Accused Woman
Wants Degree of Punishment
Left to Discretion of Jurors.
GREAT INTEREST DISPLAYED
Especial to The Timcs-Dispatc

progress was made to-day III the trial
OF Mrs. Victor Hall. charged with the
murder OF her husband on the morn
ing OF April l5 that out of the first
vcnirc o: thirty-threc men summoned
TO court this morning. fifteen were Sc
lected to sin on the tentative jury OF
sixteen, and this evening, out of a sec
ond Nenire of three men. gathered up
out OF the town. the sixteenth juror
was selected. making the panel com
Diele. Tomorrow morning the de-
Tense will exercise It's prcropative OF
striking four men from the panel, and
the remaining twelve will enter upon
their work of determining whether
Mrs. Hall is innocent or guilty Of the
murder of her youthful husband.
Judge George s. S;hacKciford excr-
cised extreme care in the selection or
the jury, following the usual form of
questioning them as 10 their previous
opinions and inquiring Of them as to
whether those opinions were so fixed
that they would be unable fairly and
impartially 10 try the accused woman
on the evidence >adduccd. He also de-
manded of them whether they could
and would convict on evidence that was
purely circumstantial. and whether
thoy had conscientious scruples against
capital punishment a few had formed
fixed opinions from which they could
not be swayed, and they were sum
marily excused. Others said that they
would never convict circumstantial
evidence, and still others were morally
opposed to the extreme penalty which
the law cxacts.
WANTS PENALTY LEFT
TO DISCRETION OF JURY
At the beginning OF the cxamina-
tion of the tentative Jurors. r. Lindsay
Gordon, chief counsel for Mrs. Hall in
terrupted the court to say that he
wished his client TO he tried under the
new law. which leaves to the discrc-
ton OF the jury whether the death pen
atty shall be cXactcd or prison SEN
tence imposed. 1t was Mr.. Gordon him
self who introduced this statute in
the General Assembly. and caused it TO
he incorporated in the Code of Vir-
gina.
When court convened this morning
/ the room Was filled to overfiowing. the
crowd pressing around the railing OF
the prisoners dock in eager desire to
catch a glimpse of the prisoner.
She was calmly indifferent to their
curious gaze, and never once turned TO
view those so intent upon seeing
her She sat alone with her counsel.
Mrs Sterling Half. her mother-in-law,
who has so steadily insisted upon her
innocence; her TWO daughters, Mamie
and Esse Dunkum: her brother. Her
bert Dowdy. and other relatives occu-
pied seats outside the rail Sterling
/ Hall. father of the murdered man. sat
with counsel for the prosecution. W.
j. Roberts, who has manifested a deer,
| interest in Mrs. Hall. and who cared
for the store during her enforced alb
sence under the injunction OF the court.
stood Immediately behind the woman,
and followed the proceedings with an
interest more acute than that appear
ing In the countenancc of the accused.
Only Mr.. Gordon seemed haras sscd. and
the hagSard look in his face bctokcned
that lie was laboring under great stress
OF feeling. immediately after the jury
/ had been impancled he telegraphed To
Attorney Hill Carter of Richmond, re-
GucstfnG him to come 10 Louisa. lie
arrived at i:56 o'clock. and went into
conference with Mrs. Halls counsel IL
will be for AIr. Carter 10 lay the foun-
dation for a possible appeal
NARROWING INDICTMENT
READ IN CLI;RJ< or COURT
The first formality, always a strain
upon the court, was the arraigumcnt OF
Mrs. Hall. Clerk of tho Court Porter
read the long, narrowing indictment,
and Mrs, Hall stood inninchingly She
seemed to be the calmcst person in all
the courtroom. Once or twice she
famed herself. for the room was Gis-
treSsinGly hot.
Guilty, or not guilty." asked The
clerk.
Not guilty" replied Mrs. Hall firm
ly and resumed her seat. Then began
the dry and tedious examination of the
verircmen. 1t progressed. however
with surprising rapidity, and shortly
after IL O'Clock fifteen men had beer,
impaueled Then, in small companies.
the tentative jurymen were lined up
before Judge Shackelford, and he asked
them whethcr-if all the circumstances
should lead to the conclusion that The
prisoner and no other was guilty OF
the crime charged. they would CON
! tIt i.,l ii.
each replied atfirmatively he was
waved 10 4 scat in the jury box Mis-
Hall apparently took no interest in
the examination Of the vcniremcn and
not once intc"poseG an objection TO
any OF them or offered a suggestions in
their selection. For the most part she,
Kept her eyes straight ahead, and once
or twice a smile stole across her. other
wise inmobilc features. Nor did her
two daughters appear perturbed dur
ing the proceedings.
INTERESTED SPECTATORS
DURING PREIiNIINARIES
Among the Interested spectators
during the prelininarics were john
Dean. foreman of the grand jury which
returned the indictment against Mrs
HALL Miss Elsie Wood, the school
teacher who. boarded with Mrs. Hall
and her father Magistrate James l..
Hester who presided at the coroncrs
inquest held over Victor Halls body:
MIR. and Mrs. Sterling Hall. father ANA
mother of the murdered man; w r.
and Mrs. Dunkum. whose store was
burned on the night before the muir
der. and w. j. Roberts. who was
among the first to declare his belief
in Mrs. Halls innocence.
After the iiftccn vcnircmen had been
selected, Judge Shackelford cautioned
them that they must not discuss the
case with outsiders, nor ALLOW il to he
discussed in their presence.
would not interpose Il hardship
on them" nterposcd Mr.. Gordon. "but
would suggest that they he c;u-
toned also not to read the mcwspa-
pers" Judge Shackclford complied.
1t was noticeable that one OF the We
niremen had not read newspaper
since the first account of the murder
was published. IIc is among the ten
tative jury. and will probably occupy
IL seat in the jury box tomorrow.
Attorney NJ j. Fulton, assisting in
the prosecution. then asked the court
to recognize ali the witnesses for the