The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-02-02
ARMY OF WITNESSES
ARE SUMMONED
Defendant Sits With Little Daughter
on Knee Trial Of Case Ex-
peeted to Require Sew
eral Days

With both prosecution and defense
announcing ready the case of the
State VS.. Chas. 3ashara, charged with
the murder of Col Selby at Tuttle on
December 20 went to bat in the dis
trict court before Judge Frank NJ. Bal
ley this forming and the work OF EN-
peneling jury was started at once.
The witnesses reporting this morn
ing for both prosecution and defense.
numbered "a. Members OF the de-
andants family were present in the
court room and Bashara has sat a
great part of the day at his post near
the counsel table, with his little girl
on his knees. He does not appear to
be especially nervous and but for
slight paleness. probably caused from
his confinement Of the past six weeks,
his appearance is not greatly changed.
It is improbable that the actual trial
Of the case will be commenced before
late this evening or in the morning,
owing to the trouble in getting a jury.
This afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, al.
though more than 30 men had been
called to the jury box. there had not
a single man been passed, each Of
them being excused for cause.
The trial of the case will probably
require several days after the jury is
empaneled. The state is represented
by Oscar Simpson, county attorney,
and b. F. Holding. assistant, while at
torneys for the defense are Barefoot
& Carmichael, Bond & Melton and F.
e. Riddle.
AT noon today a regular panel Of 26
men had been exhausted and a special
venire of 40, summoned early this
morning, had commenced to report in
twos and threes from south and south
west Of Chickasha OF the 26 exam
ined and dismissed this morning, q
were excused because of their state
ment that they did not believe in capt
tai punishment saying virtually that
no matter what the evidence might be
they would not recommend the death
penalty
On December 20, 1913, chas. la
shara. an Assyrian merchant of Tut
tie, shot and almost instantly killed
Col. Selby, a real estate man of that
place. The trouble between the two
men is said to have originated over a
board that had been nailed up between
the houses, occupied by Selby and Ba-
shara, respectively. Selby had nailed
the board there to keep the Bashara
children from freQuenting the alleyway
between the houses.
In the morning Bashara had torn
the board down and had thrown it in
to the street. Later Selby recovered
the board and nailed it back in place.
Acting under orders Of her husband,
Mrs. Bashara went out to tear the
board down and failing. procured the
ak and started to knock the board
from the house Selby came out on
his porch and demonstrated with the
woman, asking her not to tear the
, board down. She paid small attention
to his requests and it is said a few
hasty words were passed. Bashara.
who was standing in the door Of his
! store with a rifle in hands, then, ac-
t cording to the statement Of eye-wit-
: nesses, raised the rifle and fired
: selby fell to the floor Of his office and
} expired in few moments.
Bashara started to offer resistance
when Deputy Fryrear went to arrest
him, but was persuaded by the officer
! to lay his gun down and come to
chickasha peaceably.
: At his preliminary hearing before
; Justice T. P. Moore he was held with
; out bail. His attorneys carried the
; question of bail to the criminal court
: OF appeals at Oklahoma City. but again
y .,,ac donsod