The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-10-03
Carl Person Trial Subsidized Court Before
Jury Of the Illinois Central Choice. Organized Labor
.,.<; - is Trial. ..-:.
HUNDREDS OF MEN ARE ExA MINED FOR JURY L. r.,
i. ! :. >z:*5* SERVICE IN THE PERSON MURDER CASE
Attorney Frank comerford Of Chicago for the Defence Tells Jury
in His Opening Statements That He Will Prove consp-
&c., :. - racy Prosecution r. : =

3o' 1911 gave up their Jobs when COM
manded to give up their rights to or
game into a. system federation. Per-.
son was decoyed from. his office at
Cnnton, ILL.,, on Dec. so; 1913, by
Ioney Musser. .ex-chief. of police OF
clinton, and chief strike breaker for,
the Illinois, Central, Musser a. giant
stan dlng six feet and two inches, and
weighing 22O pounds, after, decoyins
PERSON with a fake telephone mes
sage to the 1nterurban depot waited
In ambush and struck Person down
from behind. !
Comerford Makes CHALLENGE,
Attorney Frank Comerford in:
charge of Persons defense in his
opening address to the jury, said that
ne would prove that Musser was onlv
an agent for the real murderer. - i
Comerford also promised to show
conspiracy to kill Person because of
Persons activity in editing the Strike
Bulletin, which has been responsible
for keeping up the interest of the men
on strike. $50 ;; Z
The prosecution in court is being
conducted by States Attorney vii
llams of De Witt county. States At
torney Everett Smith Of Logan county
and special prosecuting ATTORNEY
Judge Lot Herrick; whom rumor has
it is special representative of the
Illinois Central, retained to aid in
silencing the Strike Bulletin and Edi-
tor Person by sending him to the GAL
| lows ...,~,-Is:z.#=
Comerford sprung a. sensation At
the outset of the trial by getting to
the jury the fact that states Attorney
Williams conspired to railroad the de-
fendant, by writing an article shortly
before the trial under the name Of
5. Dean Wason. The article was
printed IN ths Lincoln papers and was
] 50 diced against the defendant IS,
cause that dozens 81 t11e Jurors asked
to :. be excused because they could not
give the defendant a fair trial after.
reading it. -. i.
>. Agents on the. Job.
! The camp of the prosecution is sup.
ported by an army of Illinois Central
spies, and: private detectives Excite
ment runs high. The case is attract
ing interest all: over the country. :
In the state attorneys opening,
statement he charged Person with be-
ing cold blooded murdered and de-
manded that he be dealt with ac-
cording to law. -, ~
The prosecutor dropped the mask
when in the passion of his opening
address to the jury, he assailed the.
editor Of the Strike Bulletin for his
attack on the Illinois Central and its
employees. He said that he would
show that Person was of malicious
heart because he wrote UP the men
who took the bread out of the mouths
of the strikers, as "Scabs."
Attorney Comerford in his opening
address accepted the challenge and
demanded a reason for the man hunt
be given to the jury. He charged the
existence of a conspiracy Of organized
dollars to murder Person on the gall
lows. ->' -
Over a hundred witnesses are sub
poenaed. The case promises to be
one of the, longest and bitterest fought
murder trials in the history of the
'country. :. =. J.
Labor waits the results. - i
POSTAL BANKS DEPOSITS.