The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-10-16

Background Of White Faces.
about five n thirty years of age, his
eyes clear and kindly, his lips firm, but
formed for smiling, his nose large-hu-
morously large-and his round, clean
shaved. dimpled chin in perfect keep
ing with the boyish expression of his
youthful. satisfying face. He was not
stout, yet his large frame and his loose
fitting, countrytied clothes gave him
that appearance. and his slow, easy
going II REINFORCED the impress
sion. To me he typitied the successful
rural po~litician-the village hail fellow
we'll met of the happy &C lucky sort.
But as a prosecuting official he seemed
out of place. There was nothing
formal or dignitied in his bearing. In
deed, l could scarcely take him serious
ly, for my conception of Il prosecuting
officer was a severe and judicial pro-
cureur du roi or IL wigged and gowned
queens counsel. But right here l may
as well admit that my ideas We're based
Oh reading. for until responded to the
sheriff III l had never set foot
inside Il court of law. ! did not volun-
teer this information at the time be-
cause | felt sure the next question
would disclose it. but neither Gilbert
nor Barstow pressed their inquiries be-
! yond the initial fact of my ignorance
Of the case ut bar. and before l knew
exactly what had happened l had been
accepted by both sides and become
foreman of the prospective jury by
virtue of being the first selected.
During the rest of the court day |
had ample opportunity to study Deake
Gilbert. and the more l saw of the
man the more difficult it became to
! reconcile him with a prosecution for
murder. The majesty of the law seem
ed Knocked in his gcnially comfortable
person, and yet there was nothing I'M
becoming in anything he said or did.
l think it was his easy acceptance of
a life and death responsibility which
shocked me during the early days OF
the trial. L know it was his firm
composure which encouraged and sus-
tanned MT ut the end.
\ score Of talesmen We're examined
and excused before | had Il compan-
ion in the box, for jurors who had
formed no opinion on the Emory case
We're few and far between. but after
Theodore Bayne took his place beside
me the remaining seats were soon oc-
cupied. This was not accomplished.
however, until Ferris BarStow. the
counsel for the defense. had exhausted
his pcremptory challenges and was
forced to accept such candidates as
the court thought competent. and it
was afternoon before the twelfth juror
was secured, and we were requested to
rise in a body and take the oath of Of
fee. AS we stood with our right hands
lifted Il deep hush settled Owe the
courtroom, and l do not think l have
ever experienced Il more thrilling mo-
ment. Instinctively I glanced Owe
the silent audience which crowded
every nook and corner of the little
courtroom, and ut he same moment
l saw RarstOw whisper TO Il young
woman seated beside him. Instantly
she rOse-a lonely figure S%ilhouetted
against a background of white faces
and stood watching us %intently. Then
for the first time. l think. l fully re-
allied the awful power with which we
We're intrusted and that on our nod
Il woman's life depended.
We had no sooner resumed Our seats
than Ferris Barstow rose and began
to address the court.
lie presented his points with the same
nervous aggression which had affected
me unfavorably from the start; but
coarse, i'll hammered and pugnacious as
he was, he impressed me as being ter.
ribly In earnest. Certainly there was
strength and virility in his every move.
ment, and his broad shoulders impart
cd Il comforting sense of security, even
though one knew the coming conflic,
would not call for force. His massive
head and piercingly bright eyes. how.
ever. indicated mental qualities Of q
high order. and his thick, muscula,
neck and heavy, undershot jaw guar
anteed an untiring insistence on all his
clients rights. Obviously the man was
without personal vanity, for his red