The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-01-05

vi IlISI degree murder Tor the kllllnS
of Albert Valentine, il tAis city last
August, was placed formally on trial
yesterday morning in circuit court,
where Judge Scott Wood presided inl-
tally as the Judge of this court.
From the regular panel and from
the list of 100 jurors drawn by the
commissioners, the jury was selected.
which is as follows:
A. ]. billiard, T. S. Garen d. T.
Richardson, S e Barnett, J. S.
Whisenant e. e. Stigler, Monroe
Broughton, B. Smith, William Seiz,
Will A. Kirk, c. c. Wright and Steve
Spargo.
The prosecution Of the case is
being conducted by Prosecuting At
torney Witt, assisted by Hon. w. III.
Martin, Uaited States district attor-
ney for this district. The defense is
conducted by Hon. James f. Hogue.
who was appointed by the court to
perform This duty.
Smith appeared in court Yesterday
much less heavy than he appeared in
the coroaor. He has grown a mus.
tache, which is light and in marked
contrast to mis- coal black hair. The
court room was Well filled with
friends Of the deceased, and there are
many witnesses to be heard.
The outline of the states case was
made before the jury by Prosecutor
Witt, who said that the state would
contend for a first degree murder
verdict. He spoke of Smith being a
white cook, and Valentine a negro
saloon man, and of an apparently
friendly relation that existed between
| the two, until Smith while drinking
heavily, had been denied credit at the
Valentine bar, and words had passed
between he and Valentine, and how
the morning after an extended de-
bauch, Smith had come into the bar
| where Valentine was at his work.
had spoke to him, advanced, pulled a
pistol he had procured, and shot him
four times Mr. Witt said that there
| would be no mitigating circumstances
| to his knowledge, and that the infor-
nation the state possesses indicated
taat the action was Of the cold. de-
liberate type which constitutes muir
der in the first degree.
In outlining the defense Judge
, Hoeue spoke of the circumstances by
| which he became associated with the
case. Smith was man of no means.
| He had been appointed 10y the court
| to defend the man, and had accepted
the appointment He said the defense
would be left to the facts in the case
as outlined from witnesses. Smith.
| he said, was formerly a citizen of
Rome, Ga. He had been a husband
and a father, but had met with mis-
fortune, and with a break in health,
and had come to Hot Springs. He
had engaged as a cook to provide him
self with support and also for the OIL.
| security that vocation offered. He said
| that cooking at the place near the
| Valentine restaurant brought him in
acquaintance with Valentine and they
had been friendly, and that Smith
had taken to drinking in Valentines
place
| He said the first difference between
the two was the evening before the
| shooting when Smith and two friends,
one of whom would be a witness in
the case, were drinking before the
| bar. The men were pranking with
each other, and Smith, while jumping,
threw a key Aeld in his hand acct
| dentally through a glass window Val
| entine the attorney said, cursed
Smith, slapped his face, ald demand
ed immediate pay for the glass He
| said the evidence would be that later
Valentine again came from behind
the bar and cursed Smith again and
pushed him out of the place. using
| vile language to him. Smith he said,
told Valentine he would pay the next
day.
The attorney said that Smith came
to pay the next morning. but fearful
of trouble. after what Valentine had
done to him the night before placed a
| small pistol in his pocket, and on en-,
terng the door said as the state con-
tended; Good morning, AL" but
that Valentine then uttered another
oath and turned to get a pistol, when
Smith shot him.
Judge Wood took an adjournment
Of court then until O'Clock this
morning, at which time the first OF
the witnesses for the state will be put
on the stand The cause of the state
may take up the morning session in
evidence, and the whole OF the case
will hardly be finished before Wed.
nesday evening.
This being Judge Scott Woods
first days experience in holding
court, the procedure was watched by
several of The local members OF the
bar, and the young circuit Judge was
the subject Of many congratulations
during the evening
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