Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-05
CLAY TRIAL CALLED
AND JURY CHOSEN
Continued from Page One

| Continued from Page One
! would be met i'm obtaining jury, Judge
Ferguson, of Court Of Common Pleas so.
8, who was assigned to preside during the
April term of tho Quarter Sessions in
Room 653, City Hall, had arranged for
the sheriff to draw a second panel of
! jurors so that the court would be pre-
pared to meet any emergency.
All three defendants presented them
selves promptly this morning, accom-
panied by their attorneys, Congressman
George S. Graham, eX-Sheriff Joseph Gill
fillan and Charles S. Wesley. The city
was represented by District Attorney
Samuel p, Rotan and Assistant District
Attorney Joseph II. Taulane.
The' first haf-hour after court opened
was consumed in calling the roll of
jurors and in hearing applications to be
relieved from jury service After these
preliminarics, Judge Ferguson asked
whether the parties in the Clay case We're
ready for trial, and he received an af-
firmative response from both Mr.. Rotan
and Mr. Graham
RumOrs that the trial again would be
postponed We're current before the case
was called. 1t was not known until the
last minute what jurist would hear the
case.
A sidebar conference between Judge
Ferguson District Attorney Samuel p.
Rotan and CONGRESSMAN George S Gra-
defense, was called at 1915 o'clock. Fif-
teen minutes later the case was formally
started and the selection of jurors began.
Clay was the first of the defendants to
reach the courtroom. He entered at 10
O'Clock, alone, and took seat well for
ward. John r. Virgins and Millard II.
Walls, the contractors jointly accused
with Clay, arrived n few minutes later
together. They took seats side by side
in the second row Of benches
Each of the defendants obtained a list
of the jurors and made copious notes of
questions and answers.
William A. Glasgow, who took an ac-
tive part in the defense at the first trial,
withdrew from the case yesterday, and
did not appear in court Congressman
Graham is being assisted in the defense
by former Sheriff Joseph Glhllan and
Charles Nesley.
Assistant District Attorney Joseph Tau
lane again Is handling the prosecution.
Samuel r. Rotan, the District Attorney,
was present at the morning session and
conferred constantly with Taulane The
political belief of each member of the
panel was investigated by the Committee
OF Seventy, A representative of that or
ganlzation was present. He gave the
information obtained by the committee
to Taulane as each man was called.
Room 653, City Hall, in which the trial
is being held, was crowded with poll
tleians long before the case was opened,
The corridors also were crowded. Con-
siderable difficulty was experienced by
both the defense and prosecution in find
ing men who had not read of the first
trial or formed an opinion.
John Mulligan, a carpenter, of sos Han
cock street. the nth man called, was the
sixth juror choseni Thomas Canon, of
1879 Christian street, was challenged be-
cause he was a witness for the Common
wealth at the first trial. He said he had
investigated the case very thoroughly"
at that time but was not permitted to
go into details as 10 his findings.
Charles A. Hoffner, a eostumer, of 5l4s
Walnut street, said he had read "only the
headlines" OF newspaper reports of the
first trial. He was chosen as the seventh
Juror