Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-10
JURY SELECTED TO-
TRYT. H. MATTERS
Omaha Attorney Before Federal
Court on Charge of Completely
in LOOting of Sutton Bank.
FEW CHALLENGES EMPLOYER

With a jury chosen from special
panel of forty men, the criminal
prosecution Of Attorney Thomas H.
Matters Of Omaha. formerly of-Har-
ward. will begin At o'clock this
morning in federal court before Dis
trict Judge Frank A.. Youmans of
Fort Smith, Ark.
Matters is charged in federal grand
jury indictments with having aided
President Melchior l.. Lnben, presi-
dent Of the First National bank Of
sutton,.in issuing certificates Of de-
posit without authority and misap-
plying funds OF the bank. which later
went into the hands>of receiver.
Attack on Grand Jury Overruled.
Judge Youmans ordered the case to Inn
mediate trial yesterday, after denying
motions OF the defense for n continuance
to the April term OF court and 10 auash
the charges on the alleged grounds that
they had been brought by grgnd jury,
the drawing OF which had been tech
nically defective.
In presiding at the selection of jurors,
which hogan at 2;so D. m, the Judge urged
the lawyers TO be as speedy as possible
He continued tho afternoon session with
out recess until after 6 o'clock. and or
dered the trial to start half an hour
earlier this morning than court usually
convenes lie also gave. notice that court
would hold all day Saturday.
The jurors chosen we're
]. G. Benedict. West Point. farmer
w. r. Roseman, Fremont, retired dent
Charles q. Edmonds, 27so Pratt street.
Omaha, packing house workman.
II. f. Kohlmeier Wakefield. general
merchant.
james oirard, Schuyler general mer-
Melvin Ellison, Elgin, farmer.
u. F, Gibbs, Newcastle. live stock and
NJ. i. Kerr. West Point. hardware mer-
Ernest DIETRICH. Dodge, blacksmith.
John q. Ashley. Decatur, stockman.
William Arndt columous, retired
Frank wurdeman. oreston, farmer.
oueationa Put tn Jurors.
In examining the turors as to their
qualifications for service attorneys for
both sides asked many Questions re-
specting the particular features concerned
in the case. Among them we're such
as these:
Are YOU man of familyG" Have
you sony; Have you ever lost money
through bank failuresP" Ibid you ever
work for the Union PaciflcT' (for which
road Matters has been mentioned as sps.
eiel eolhseD. "Do you know George b
Darr7" Cwho has been mentioned II
connection with the Matters easel. "Hav,
yo9 aoQuaintahoee IN. or around suttonr
"Are YOU of 'uefnidn extractiongs 'sIIai
the Indictment, or the defendants othci
litigation or his efforts-to continue tn.
case or ouash the charges, prejudiced
you in any way?''
Ten Peremptory ChaIIeneea.
Twenty-four prospective jurors out Of
the special panel oflforty were Examined
before both sides were Satisfied. Tive
men, ]. NJ Bailey. a Benson carpenter
and Alfred Bowman, Craig farmer
were challenged and, excused for cause
because they said the reading OF the
grand jurys indictmants or charge,
against matters had caused them 20 form
opinions, which would place burdeT
upon the defense TO disIodge.
The defense used only seven Of It's ter
per-emRtory CHALLENGES. and the govern
ment employed only three Of the six q
was entitled to- One OF the former wa,
exercised against w. d. .schaai. q farmel
from near Meadow, who had served q
state senator in 1907 and 1909 and knew
ex.united states Senator Elmer J. Bur,
kett. Of counsel for the defense. Il. II
Gibbs Of Newcastle was accepted by bott
sides although he said he had friends
who had lost money in bank failures.