Evening star., 1916-05-08
RIGGS BANK CASE
CALLED FOR TRIAL
Panel Exhausted Without OBJ
tanning a Jury at the First
Days Session.
ELEVEN IN THE JURY BOX
WHEN A HALT is CALLED
Both Sides Are Exerting Extreme
Care in the Examination
of Talesmen.

Care IN the Examination
of Talesmen.
The entire panel of twenty-six tales
men was exhausted in an effort to OBJ
tain jury for the trial of officers ot
the Riggs National Bank on the charge
of perjury in Criminal Division of the
District Supreme Court today The in
| dictments are individually agains,
Charles c. Glover. president; William
Flather. vice president. and Henry H
| Flather. former cashier, of the bank
| and against the officers collectively.
The charges grew out of an injunc-
tion suit of the bank against Secretary
! McAdoo and Controller of the Currency
| Williams, who were accused of con-
spiracy to wreck the institution.
The prosecution today exercised the
right of challenge for cause twice and
peremptory challenge seven times. The
defense made peremptory challenges
six times. Each side is allowed ten per-
emptory challenges. and it is probable
! that there will be a lively discussion
| tomorrow, a some of the attorneys
propose to contend that they should
| have thirty peremptory challenges.
| Prominent attorneys in court today ex-
| pect that the entire session tomorrow
| will be consumed before a jury is Sc
| lected.
Eleven in Jury Box.
! Seated in the jury box when court
adjourned at 12:47 were Joseph Hewitt,
1415 Florida avenue northwest motor
man; James w. Martin. 720 Maryland
| avenue northeast, builder: John Heit-
muller. 1347 Shepherd street. produce
dealer; Herman w. Walther. 1903 41st
street. Tenleytown. contractor; Ma
poleon B. Scott, 2o47 Nichols avenue
southeast, merchant, Edgar II. Pull
| man. 420 9th street northwest. dealer
in Photographic supplies Charles
r Schutt, 1920 NJ street. house furnish
ings: Edward V. Connor. 1908 South
Carolina avenue southeast, druggist
Martin F. Dixon. 201 Upshur street,
merchant: William J. Brewer, sos
Pennsylvania avenue southeast. print
er and Ottmor Sonneman, 1903 Grant
road, eNpressman.
Justice Siddona in dismissing the
court. advised these prospective jury
men that they should not talk among
themselves or with other persons re-
garding the case and advised that they
ports about 1t.
Court will convene again at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning.
Defendants Are in Court.
The defendants were all in court
when the case was called. Ex-senator
William A. Clark of Montana chatted
with Mr.. Glover before court opened.
1f he sric bar
| were in court throughout the proceed
of Congress.
charge of John f. Laskey, United
States attorney. assisted by william c.
Fits, assistant attorney general. who
is special counsel for the government
in this case, and James y. Archer. as
sistant United States attorney. William
T.. Leahy, who has been engaged in
trying cases before the present jury,
sat with the counsel for the prosecu-
| ton. advising as to the personnel of
the jury.
The attorneys for the defense are
]. ]. Darlington, Frank J. Hogan. Will
| liam g. johnson. Daniel w. ODonoghue
and George T. Hoover. Mr.. Darling
| ton announced at the opening of court
| that ex-Gov. John B. Stanchfeld of
New York will cooperate with the
attorneys for the defense. Mr.. Stanch-
! field was last here defending George
f. Green. state senator of New York.
during the post Office probe, and he
was acquitted.
Are Being Tried Jointly.
Mr. I.askey, In opening the case. asked
| that the defendants be arraigned. The
defense waived the reading of the in
dictment and the three bank officially
are being tried a the same time under
all the indictments. both jointly and in
dividually Each one stood and pleaded
not guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney
Archer made a statement of the case
to the talesmen.
Extreme care in selecting the jury
was shown by the careful manner in
which each Nas examined. United
States Attorney Laskey put the ques-
| tions for the prosecution and George p.
Hoover and Daniel w. ODonoghue al
ternated in asking questions for the
defense. The general trend of these
questions was whether the prospective
juror was ever employed by the United
States government or whether any
members of his family were employed
! by the government; whether they had
any acquaintance with the attorneys in
the case; whether they knew the
defsndan,s snos,, whether scnneS 1heE ,eses eyer
a, the Riggs National Bank or as
sociated institutions; whether they
had read from the newspapers about
the civil suits or the indictments:
whether they had formed impress
sion as TO the guilt or innocence of the
defendants; whether they were en-
! ployed by persons who had contracts
| with the government or who were do
| ing business with the Riggs Bank
i whether they themselves engaged in
stock dealings had any prejudice
/ against persons Institutions en-
gagged in stock dealings; whether they
| knew detectives employed by the dis
I trict attorneys office.
Two Challenged for Cause.
| Those challenged for cause by the
| prosecution we're Joseph F. Dyer
| grocer 1909 Lamont street northwest.
| and George NJ. Whitwell, secretary Of
| the Washington Gas Light Company,
! living at 1881 Lanier place. Both ad-
mltted that they had formed very
! strong Impressions as to the guilt or
| innocence of the defendants. and think
! do mt hn i'll