The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-01-27
Hugh Pope Goes to Trial in District COurI
as Result Of Killing al MincO; Nearly
rs Hours Required to
Get the Jury
ACCIDENTAL SHOT
iSDEFENSE THEORY
Host Of Witnesses and Spectators Present;
County Attorney Venable Outlines States
Evidence in Opening Statement
Telling Story Of Tragedy

At 1850 this morning. lacking just
ten minutes of twenty-eight hours
from the time the selection of the jury
to try Hugh Pope began, the last
talesman vas accepted ani the jury
sworn.
When the case OF the State of Okla
Iona VS.. Hugh Pope, charged with
killing Marvin Chitwood, at Mincc,
July 20, 1915, was called with the con-
yening of court yesterday morning,
both the state and the defense an
nounced ready for trial and the work
oil the selection Of the jury COM
menced.
Within q short time the regular pan
nels had been exhausted and Judge
Linn ordered special venires drawn
while the work OF the selection went
on. With the completion of the jury
this morning. when the twelfth man
was accepted by both the state and the
defense, a total OF seventy jurors had
Leen examined as TO their qualifica
tions. In speaking Of the matter at the
noon recess today, Judge Linn stated
That the selection of this jury showed
the highwater rn.Ik IN oiIadsy county in
point OF the length OF time taken in
making the selection as well as in the
number Of possible jurors examined
10y the attorneys in the case.
This is accounted for in part b. the
fact that many OF the jurors drawn,
as well as many Of those who were On
the regular pannels reside now, or al
GONE time prior to the present did re-
side In Minco. the town in which the
killing took place.
Many are here from Minco as wit
nesses and many more are here from
that city as onlookers at this trial.
Possibly no trial since that of the
state VS.. Jess Taylor, acquitted of
similar charge by jury in the district
court last fall, has attracted as much
attention as Is being attracted by the
trial of this case.
Friends OF the accused and aequaint-
unces OF his and of the man killed are
present in court for the purpose OF lis
tening to the testimony which viii
tell how and why and where and when
Hugh Pope shot and killed his former
chum and warm personal friend, Mar
vim Chitwood.
The following jurors are sitting in
the trial Of the case: ]. n. Butler, c.
H. McElroy, ]. A. Alexander, J. A
weatherly. r. ]. Gray. w. l.. Chaffin.
Fl X Ellis, w w. Chapman, A. l..
Earl. ] f. Martin, J. w. Wolfcrd, J. I.
Alexander.
As soon as the jurors had been sworn
and the witnesses, over a score, for
the state and the defense had been
sworn court recessed until / O'clock
the jury being turned over to the
charge of a court bailiff.
With the re-assembling of the court
at / O'Clock the county attorney stated
to the Jurors what the state would en-
deavor to show in this matter lie
said, in part, that it would be shown
that party of young men were in the
Chitwood barber shop at Miuco on
the night of the killing and that the
dead man, or boy. and the defendant
were of the number; that at l2:40 in
the morning Marvin Chitwood started
to close the shop; that the shop be-
longed to Len Chitwood father of the
dead man; that defendant entered oh
jections to this action on the part ol
Marvin; that Marvin stated he had q
right to close the shop whenever he
pleased; that Hugh Pope, the defend
ant. began to play with Marvin Chit
wood: that he slapped Marvin; thai
Marvin told him to "Quit Hugh, dom
want any trouble" that Hugh ther
slapped him and he ran; that he raj
past the First National bank corner
that he went up to where his brother
MerI Chitwood was standing; that HI
told Merl the trouble and said the dc
fendant would not leave the shop; tina
Merl asked, Cant you whip Hugl