Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-17
JURORS SSELEC7EDTO
TRY {. H. JOHNSON
Slayer of Major William r. King
Faces Trial on Native
Heath.
STAFF Correspondence of Every Evening

| Eihho1s islh.s IlS's - titC u iihi w
Charles II. Johnson, charged with murder.
ing Major William r. King, U. s. A., ths
State suggests discovery of looseness ir
operations on the army proving ground
at Aberdeen as one motive. The alleged
murderer pleads seld-defencc.
King was shot by johnson July II
| 1918, in Johnson's home, at Aberdeen
and died the next day in the hospital al
the army proving ground,
Judges Adkins and Hopper ar>>prc-
siding. For the purpose of cxpeditinp
the trial they will hold court sessions
daily from $50 a. IN. to 5p. m. with recess
at noon. and from 730 to 1890 p. m.
The jury began hearing testimony last
night.
Owing to delay experienced by the
| judges while motoring from Centrevllle
and Easton to Flkton the court did not
convene until 215 O'Clock yesterday
afternoon. Their automobile met with
n,ishaps, and they were compelled TO
abandon it. and obtain another car to
complete the journey.
| During the Afternoon and night sessions
| Of the court Johnson, accompanied by
his wife and her niece Miss Esther Os-
| borne, sat behind counsel for the defence.
SELECTING THE JURY.
! Taree hours Of the afternoon session
were required To select the jury, which is
composed rs follows: Isaac W Strshorn,
! foreman: Milton Watson, William p
Dean, L. Kirk Taylor, Robert ID. Russell,
| Henry Schofield, Warren J Daniels.
| IMsbv, r r. Marshall and Frank Bennett
| The State exercised 10 challenges and
| the defence 20 Robert H. IaqucttC
| Nathan h. Warrington, William T.
Guiberson. William r Kite. James T.
Mcams. James S. Hopper, John Getzcl
W : Evans. Charles G. III ich and
Samuel MCGOWAN were challenged nv
the State and Charles G. Crawford, Irving
Burke, Lambert ID. Boudcn. Harry NJ
Johnson, james A Holland, John "
Bouuchelle, John W Ward. William A.
Recdcr. John T. Moore, William Cox,
Roscol Rawins. Thomas ] Mcdowell
Walter Wood. Isaac Payne, Frank G..
NcCov. William G. Baker Andrew VI
SPOTS. J. Y Caleb, Robert a. NfcCul-
Tough and William Hanifec by the dc
fence The court excused William Wilson
and Joseph " ZenIey from Jury service
because they had formed and expressed
an opinion concerning the cases. None Of
the men examined for such service had
conscientious scrIplcs against rendering
verdict where the penalty would he
death
reading Of the Indictment tho afternoon
session closed
CHARGE w1LFUL MURDER.
At the opening Of the night session
States Attorney Walter F. NIcC Comas
outlined the prosecution tie defined
various degrees Of murder. said Johnson
wifuliy murdered King and asked for
verdict OF murder III the first degree,
Mir McComas described JohnSon's
career johnson Is native of Cecil
county and while residing here was pay
ing teller in bank He removed to
Aberdeen and became a bank cashier
Losing that position, he engaged IN tho
insurance business Later he was employ
ed as pavInaster By the Maryland Dredg-
ing Co, which contracted to perform
work on the army proving ground al
ABERDEEN Mr. NcConas also described
Kings career King was native OF
Brooklyn. \ J . and . graduate of the
Stevens institute Of Technology, class OF
1886 After graduation he became q
consulting engineer He enlisted in the
United States Army in March, 1917, and
was appointed chief oi design and con-
struction AT tho Aberdeen proving ground
in the ensuing Octobcr.
When King checked up accounts be-
tween a contracting company and the
army. Mr.. McC2mas said. be found
looseneSs in operations and called on the
company for an accounting Becduse Of
King $ fidelity to duty, the State attorney
declared. King incurred the enmlty of
officials of the company, and for several
months previous - the shooting they
manifested coolness toward King
Mr. McComas told OF Kings coming
to Aberdeen Because of the smallncss
Of the town and the influx Of strangers
King and a man i1med Turner took
lodgings At JohnSOns home and ate else
where King lodged at johnson home
from February, 1918, till July Il. King
and Turner took wallis after supper GO
ng TO the johnson hpmc at $50 o clock
and talking on the Eorch to the family
previous TO entering their rooms. These
pleasant relations o,ntlnued until May.
ANGERED TTB IoHNsoNs.
Mr. McComas referred to a matter
which, he said. anR,.red the Johnsons.
The officers OF the ploVing ground gave
a dance, and 1t wae q rule on such oc-
Casions that no civil einploye or his family
should be invited Al a result the John
sons were not invited, and after the dance
the Johnsons stopped speaking to king
and Turner and the Unrch sIttlngs ceased.
King and Turner nest tried TO get rooms
elsewhere, but none were available
Mrs Johnson waH employed in vii
mington, and johnson asked a man
named Horton TO get her q Job AT the
proving ground, Mr.. McComas stated.
King and Turner wait to the Johnson
homo at night on JGi.f IL as usual and
entered their rooms. Horton left the
house five minutes later. King and
Turner sat down in their rooms, the
doors Of which they Lift open. Johnson
caInc upstairs and tnd King to leave
the house. King SAID DIs lease had two
more weeks to run ,e1d he would not
leave until his time Waa up. johnson
called King a - Of q and fred at
King, who grabbed the revolver and
shouted to Turner ,kat Johnson had
shot him. King was tlken to the proving
ground hospital and was operated on,
but died the next day.
While outlining the, jefenoe Attorney
Stevens A. Williams gave additional
details of Johns0ns career Johnson
attended Elkton schools unity he was
10 years old After lebving Nlkton he
did clerical work IN Philadelphia and
Chester, Pa, but returned here when
his father was elected sheriff Of Cecil
county and acted as deppty to his father
HAD DANGERoUs. WORK.
johnson after bccoF,ing apaynlaSter
for the Maryland Dredging CcS was
Il u