The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-11-07
BLOOD ON TRIAL
JURY VIEWS PLACE
EXHAUST TWO vENIRES
in SECURING IL MEN
Accused Is Charged With First De.
gree killing-To Be Hard
Fought Battle.

morning at the start of the murder
trial OF Claud Blood having answered
summons as a special jury venire.
When court adjourned in the evening
the entire venire had been exhausted
and but eleven men in the jury box.
J. w. Seymour is Blood's attorney
and is assisted by Jos. Seymour, Jr.,
and w. P. Ainsworth. Arthur VanEpp
is assisting Prosecutor Stine in pre-
senting the states case.
Blood is charged with first degree
murder in that he shot and killed
Constable Way Knapp, Of Lodi, on
June 22 this year after having per-
petrated robbery in three Lodi
stores. His accompGces were Harold
Hulderman and Clyde Lawrence. Dur
ing the first days examination of
prospective jurors the stumbling block
to the acceptance of many was from
the fact that they had read accounts
sOf the happenings in the newspapers
and had formed uRalterable opinions.
Another reason which had to do with
the excusing of many was that they
were opposed to capital punishment
for any crime.
With the venire exhausted Judge N.
H. Mcclure before whom the case is
being tried ordered the calling of
twenty-five additional veniremen, and
in order to give time for issuing the
summons adjourned court until We'd
nesday morning at 8 o'clock.
The twenty-five summoned to ap-
pear. Wednesday morning were Sc
lected by the judge from the four
neighboring townships and were as
follows:
G. A. Wolf, G. 0. Haury, E. W.
Brintnall, P. w. Himelspaugh, Il G.
Spieth, all of York township; s. H.
Hoddinott, George Abbott, W. E.
Cole, D. F. Hunter, Winthrop Hill, all
Of Montville township; w. G. Thomas,
T. L. Pulsifer. H. S. Witter, j. y.
Armbruster, M. 0. Perkins, all of Me-
dina township; H. G. Koppes, W. B.
Chapman, w. B. Parker, Chas. May.
than, F. A. Strong, J. Rumbaugh, all
of Lafayette township; Levi Witzman,
w. B. Alderfer, C. M. Fem and Clark
Reinhardt, all Of Medina.
Work Of filing the jurors box was
resumed at 9 o'clock Wednesday. Sew
eral who had qualified on Monday
and were evidently very anxious to
serve, were removed, while others who
were. Just as anxious not to serve
were .inducted into the box.
Shortly after the noon hour at
torneys for both sides declared they
were satisfied with the jury then
filed which is as follows:
Jay w. Crawford, Wadsworth Twp,
E. D. Flickinger, Medina; Thos. Kint-
ner, Seville; VIM. Steck, Valley City;
julius Wolf, York; w. G. Thomas, Me-
dina Twp; H. S. Koppes, Chippewa
5 Lake; H. S. Witter. Montville Twp,
p. W.. Himelspaugh, York; Ed. Beutel,
Brunswick Twp; H. N. Watkins, Me
dina Twp; j. G. Armbruster, Me
dina Twp.
These IL men who will determine
the fate of Blood were then taken by
auto to the scene Of the shooting,
where they went over the ground, un-
til the middle of the afternoon. They
were then permitted to go to their
homes without returning to Medina.
Thursday morning the court room
was well filled, a large number OF
women being among the spectators.
Mrs. Merritt, Blood's mother, as well
as the widow Of Way Knapp were also
present.
In outlining the states side Of the
case to the jury the prosecuting at
torney stated it was their purpose to
show that murder had been committed
in the first degree as the indictment
charged.
Attorney Seymour, for the defense,
would neither deny nor admit that
Blood was guilty Of murder or rob
berry. but stated that he would submit
evidence to show that the crime was
not committed in perpetration OF a
robbery on the grounds that the latter
act took place at least four hours be-
fore the shooting. He traced Blood,s
life from the time he was born at
Randolph, N. Y, in 1902 up to 1911
when his parents separated, his moth
er later 1emarrying Mr.. Merritt. He
told Of how the young man had been
z rejected from army service on the
grounds Of physical disability, ant
had been living with his mother anc
step father in Orrville for a .yeal
previous to the crime. He relatec
how the three boys had left Orrville
for Huron, left the train at Lodi. They
left Lodi, according to Seymour's &C. C.
count. about 8 a. m, on June ~
walked down the railroad track tt
Pawnee, taking plunge in the creek
in the meantime. He contended thai
after reaching the Falconer store a
Pawnee the boys were pursued ant
shot at and that to protect themselves
all three fred back at their pursuers
1t was in this exchange of shots tha'
Knapp was killed, according TO the at
t0rney.
The first witness called was DR.
Stahl, Of Wooster, who performed tn
nneratinn and removed the bullet from
Knapp's abdomen. The doctor testi
fed that deceased's death was due u
peritonitis, caused from a bulle
wound and told Of having found tn
bullet lust inside the abdominal lin
ing. The other bullet entered th
3 lung. In describing the course Of th,
I. bullet which caused death DR.. Stab
~
(Continued on page twclvs)