The sun., 1919-03-04
STRIKE is TO FIGURE
IN THE B. R. T. TRIAL
Safety Of Passengers Second
airy to Running of Trains
Will Be Charged.
FOUR JURYMEN CHOSEN
Both Sides Cautious in Selec-
ton Of Men to Try Man
slaughter Case.
FOUR JURYMEN CHOSEN

Whether tha b. r. T. should have
been moro devoted to the safety of pas
ssnsers than to carrying passengers DUR
ing strike promises to be the question
| about which will revoive the trial OF
Thomas r. Blewitt. division superin-
| tendent charged with granddaughter In
the death of nihety-two persons in the
Malbone street tunnel wreck on No
vember 1. The questions asked before
Judge seeeer in the examination Of tales
men at Mineola yesterday lead to this
inference.
Popular interest In the trial failed TO
| MI the benches in Mineola's new Court
House. An array OF lawyers was present
in behalf OF Col. Timothy s. Williams
formerly head of the B. r. T., and
other high ofioials. who stand under a
similar indictment
District Attorney Lewis Of Kings
county has announced that he will rot
place these ofiiciais on trial unless lie
succeeds in the conviction Of Blewitt
who Is charged with having ordered
Edward Luciano. train dispatcher. 10
operate the train which crashed into
tneAtunnel embankment
At the close of a days examination
there remained but four men in the
box. These were Charles c. Boyd, a
plumber. Westbury: Frank Schmitt. a
cigarmaker, Valley Stream: John A. Van
Nostrand. Freeport, and George II
Wood. butcher. Glen Cove.
Examinations Go Deep.
The utmost care was exercised BY
counsel for both sides in choosing Jurors
who would be uninfluenced one way o.
the other over the retention by the B. r
r. Of County Judge Smith and Surrogate
Howell of Nassau county as attorneys
for the defence. In this connection the
two county officials stated yesterday thai
Surrogate Howell had been retained by
the B. r. T. officials long before the
trial was shifted into his own county
and that he had retained Judge Smith
because they were friends and associates
or twenty years standing.
An exchange OF questions in the exam
ination OF Charles c. Kane of Ocean Side
illustrated the attitude OF the two sides
Would you convict n man for making
an honest error OF Judgment" asked
Judge Oeland OF counsel for the defence
NO" Kane replied.
IF IL was proved" asked District At
torney Lewis, that the error OF judg-
into the competence OF the opera:-:
would you convict?"
Yes" replied Kane. He was put out
OF the jury box on a peremptory chal-
lcnge.
Tho examination OF John A. Van
Nostrand of Freeport. later peremptorily
challenged. brought nm unexpected trib-
ute to Nassau county from Judge Seeger,
himself a resident OF Orange county.
cd IN oiy -,
this case a square deal~' District Attor-
ney Lewis asked Van Nostrand
This Is the county where the square
deal originated" interposed Judge
Seeger before the witness could reply.
abiding to the fact that Oyster Bay IL
IN Nassau county.
Wreck Motorman in Court.
Luciano. the motorman in charge of
the train, was in court as spectator
1t is probable that he will be called
as one of the first witnesses District
Attorneys Lewis and Weeks stated that
they would summon their witnesses al
most exclusively from among the officials
and employees of the b. r. T.
Tho close OF the session developed into
an Informal examination of the road
house experts" In the court room. Judge
Seeger decided that 1t would be best TO
keep the -FOUR tentatively chosen jurymen
together for the night, but inquiry re-
vealed the fact that there was no place
available for them in Mineola. Tho
mortality among hotels in Nassau
county since the President signed thu
new Internal revenue tax has been
heavy and even the newspaper men
present were at length appealed to
lhey were able to state that one well
known road house In Glen Cove, eleven
miles away was closed
Eventually the defence gave I'D rooms
which 1t had engaged for some OF II.
experts Mt the Nassau Hotel. The trial
will be resumed with the further exam
nation or talesmen at 10 o'clock this
morning.