The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-07
MANY D|SQUAL|FY
FOR Jury SERVICE
IN RAINE TRIAL
First Twelve Veniremen Fail
to Develop One Juror--Most
of Them Had Formed and
Expressed Opinions.

Exactly 30 per cent Of the 500 venlre-
men summoned on special venire for
the c. Hunter Raine trial, answered
when their names were called in Second
criminal court Monday morning. Sixty
prospective jurors we're sent to witt
ness room by Judge Tom Harsh, there
To await examination, while available
members OF the regular jury panel were
examined
Many of the venIromen Of tho special
list were aXious to he excused Judge
Harsh would listen TO no excuse, ex-
cept illness when the roll call ana
property qualification was inquired
about. Two men were excused for
physical disability one who claimed his
over age exemption, and Dossey. H.
White. who had 5000 bushels OF wheat
ready 10 harvest In Arkansas, ana who
had to superintend the work In person.
Examination of the special venire took
from Gas o'clock until t040 o'clock.
Fixed opinions, as to the guilt or In
uoCence of G. Hunter Raine, former
head of the wrecked Mercantile bank,
were the stumbling block In the Sc
lection Of u jury,
To expedite examination, Judge Tom
Harsh asked the preliminary questions
himself, as il his custom In all criminal
cases, preiminaries consisted OF brief
statements OF the cases against e.
Hunter Rainc, and led almost tmmedi-
atey to the question of formed or ex-
pressed opinions,
Because OF this stumbling block, not
n juror had been selected when court
adjourned for the morning session, all
though - Jurors had been examined,
Typical Examinations.
Examination ran somewhat as fol-
lows!
"This is the case Of the state Of Ten
ncsSep W. G. Hunter Rainf, who is uH-
der indictment on three counts. the hrs.
charging cmheESlement and the second
charging that he frauduently appro.
rratcd to his own use. and the third
larceny of S7SS S04 rs, DO you know
anr'hir" about the facts In the case
Almost invariably the answer TO this
question was. only what ! read In the
newspapers"
From what you read, have you
formed or expressed an opinion as 10
the guilt OF innocence Of this defend
ant?' was the glst OF the next cues
| ton.
II have formed an opinion" came the
answer, II, almost every case,
"Could you set aside that opinion,
and go into the jury box, presuming
| the innocence OF the defendant, ana
give both the state and defendant
fair trial, according to the law and the
cVidcncer" was the question that AL
most invariably brought the bar that
disqualified the venireman.
Only two men got so far. as examina-
ton by the state. Both were passed
on to the defendants counsel, Hugh
Magovney, In one case. the venireman
was challenged for cause, In the sec
ond, he was dismissed by the court,
because he said he had read where
Rane intended to repay every cent the
dcpositors Of the bank had lost, and
added that this statement would make
him partial toward the defendant,
|
Enough Punishment.
While the question Of opinion IL not
permitted to go as far as whether the
venireman considered the defendant
| guilty or innocent. pickup statements
| from the VenIremen examined went to
show that a vast majority Of them felt
that Raine already had been punished
enough for the irregularities which
caused the wreck of the Mercantile
bank. and which also served as the
lever which forced him to plead guilty
In federal court. and to serve sem
tContinued on Page 3 Column ~