New-York tribune., 1919-03-04
The Case of Superintendent
Blewitt Up First; Colonel
Williams Is To BE Next
Jurors Are Locked Tn
Hard Fight l. Being Made to
Keep Friends of Local
Attorneys Out of the Case
SfoN Correspondence

NfoU Correspondence
MlNEOLA, Long Island, March g.
The opening day Of the trial, on charges
Of manslaughtcr, Of B. r. r. officials
and employees came to a close in the
courthouse here yesterday afternoon
with but four tentative jurors seated
in the box.
Throughout the opening skirmishcs
the utmost warness was evinced by
lawyers on both sides.
"The gravity Of the issue" they said,
makes 1t imperative that we do moth
ing hurriedly, nothing merely for the
sake of the effect. This is the most
significant traction case that has ever
arisen in this state
The series of trials now beginning
in the course of which all the chief
officials Of the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
sit system are scheduled TO face the
manslaughter charge-comes as a re-
suit of the wreck of the Brighton Line
train last November, when ninety-two
persons lost their lives in the Malbone
Street tunnel and more than twice
as many others We're seriously in
jured
Big Crowd Gathers
The sensational nature of the
charges served to bring out large
crowd to the courtroom. The doors
finally had to be closed.
Routine business delayed the for
,,n1 6 ! l. ID II ,,l
is to begin with the trial of Thomas
+. Blewitt, superintendent of the di-
vision on which the wreck occurred.
County Judge Lewis J. Smith and Sur
rogate Leon d. Howell, whose reten-
tion by the b. r. T. was criticised by
Governor Smith, utilized this interval
to explain their position.
The understanding when they took
ofce at salary of $1,000, Surrogate
Howell declared. was specifically that
they should be allowed 10 accept
private practice. 1t was outrageous, he
said, to suppose that their possible ac-
quaintance with any of the Jurors
might influence the decision.
District Attorney Harry E. Lewis of
Kings, who, assisted by Herbert n.
trict Attorney, Charles r. Weeks. is
conducting the prosecution, questioned
each talesman closely as to his ac-
quaintancc with the two Nassau attor-
neys.
Attitude On Labor Unions
Prospective jurors were also cx-
amincd at length as to their affiliations
with and attitude toward labor unions.
the basis Of such questioning bcinT the
suppostion that the b. K. Il. men will
plead the fact Of a strike on their road
as a possible or contributing cause Of
the wreck.
The prosecution was also at great
pains TO ascertain If each man cX-
nmincd was willing to place ultimate
responsibility for traction accidents
upon high oiNcinls regardless of
whether OF not specific intent could be
shown.
What was taken to be an indication
Of ono line which the defence may pur-
sue was disclosed when their attorneys,
examining Talcsmnn Charles G.. Kane,
asked
would YOU convict II man for max
ing nm honest error Of Judgment 2"
AS Kane replied "No,' District At
torncy Lewis leapcd to his feet
'lf it was proved that the honest
error Of judgment was due to ncgli~
gcncc in inquiring into the competence
of the operator, would you convict?"
he cried.
Kane answered, eyes" but later was
challenged by the defence.
Altogether the defence used up three
Of its peremptory challenges to-day.
The prosecution used SIX.
The Jurors Accepted
The men temporarily accented for
the jury were Charles G. Boyd, a
plumber, Of Westbury; Frederick
Schmidt, of Mincola; Charles c. Oyses,
cidermaker of Oyster Bay, and
George II. Cornwell, truckman, of
llicksvillc After considerable argu-
ment as to the quarters they should
occupy, they were locked up for the
night in Nash's Hotel, Mineola. Later
the full jury is to be lodged in some