Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-06
JURY JACKALS
IN bURCH TRIAL
FACE LAWS IRE
Proceedings Halted by
M u t ual Agreement
Due to Tampering.
Detective Investigators
Admit Trying to lnflu-
ence Venires.

Los Angeles, April 5.-The lion and
the lamb in the Burch trial lay down
together Wednesday. to the immediate
discontinue of certain persons referred
to in court as "jackals.' The occasion
4. was the superior court inquiry into
charges of irregularity in procedure
with regard to selection of a jury to
hear Arthur c. Burch's trial on a
charge of numbering J. Bolton Kennedy
and the ''iackals" were representatives
Of detective agency entrusted by the
of gathering information regarding
prospective jurors.
Both Sides Urge Punishment
Thomas Lee Woolwine. district at
torney. and Paul w. Schenck, chief Of
counsel for Burch. took common at
titude that any irregularity should be
punished and were directed to prepare
affidavits on which to base contempt
proceedings against the investigators.
One of the latter. Bert Hoskins. who
told the court that he had talked about
the case in the presence of a woman
juror was held pending the preparation
Of felony information under the laws
relating to the protection Of the jurors.
Two Panels Discharged
The results Of the days proceedings
were as follows:
The previous discharge of two panels
OF Jurors because improper questions
had been asked them, was approved by
both sides.
,1he district attorney urged that con-
tempt proceedings be instituted and
lsaid he thought the defense had under
1stated its charges of Irregularities.
The defense absolyed Mr.. WoolWine
from personal blame but insisted with
him that conditions needed correction.
Judge Sidney \. Reeve. presiding
in the trial, personally absolved Asa
keyes. the deputy district attorney in
charge Of the case. from blame.
Juror Told Burch Was Guilty
One of the jurors testified that she |
overheard an investigator tell her |
mother that Burch was guilty and that !
the state intended to get a convicting |
jury. this time'-there having been |
previous disagreement
One investigators faced felony in |
dictment. i
where it started, that is. ready for pre- I
any actual steps taken to get it under |
way. /
The proceedings were informal Wit !
pesses arose in all parts of the court !
room and answered questions without j
being sworn. Members of local pri
vate detective agencies employed by the
prosecution and the defense as well as
attaches Of the district attorneys Of
flee. were asked to stand while wit
nesses sought to identify them as Jury
Investigators
Wanted Convicting Jury
Bert Hoskins and F. G. Neil mem
bers Of the agency employed by the
district attorney. were identified by
several of the former veniremen
Miss Zoe Rutherford, a member of
the jury panel recently discharged by
Judge Reeve. told Of a man represent
ing himself as being from the district
attorneys office. coming to her home.
He asked to speak with her mother.
Miss rutherford said. and she over
heard the conversation She said:
''He told mother that they were not
able to get jury to convicct Burch
the last time, but they intended to
get one that would convict him this
time He said Burch was as guilty as
i dog. He said by getting convicting
Jury they intended to save the county
$4,000: that Burch was 'degen-
.Yate.'' .
Miss Rutherford said she was IN
,bIe to identify the man, but Hoskins
-oluntarily admitted that he made the ,
{