The Washington times., 1922-04-25
50 NJ ORE
TALESMEN
ORDE REL D
JU DCE
Nurse Pleads Not Guilty to
Charge-Insanity Not to
Be Her Plea.
BY KIRK c. MILLER.
tStaff Correspondent.)


MONTROSS, Va, April 25.--
Public opinion was found to be
SO prejudiced during examination
Of the panel of fifty men for jury
duty in the case of Sara E. Knox,
charged with the murder of Mrs.
Margaret L. Eastlake, that it was
necessary for Judge Joseph E.
Chinn to adjourn court at 2:4o
o'clock this afternoon, after in
strueting Sheriff Robert l.. Crit
fifth to have a venire of thirty
! more men in court tomorrow morn
ing.
Most of Venire Rejected.
An average Of two out Of three
men examined were rejected, and
Judge Chinn expressed the behef
that he could not fill the panel
from the bystanders in court.
OF the original venire Of fifty,
but fourteen could be found who
had not made up their minds as to
the guilt or the innocence of the
accused woman. The law requires
twenty men to be acceptable to
both the prosecution and the de-
tense; four to be eliminated by
either side, leaving the necessary
twelve.
But one of the fifty men aues.
toned by Judge Chinn acknowI-
| edged any scruples against capital
, punishment and none was exam
ined but who admitted he had
discussed the case. However, four
| teen had not formed any unaltera-
BILE opinions.
The last five men accepted for
jury duty following the noon recess
were F. 8. Luthey, S. Q. Miller, X.
III. Goldman, w. II. Ayers and ].
L. Nash.
In a voice scarcely audible to the
clerk Of the court, who was reading
to her a first-degree murder indict-
ment, Miss Knox today pleaded not
guilty to the charge OF having
hacked to death with a hatchet Mrs.
Margaret l.. Eastlake at Colonial
Beach last September.
The indictment was more than
600 words long and specifically
charged the crime was committed
with a hatchet.
Selection Of Jury Begun.
So indistinct was the plea of the
defendant that Clerk Albert Stuart
4 had to ask a second time for her
answer.
The woman prisoners counsel i'm
mediately moved for abatement on
the grounds of error in the venire
facie which indicted Miss Knox. The
motion was as quickly overruled.
, The usual formality of moving to
quash the indictment as well as all of
its counts was also taken advantage
OF by the defense. this effort also be-
ing overruled by Judge Joseph w
Chinn.
Selection of jury was immedi.
ately begun, the ma jority of the panel
being made up of farmers.
The prospect of an insanity plea
on the part Of Miss Knox, which had
been indicated from the time of her
arrest, was set aside when il became
apparent in the early maneuVers of
! her counsel that she will not take
the stand but will leave the burden
Of proving her guilty upon the
Commonwealth.
Same Plan Freed Eastlake.
This was the procedure said to
have sent Roger ID. Eastlake out OF
the courtroom a free man last De
cember
/ The defense will summon no wilt.
nesses whatever, thereby lending to
the belief that Miss Knox's part in
the trial will be passive.
I That Eastlake, the husband of
the dead woman, will testify against
Miss Knox, rather than for her is
| indicated by statement of Com.
monwealth's Attorney Mayo today.
He said that Eastlake was the
commemorative witness, as is the
eightyear old son. Roger. jr.
/ One of the first witnesses 10 be
called by the prosecution will he
A. r. Crowthers, of Ocean City.
n. j., the hatchet grinder who tes-
titled at Eastlake's trial 10 having
sharpened the hatchet found in
Eastlake's backyard, for Miss Knox
on September T. twenty-thrce devs
before Mrs. Eastlake's death
In addition to Crowthers. v'ut'r'