The Omaha morning bee., 1924-12-09
Jury Picked
in Illinois
Poison Case
Elsie Sweetin and Lawrence
Hight Begin Their Battle
for Life on Charge of
Staying Mates.
Jurors Are Stolid Men

oy tuFFfsui 'tA'iNN.
Mt. Vernon, ILL.,. Dec. s.-Lawrence
Hight and Elsie Sweetln were united
today-not in the bonds of love they
sought to fashion from the shrouds
of their mates, but I'm their mutual
battle against the hangman's moose.
The unfrocked minister who poison
ed his wife and the woman who killed
her husband toward the same con-
verging end sat at the defendants
table in the little courtroom. Their
eyes seldom met throughout the day
in which the IL simple, thoughtful
men were chosen In whose hands
their fate Is to be placed.
1t is a middle-aged jury, men past
40. which will try the case of these
self-confessed rural Borgias.
The trial. it was indicated. will
move swiftly. A few questions are
yet to be put by the defense to George
Nelson, a farmer, the 18th man Sc
lected to sit in the jury box.
Eight other farmers have been ac-
eepted. and the three others jurymen
are a blacksmith. a laborer and
storekeeper.
Jurors Are Plain Men.
They are men who. it seems, would
be little impressed with the subtle
psychological arguments or would
eondone Staying because 1t was mo-
tivated, as the defense may seek to
prove, by mad infatuation that not
even stopped at death. Justice-not
ropance. is written in their faces.
To them Frank G. Thompson, the
prosecuting attorney-that is what
they call their district attorney in
this community-will outline the
case. how Wilford Sweetin, the miner
husband of Elsie. suddenly was taken
i'll after eating ice citam. Physicians
thought 1t to be ptomaine poisoning.
He was not a church-going. like his
rather pretty wife, and Rev. Law
renee Hight. pastor OF the little
Methodist church at Ina, came daily
to his bedside TO pray with him and
convert him.
Small Doses OF Poison.
While ministering to his spiritual
wants this minister, according to his
own statement, placed poison in the
food, small doses at first, to make the
illness seem a lingering malady. and
then. tired of the delay of death, a
final big dose, enough to kill 10
men,"
Sweetin dled-converted. according
to Hight's own words at the funeral
sermon.
A few weeks later Mrs. Hight.
mother OF the minister's children. was
taken i'll. She too fingered awhile.
the disease battling the physicians OF
Ina. Then she died. also OF poison.
which the minister has admitted plac-
ing in her food. The doctors, how
ever. had believed II a natural death
The circumstances. however. set the
tongues OF the villagers TO wagging
and rumors OF the close friendship
which had sprung up between the pas.
tor and his parishioner, even before
their mates had died. sprung up and
would not down
Boht Confess Guilt.
Their arrest followed and after
hours Of questioning came the story
that has placed the survivors of the
tragedy within the shadow of the
moose
The first witness to be called Will be
DR.. William II. McNally, of Chicago,
a chemist who discovered poison In
the bodies Of Mrs. Hight and wilford
Sweetin.
Sweetin's father today sat at the ell
bow of tho prosecuting attorney
throughout the preliminary session
today. There were whispered confer.
ences as Jurors were accepted or re
jected.
Defendants Calm.
At Mrs. Sweetin's side sat her
brother, Earl Son, and her half.
brother, John Williams. Alec Bum.
pus and his wife. who early became
suspicious Of the manner in which
Sweetin died. are In the courtroom.
Mrs. Bumpus Is Sweetin's sister.
Hight sits alone. as far as friends
are concerned. only his legal coun-
sellor confcrs with him.
The defendants are calm--ths hys-
terra Of the early days Of the tragedy
and Its resultant inquisition IL gone.
They watch the men as one by one
they seat themselves in the jury box.
They look for traces Of sympathy and
hopp for marcy