New Britain herald., 1925-03-23
Prosecution And De- fense R dy For Greatest Fight In His tory of Ccanectieut Courts.
Trial May Last Two Weeks and 15O TaIesmen Have Been Summoned to Serve on July.

Hartford, March 2s.-Gerald Chapman, modern maurauder ex- traordinary. will so to trial for his life in Hartford county court tomor- row morning.
 The work of selecting a jury to hear the evidence against this figure of crime romance, now under in- dietment for the murder of James skelly, New Britain policeman, will be started at 9:30 o'clock. One hun dred and fifty talesmen have been summoned, mainly from the more remote towns of ancient Hartford county, from which to select the jury.
 Both sides, the prosecution repre- scented by States Attorney Hugh NJ. Alcorn, and the defense, have an- nounced themselves ready for bit- ter contest which, at this time, bids fair to consume good two weeks of trial.
 Chapman, through his attorney has declared that the "cards are stacked against me" and that .'I haven't got a chance-they're not going to try Gerald Chapman but the super-bandit, a creature of fact and fancy"
 His attorneys made an unsuccess- full attempt to obtain change of venue last week, contending that Chapman could not possibly get a fair hearing, inasmuch as the at mosphere that has been made to surround him since he has been in state prison, solitary confined and extraordinarily guarded, made 1t i'm possible for a jury to approach his case without preconceived prejudice. But the court thought otherwise and the spectacular mail robber must fight for his life here.
 Hartford Thrilled
 An unwonted tensencss seemed 10 envelop Hartford today, the eve of what probably will be the states most spectacular criminal hearing. The hotels hummed with added guests and newspapermen on special assignment from New York and other cities were all around the town. The courthouse was hive Of activity. There was something of a holiday air about it. with expectancy tip toeing through the city streets.
 There must be 50 out of town witnesses here from various parts of the country. They kept pouring into town throughout last night and today. Many of them are police men, post office inspectors and other agents of the law to whom the dar- ing and spectacular Chapman has given so much trouble. Others are expected to testify for the state as to Chapman's presence in Connecti- cut before and at the time of the murder of Skelly. Probably the chief prosecution witness, Walter Shean. black sheep son of a Spring field, Mass, family of prominence. is in jail. It was Shean's story to the state authorities that Chapman was his companion of the attempt ed safe robbery that ended in Skelly's shooting that started the hunt for the 1925 super-model crim- inal. This hunt ended in Muncie. Ind. last January IS, when Muncie policemen recognized the escaped mail robber on the street and took him prisoner.
 The capture incidentally has start ed a row which will have its de- noucment here. Capture rewards aggregating S25,OOO are the cause. Post Office Inspector W. A. Kelly of Cincinnati was expected here to- day from Washington. D. C., where he went 10 file a claim to the little fortune. But he won't get 1t with out a fight. For Chief Earl Ran dolph of the Muncie police claims i. for three Of his policemen who assisted in Chapman's capture. The policemen arrived here Saturday to testify for the state. MT. Alcorn has entered another claimant in the race, County Detective Edward ]. Hickey of this city The division of the reward probably will be settled by the trials testimony.