The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-07-22

Mckenzie. but the memory of it
lives again.
consumed in securing a jury and
$50 veniremen were drawn from
the jury box although only those
residing at local addresses were
subpoenaed out of the last hum
dred drawn. Some had sufficient
grounds for being excused. Many
others were disqualified by reasons
of their opinions or knowledge Of
the case as brought out in the ex-
animation of veniremen. Thirty
one men were finally tentatively
accepted and nineteen Of these
were excused by the peremptory
challenges of the prosecution and
defense. Ten such challenges are
accorded each side but prosecutor
Marion waived his tenth privilege
SO nineteen challenges were eXer-
cised. The jury as finally sworn
in is given elsewhere. Those exam
ined as prospective jurors were
closely questioned at length by the
attorneys on all of the points US
ually pertaining to a juror quail
ifcations and also with special re-
ference to their views or capital
punishment and their attitude to-
ward the various degrees of in
sanity and feeblemindedness when
set up as a defense for crime.
Court Room Scene
The scene Of the first murder
trial held in Wolf Point is the
spacious and beautiful Palm room
of the Sherman hotel, which was
selected by the county board as
better suited on account of it's
size, than the regular court room
in the court house. Interest in
the case runs high. People from
all parts of the county are in at
tendance, the jurors awaiting ex-
animation making a good sized
audience in themselves. Although
the 18-year old defendant is al
legged to have confessed to his
guilt and described the n of
the crime to the authorities of
two counties nevertheless when
arraigned on May 26th he pleaded
not guilty and therefore must be
tried by due process of law by a
jury of twelve men, and convicted
or acquitted. If convicted, the
penalty is death by hanging or
life Imprisonment, the fixing of
penalty being left to the discre-
ton of the jury.
Shows Little Emotion
On the courts side of the rail
ing, with Judge Paul, is the jury,
sitting to the right with their
backs to the east wall. Directly
in front of the judge is court
stenographer Koser who must
take down every word that per-
tains to the record of the case.
In an L-shaped Line about the at
torneys' tables is County Attor-
ney Marion and his deputy, A.
M. Foor, next is Ferdinand
Schlaps, a blonde youth with
heavy hair combed straight back,
dressed in a green and black wool
en- blazer and ~overalls. His stolid
face is seldom lifted and his gaze
is mostly in the direction of the
floor. During the first days of
the examination Of jurors the
only signs of emotion which could
be detected were a CLINT of the
eyes and a tightening of the lips
when hanging or the death pen
<y were spoken Of. Back of the
defendant is Sheriff Anderson, at
his right is Attorney Morford and
next Eric Noun, in charge of the
defense. Near a window on the
north side of the room is the
press table at which is a Herald
reporter.
Aged Mother Present
The scene is made the more i'm
pressive by fact of the presence
of Schlaps' aged mother and sev-
eral of his brothers. The mother,
unable to understand much of
what is said, at times weeps
Once she said, it is
to local women who spoke
to her comfortingly in her own
language, German, that she had
tried to teach her boy the differ
ence between right and wrong.
Jurors Excused
Preliminary to the beginning of
The actual trial Judge Paul ex-
(ronE.r p.r Tan