Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-15
Jury IN FORD SUIT
BEING SELECTED
Auto Manufacturer Not in
Court as Maze of Argu-
mentS End.
By the Associated Press.

by tue Associated IEEsee
DETROIT. March 15.--Seiection OF
a jury in the 81 100000 libel suit OF
Aaron Sapiro against Henry Ford was
started In United States District Court
today after the maze of technicaiities
and legal arguments on amended CON
plants had been ended by a ruling OF
Judge Fred NJ. Raymond.
Henry Ford was not in court when
selection Of the jury began and wheth
er he had actually been served with q
subpoena apparently still was in dis
pute.
a motion Of the plaintiffs to strike
out the 5Tl paragraphs of the plea or
defendants was denied by the judge
who warned the defendants, however.
that they would have to point out the
specific paragraphs to which they
We're referring in admitting evidence.
The plaintiffs asked the plea b.
stricken out on the grounds that II
did not justify the accusations OF
libel but was evasive.
Contempt Action in Allegiance.
Threats Of contempt proceedings
against. Mr.. Ford were held in abey
ance pending selection Of the jury. II
was reported that although his couu
UISDllcQ
tiffs' attorneys that a subpoena had
been served upon the manufactures
he was ready to appear when asked.
at would be an impossibility." sail
Judge Raymond in criticising the
plea of the defendants, ito point our
the paragraphs that are sufficient
the paragraphs that are insufficient
and the paragraphs that are sufficient
in some respects and insufficient III
others. The court is of the opinion
that it is not necessary TO pass or
those various questions.
"In many instances the defendant
refer TO some 413 paragraphs Of the
plea in Justification of some certain
libel. 1t would he obviously impoS
sible for the court to peruse the en-
tire plea
Counter Charges in suit.
Sapiro charges that Ford inquired
his reputation in accusing him o.
being a member of a Jewish con
| spiracy TO control agriculture and ii
utilizing farmers cooperative organ
| cations for personal gain. On the
other hand, Ford counsel claims that
/ neither cooperative marketing nor
! the Jewish race is on trial.
I'VE claim" said Senator James
T Reed of Missouri, that Sapiro was
selfish in motives, domineering in his
/ tactics, harmful in his activities and
/ dangerous to the agricultural move
ment because of his attempts to con
troll it,.
| Sapiro, Chicago lawyer. and for l.
years organizer OF cooperative mar
| keting organizations. who Is suing
! in,
| articles appearing in the Dearborn In
dependent, Ford publication, in 1921
and 1925, was admitted to the bar or
motion of William Henry Gallagher
/ his attorney. This would permit
Sapiro at any time during the tria
to take an active part.
Denies Ford Is Subpoenaed.
L William j. Cameron. editor of the
! Dearborn Independent, an early ar
| rival in the courtroom where the
| F'ord-Sapiro libel suit is being heard
| declared Mr.. Ford had not been sub
| poenaed as a witness. but would ap-
pear in court any time Judge Ray
mond wished to summon him.
Service positively has not beer
made on Mr. Ford" said Mr.. Cameron
''He will come to court any time the
! Judge believes his presence desirable.
The courtroom was crowded to the
doors as the trial opened men and
women scrambling for seats. Bailiffs
permitted hundreds to stand around
the back of the room and i'm the aisles
Around the counsel table sat Senator
James A. Reed. chief counsel for the
defense: Richard j. Higgins and Ra!
mond Watson of Kansas City.a Wi
liam Henry Gallagher. plaintiffs coun
sell was assisted by Walter F. Lynch
his Chicago partner.
Veniremen Are Questioned.
Judge Raymond asked the venie
men if any of them was acquainted
with Ford, Sapiro or any OF the at
torneys connected with the case. Mrs
Helen Girard said she knew the Ford
family and was dismissed.
Have any of you. prior TO the
series OF articles that appeared in tht
| Dearborn Independent and in which
| corning Jewish power or life?" askeC
the judge.
"Or have you read anything since
then of a similar nature?"
He received no reply.
! The prospective jurors were aSkeC
if they had read any booklets pub
lished by the Dearborn Independent
concerning so-called internationa
JeWry. None said he had.
Has any of you seen any articles
in the Dearborn Independent. or re
copied. concerning cooperative mar
keting or Aaron Sapiro. who brought
this suit?" he asked.
One man replied that he had, but
said he had not formed any opinion
and would be able to judge solely or
evidence introduced during the trial
Asked About Prejudices.
He asked if any were members a