Alva's First Murder - 9 November 1910
The Bailiff
S. C. Chatmen, Court Bailiff - 8 days;
O. B. Skidmore, Bailiff - 8 days;
George Fowler, Bailiff - 5 days;
S. A. Yerick, Bailiff - 11 days
The Jurymen & Fees...
These names came off of the Woodward County Docket sheet and from the transcript. It took two days Sept 6th & 7th, 1911 to pick the jury to hear the murder case of N. L. Miller.
The names in BOLD are the twelve jurymen that heard the case and handed down the Final Judgment.
Eugene "Gano" Farrands -- lived 3 miles from Quinlan, Oklahoma for 10 years. Came from Furnice County, Nebraska. He was 43 years of in 1911 with a family (2 boys and himself, a widower.) Does not believe in death penalty. Farrands was challenged for cause by State. The State exercised it's second peremptory challenge and excused Eugene Farrands. 2 days, 46 miles.
— John Chambers -- Lived 10 miles south of Quinlan for four years. Lived in the south and east of Woodward, out toward Mutual, post office was Pearl. Came from Iowa. He was 26 years old, married man with wife and one child. -- Pass for cause. 8 days, 60 miles.
— J. A. Hampton -- Lived in Mooreland for four years. He was fifty years of age and came from Missouri. Family consisted of a wife, one son, wife's small sister that they raised since she was three years of age. He read the headlines of this disaster in the "Beacon" but did not read the article. He was assistant deputy in Missouri and Kansas. 8 days, 20 miles.
M. R. Glover -- 13 miles northeast of Woodward for 10 years. Came from Colorado, but was a native of Missouri. He was forty years of age. He was married with a wife and 2 children. He served on the jury in a case where a person was being tried for murder in Woodward about 6 or 7 years ago, Garrett and Cooper. Another murder case was the Smith and Turns Case. , 2 days, 26 miles.
— Harry McGriff -- Lived in Mutual for 7 years. Used to live down at McGriff's Grove. McGriff came from Kansas and lived in Kansas for 20 years. He was 38 years of age with a wife and baby. 8 days, 66 miles.
S. P. Chambers -- He lived in Quinlan for 11 years. He is a family man with a wife and 2 children. He came from Missouri to Oklahoma. Mr. Vigg excused this juror on peremptory challenge. 2 days 40 miles.
Olie White -- White lived 6 miles southeast of Woodward for nearly 12 years. He came from Iowa. White was 35 years of age in 1911 with a family of a wife and 3 children. The oldest child was six years old. The defense counsel exercised its first peremptory challenge and excused Olie White. 2 days, 12 miles.
George E. Stiller (Steller) -- Challenged by Pruiett because he didn't believe in death penalty. 2 days.
George Howard -- Came to Oklahoma from Iowa. Lived in Woodward as a single man. The State waived its sixth peremptory challenge and the defense exercised its sixth peremptory challenge by excusing Mr. Howard.
W. E. Bishop -- A 42 year old man and native of Iowa. He had live in Woodward County for 5 years. He had a wife and 2 children (boy & girl). The girl was 3 years of age and boy was 7 months old. He had lived in Woodward County 5 years. He read about the case in the Woodward paper or Wichita Beacon. 2 days.
— J. T. Israel -- Israel was a forty-five year old man that lived in Mooreland since he came there in November 1908. He has lived within a mile of Mooreland ever since. He was in the farming business with a wife and five children. two boys and three girls., with the oldest girl being 17 years of age and the youngest is four years. He came to Oklahoma from Missouri, Schuyler County. Israel was asked if he was acquainted with a Miss Miller that once taught school in Mooreland and at the district schoolhouse a mile and a half east of Mooreland. He responded, "No sir." He read something about the case in the Wichita Beacon. 8 days, 20 miles.
R.B. Howden -- A fifty-five years of age person that came from Kansas to Oklahoma and had lived in Woodward county 18-1/2 years. Originally he came from Canada to Springfield, Illinois and from there to Kansas and then Oklahoma. He had been in Oklahoma since the opening. He was in the cement business and lived here in town. He lived in Canada awhile. He was a deputy sheriff for 3 or 4 month once in Woodward county about four years ago (1907). It was when Mr. Stump was sheriff. Defense counsel exercises second peremptory challenge and excuses Mr. Howden. 2 days.
— M. B. Wallace -- a fifty-eight year old man that came from Illinois to Kansas (Butler County, Eldorado) to Oklahoma. He lived 22 miles southeast of Woodward for eight years last December. 8 days, 44 miles.
Hugh Bingham -- Lived 17 miles south of Woodward. He had lived in the county of Woodward for 16 years. He came from Kansas, but his native country was Canada. 4 days, 42 miles.
Charles S. Shepard -- He lived 30 miles southeast of Woodward for ten years. He was a native of Wisconsin coming to Oklahoma by way of Kansas. He was a single man at the time. He was once sworn in as constable but never did any work in that line. He stated in the jury box that his digestion was very poor and he had been sick ever since he had been there. He was excused from the jury. 2 days, 60 miles.
— Earl McDowell -- He lived two miles from Mooreland, Oklahoma for about 10 years. He was asked if he was acquainted with a Miss Miller who taught school up there about three years ago (1908). He responded, "No, sir." At the time he was a 33 year old man with a wife and baby. He came from Cloud county, Kansas to Oklahoma. He had never been to Alva nor took the Alva papers. He was in the farming business. 8 days, 26 miles.
C. A. Miller -- "He lived 28 miles southeast of Woodward. He had a wife and no children. He came from Iowa to Kansas to Oklahoma. He was from Iola, Kansas and had been down here 17 years. He had three good friends that had been murdered in Woodward County. Mr. Ira Wilkinson murdered down south of Woodward; Mr. Ingalls who was killed northeast of Mutual and Mr. Bresco." The defense counsel exercises its third peremptory challenge and excuses Mr. C. A. Miller. 2 days, 56 miles.
— Ray (Roy) Halloway -- He was a married 27 years of age man with three children. A native of Stark County, Indiana. He had lived in the east part, Cedardale, Woodward County 10 or 11 years. , 8 days, 64 miles.
F. E. Schilling -- "He was a forty-two year old man and a native of Tennessee. He had lived in Woodward county for 14 years, 2 and a half miles north of Mooreland. He heard about the case in the newspapers and talked to Mr. B. W. Stokes (30 years old, single) at Alva that clerks for the Union Pacific Tea company. Mr. Stokes told him the facts in the case when Stokes was at Schilling's house visiting him. He knew Mr. Stokes for two years, cause he was his wife's brother." The State exercised its third peremptory challenge and excused Mr. Schilling. 2 days, 26 miles.
G. "Geno" Coombs -- A married man and native of Texas, Knox county. Has lived in Woodward county 16 years. Geno coombs excused on the State's challenge for cause because he was against the death penalty, 2 days, 30 miles.
John "Guy" M. Williams -- A forty-one year old man that lived 2 miles east of Woodward for the past four years. His native state was Michigan. He only knew about the case from what he read in the Woodward Democrat. About ten years ago in Cass county, Michigan he was drawn as a juror and challenged. The defense counsel exercises its fourth peremptory challenge and excuses Mr. Williams. 2 days, 30 miles.
Ross B. Trumlee -- A thirty year old man that lived in Woodward, in town. He was challenged because his conscience would not allow him to inflict the death as a punishment for crime and would preclude himself from signing a verdict of death in a proper case. 2 days.
— E. A. Yeager -- A thirty-five year old man that lived four miles west of Woodward and a native of Kansas that has lived in Woodward county for four years. He has prejudice against circumstantial evidence.8 days, 9 miles.
Del Carmen -- Mr. Carmen lived five miles and a half north of Mooreland for three years. He came from Kansas and was 26 years of age, married man with two sons and two daughters (daughters 6 years and one year old). He is in the farming business. The State exercises its fourth peremptory challenge and excuses Mr. Carmen. 2 days 16 miles.
— Lewis (Louis) M. Philips -- "A man with a family of five girls and a boy. His oldest daughter going on 19 years of age and his youngest was five years. He had lived ten miles southeast of Woodward for ten years. He came from Flynn County, Missouri to Oklahoma. He had never heard of what purported to be the facts in the case except what he read in the Woodward papers." 8 days, 20 miles
— James Winton Rhudy -- A native of Virginia. He has lived in Oklahoma 11 years. James Rhudy was a 45 year old family man with five children (3 girls and 2 boys). Oldest daughter is 18 years old. He had never heard of this case until he came to Woodward. He heard of it at Fargo. Rhudy lived 21 miles southwest of Woodward, in Woodward county. 8 days, 4 miles
Sam Huffman -- "He lived 20 miles north of Woodward. He first came to this county from Kentucky four years ago by way of Illinois. He was a married man during the time of this trial. His family consists of a wife and two boys. He was summoned as a witness once but didn't serve. It was a divorce case." The State waived its fifth peremptory challenge and the defense counsel exercised its fifth peremptory challenge and excused Mr. Huffman. 2 days, 65 miles.
George Bachmon (Bachman) -- A twenty-nine year old married man in the farming business at Mutual, Oklahoma for four years. He lived 28 miles from Woodward. His native state is Sumner County, Kansas. He is inclined to think it would take less evidence to convict a man for the crime of killing a female than for killing a man. George Bachmon was excused on defendant's challenge for cause. 3 days, 54 miles.
Alva B. Simons -- a 28 year old married man residing in Woodward for ten years. A native of Illinois. Came direct to Oklahoma from Illinois. When ask if he had any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant at the time, Mr. Simons answered, "Yes sir." He was challenged with cause and excused on the State's challenge. 3 days, 12 miles.
— George B. Welty -- A native of Ohio. He has lived in Oklahoma a little over ten years. No relation to Don Welty of Oklahoma city. He read of the case generally when it occurred. Welty is in the farming business. He lives 39 miles northeast of Woodward. He had sat as a juror in a murder trial before in Lineas county, Missouri about 8 years ago. (One black man killed another.). He knew of two of the witnesses.. Mr. Rambo for 6 years, and Mr. S. P. Shearer. 8 days, 78 miles.
W. F. Nobel -- A fifty year old native of Missouri, Montgomery county. He lived 13 miles northwest of Woodward during the trial. The State waived its seventh peremptory challenge and the defense exercised its seventh peremptory challenge by excusing Mr. Noble. 4 days, 26 miles.
George Stinglemeyer (Stinglemir) -- A thirty-eight year old man that had lived in Woodward County for seven years. His native state was Kansas. He had prejudice against the use of circumstantial evidence in a criminal case. If it was wholly circumstantial evidence he would not sentence a man for death. He was challenged for cause and the defense did not resist. Stinglemir was excused. 3 days, 8 miles.
L. A. Peyton -- A forty-seven year old native of Missouri, Adair county. All he knew about the case was what his wife had read about it in the paper. He didn't believe that he could make up his mind to sign a death warrant on wholly circumstantial evidence. This juror was challenged for cause. He was excused. 3 days, 52 miles.
J. E. Smith -- A newspaper publisher. Knew of this case at bar. He had formed -- expressed an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Mr. Smith was challenged for cause and excused. 3 days.
— H. C. Thompson, jury foreman -- A 68 year old native of Missouri that has raised three children, girls. He has lived in Woodward county for 17 years as a merchant and a farmer, but not in any business at this time. Has no prejudice against the use of circumstantial evidence in a criminal case. He knew one witness... Mr. Campbell. He knew Judge Wilson and Mr. Tincher over at Medicine Lodge or that part of Kansas. 8 days.
The State and Defense waived their eighth and ninth peremptory challenge. The jurors were sworn in the box to try the cause. A ten minute recess was taken. After the recess, the roll of the jury is called and the State makes its opening statement to the jury.
These Jurors did NOT get drawn...
J. A. Gerthell, 1 day, 30 miles;
J. A. Secrest, 1 day;
C. M. Bell, 1 day, 40 miles;
Jacob Renner, 1 day 34 miles;
Thomas Eades, 1 day, 44 miles;
N. B. Ames, 1 day 30 miles;
Levi Morgen, 1 day, 62 miles;
J. A. Calloway, 1 day, 72 miles;
Frank Allmes, 1 day, 70 miles;
G. A. Jefft, 1 day, 44 miles;
B. F. Wietrick, 1 day, 26 miles;
Leroy Walker, 1 day;
Chester Mortison, 1 day;
C. A. Newcomb, 1 day 16 miles;
W. S. Murry, 2 days, 20 miles;
W. O. Murry, 1 day;
Glen Dixon, 3 days;
George Steward, 4 days;
M. C. Howell;
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