Volume 9 , Issue 13

September 6-7, 1911 - Examing Jurors

It took two days, September 6th & 7th, 1911 to pick the jury to hear the murder case (Old Opera House Murder of N. L. "Nelson" Miller vs State of Oklahoma for the death of Mabel Oakes.

It was held in Woodward, Woodward Co., Oklahoma. The following jurors were examined. Those names with asterik (*) to the left of their names represents those jurors that were excused from the jury box for cause. [If you recognize any ancestral names, we would love to hear from you. Thanks!]

* George E. Stiller - excused as juror on challenge.

* George Howard - read an account of the case in the News-Bulletin, county papers; lived in Woodward, OK; single man;

* Eugene Farrands - lived 3 miles from Quinlan, OK for ten years; Came from Nebraska, Furnice County; 43 years old in 1911, widower with two boys; doesn't like circumstantial evidence; would not convict on circumstantial evidence, but it would depend upon how strong it was; didn't believe in penalty of death for a crime; " I don't believe in the punishment of taking one life for another. I don't believe in taking life for life. Of course it the evidence was strong enough I would. I don't believe in taking life for life." excused.

* M. R. Glover - lived north east of Woodward for ten years; came from Colorado, but a native of Missouri; 40 years of age and living with a wife and two children; About 1905 or 1906 served on a murder jury in Woodward, case of Garrett and Cooper; Smith and Turns case; juror challenged for cause.

* W. E. Bishop - 42 years of age and a native of Iowa; lived in Woodward county five years; lives with wife and two children, a girl (3 yrs) and a boy (7 months); read about the case in either the Woodward paper or the Wichita Beacon; the papers made an impression on his mind as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant; defendant's counsel challenged for cause; His wife had a lady friend living at Alva and he heard them have some conversation about the case. Removed for cause.

* Hugh Bingham - lives 17 miles sough of Woodward, OK; lived in woodward county for 16 years; came from Kansas; Canada was his native country; prejudice against circumstantial evidence to an extent that he would never bring a verdict of guilty inflicting death penalty; tincher for prosecution challenged juror; excused as juror.

* Charles Shepherd - lived 30 miles southeast of woodward, OK for 10 years; came from Kansas and native of Wisconsin; single man; he was sworn in as constable, but never did any work in that line; The court asked Mr. Sheperd how he felt and sheperd replied, "My digestion is very poor. I have been sick ever since I have been here. This kind of work makes me worse." Excused for physical condition.

* S. P. Chambers - lived in Quinlan, OK for 11 years with wife and two children; came from Missouri; excused

* R. B. Howden - 55 year of age; came from Canada to Springfield, Illinois to Kansas and here before the opening; lived in Woodward county for 18-1/2 years; cement business and lived in Woodward; lived in Canada for awhile; He was summoned on a jury about 10 years ago, but never served; He was a deputy sheriff for about 3 or 4 months in Woodward county about four years ago when Stump was sheriff; excused

* C. A. Miller - lived 28 miles south east of Woodward, OK; came from Iowa to Iola, Kansas to Oklahoma; been in Oklahoma nearly 17 years; he had three good friends murdered in woodward county - Mr. Ira Wilinkson who was murdered down south here. Mr. Ingalls who was killed northeast of Mutual and Mr. Bresco. He thinks it is a higher offense to kill a female than to kill a male; married with no children; excused.

* Olie A. White - lived 6 miles southeast of Woodward, OK nearly twelve years; came from Iowa; 35 years of age with wife and three children; oldest child is 6 years of age; heard that this young lady had been killed by this man and that the case was set for trial; he was on a grand jury; excused

* F. E. Schilling - had talked to B. W. Stokes (clerk at Union Pacific Tea company, 30 years old) who purported to know the facts and at Schilling's home; read of it in the newspapers; 42 years of age and native of Tennessee; lived in woodward county 14 years; lived 2 1-2 miles north of Mooreland, OK; known Mr. Stokes for two years; Stokes is his wife's brother; excused

* Geno Coombs - read about it in papers; married; native of Texas, knox county; lived in woodward county 16 years; excused

* John 'Guy' M. Williams - read about case in Woodward Democrat; 41 years of age; lived 2 miles east of woodward, OK for four years; native of Michigan; 10 years ago he was selected to try a case of this nature in Michigan, Cass county; he was called into jury box, but was challenged and did not serve as juror; excused

* R. B. Trumlee - read about case in the Wichita Beacon; 30 years old; lived in woodward, OK; challenged and excused for cause.

* Del Carmen - lived 5 1/2 miles north of Mooreland, OK for 3 years; came from Kansas; 26 years old, married with 2 sons and 2 daughters; daughters are 6 years and one year; farming business; excused

* Sam Huffman - lives 20 miles north of woodward, OK and lived there four years; came to woodward county, OK from Illinois to Kentucky to Oklahoma; married with wife and two sons; was summoned as a witness once but did not serve in a divorce case. Defendant excused on premptery challenge.

* George Bachmon - 29 years old; married; farming business; lived 28 miles from woodward, OK in Mutual, OK for four years; Native state is Kansas, sumner county; he was inclined to think it would take less evidence to convict defendant for killing a female; defendant's attorney challenged juror; excused.

* A. B. Simons - lived in woodward, OK for 10 years; 28 years old; native of Illinois; had an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant at this time and talked with people about case; excused.

* W. F. Noble - 50 years old; native of Missouri, Montgomery county; lives about 13 miles northwest of woodward, OK; read about case in papers; excused.

* George Stinglemir - 38 years old; lived in woodward county, OK for seven years; native state was Kansas; excused

* L. A. Peyton - 47 years old; native of Missouri, Adair county; his wife read about it in the papers; as in prejudice in regard to circumstantial evidence being used, if it is corroborated with point blank proof he would not have prejudice. .. it might strengthen it; doesn't believe he could make up his mind to sign a death warrant on wholly circumstantial evidence; excused.

* J. E. Smith - publisher of newspaper; knew of the case and formed, expressed an opinion as to guilt/innocence; excused

The Twelve Jurors:
1. Harry McGriff - lived in Mutual, OK for seven years; Came from Kansas and lived in Kansas about 20 years; 38 years of age with wife and baby; lived down at McGriff's Grove;

2. M. B. Wallace - 58 years old and came from Illinois; lived 22 miles southeast of woodward, OK for eight years since December; came from Kansas, butler county, Eldorado; Read about case in paper;

3. J. T. Israel - he read about it in the Wichita Beacon papers when it was committed; 45 years of age; lived in within a mile of Mooreland, OK since coming to Oklahoma in November 1908; farming business; lives with wife and five children, two boys and three girls; oldest girl is 17 years old and youngest is four; Came from Missouri, Schuyler county;

4. J. A. Hampton - lived in Mooreland, OK four years; fifty years of age; came from Missouri; lives with wife, son and wife's small sister; He read the headlines of the case in the Beacon, but did not finish the article; he ws assistant deputy a few times, once or twice in Missouri and a few times in Kansas;

5. Earl McDowell - lived in Mooeland, OK, two miles from Mooerland for 10 years; heard of case from someone in woodward who had read about it; family consisted of wife and baby; 33 years of age; came from Kansas, cloud county; farming business;

6. Roy Hollaway - 27 years old, married, 3 children; native of Stark county, Indiana; lived in woodward county, east part Cedardale for 10 or 11 years;

7. John Chambers - lives 10 miles south of Quinlan, OK for four years; lived south and east of Woodward with his post office at Pearl; Came from Iowa; 26 years old, married with wife and child

8. A. E. Yeager - lived 4 miles west of woodward, OK for 4 years; 35 years old; native of Kansas;

9. Louis Phillips -- live 10 miles southeast of Woodward, OK for 10 years; came from Flynn county, Missouri; family man with five girls and a boy; oldest daughter is 19 years old; youngest daughter is five years; Read about case in Woodward paper; he was a witness for good character for a petit jury

10. J. A. Rhudy - Native of Virginia; lived in Oklahoma 11 years; 45 years old; family man with five children, 3 girls, 2 boys; oldest daughter 18 years old; He never heard of the case until he came to woodward. He heard it at Fargo that there was to be such a case; took the Wichita Beacon since February; lived 21 miles southwest of Woodward; The only time he was ever a juror was in Woodward county seven or eight years ago.

11. George B. Welty - native of Ohio; lived in Oklahoma over 10 years; not related to don Welty of Oklahoma City; read of the case generally when it occurred; farming business; lived 39 miles northeast of woodward; might have prejudice against circumstantial evidence being used in the trial of criminal cases it it wasn't pretty good but would use his judgement a whole lot if it was good evidence; he did sit as a juror on the trial of a murder case in Lineas county, Missouri eight years ago (1902), a nigger case where one nigger killed another; he was acquainted with two of the witnesses, Mr. Rambo for six years and Mr. s. P. Shearer; never talked to shearer or Rambo about the case;

12. H. C. Thompson - 68 years old; native of Missouri; lived in woodward county 17 years; a merchant and farmer, but not in any business at this time; knew of one witness, Mr. Campbell; had some little business with Mr. Swindall recently; raised three girls; met Judge Wilson and Mr. Tincher; knew Tincher was over at Medicine Lodge, KS and had some business with him by correspondence; Jury was picked with this last juror and sworn in.
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