Sunday, 27th July 1913 Venire Whipped Into Shape Rapidly; Negro Is Eligible

Atlanta Georgian (Hearst's Sunday American)
July 27th, 1913

Within a minute or two after Deputy Sheriff Plennie Minor had called the court to order the examination process was applied to the venire panel of 144 men. From each panel of twelve one or more men were excused after being asked the formal questions and furnished a sufficient reason to bar them.

J. H. Jones, Deputy Clerk, called the names. F. W. Stone, No. 82 East Linden street, was excused on account of illness. R. F. Shedden was refused on an excuse of military exemption. Only one man was excused from the first twelve men.

H. R. Calloway, of No. 691 Piedmont avenue, first of the second panel, was not served. F. A. Hull, No. 180 Grant street, was excused on account of his age, 20 years. T. J. Henderson, No. 25 Woodson street, was excused as opposed to capital punishment. J. A. McCreary, No. 78 East North street, was excused because of his residence in Dekalb County, J. F. Patterson, of College Park, was excused on account of deafness. Five were excused from the second panel.

Negro Declared Eligible.

W. H. Scott, No. 215 Gordon street, was excused on account of ill health. He had a doctor's certificate. W. H. Abbott, Record Clerk of the court, was refused excusal. Only one man was excused from the third panel.

The first surprise came with the questioning of the fourth panel, when Earl Davis, a negro, was not excused. He was ruled eligible to jury duty. There is little prospect that he will be drawn as one of the jurors.

George Mathieson, Assistant Chief of County Police, was excused on account of his duties. John W. Alexander, capitalist, of No. 439 South Pryor street, was excused because of illness. W. M. Donehoo, of Buckhead, was let out on account of the death of his mother. E. A. Massa, of No. 305 East Fair street, was over age. J. H. Gilbert, of South Bend, was let out because of illness. The jury panels were thus being revised, and made into a compact venire by this process of elimination.

Joel Hurt Out of Town.

The following men were excused in the selection of the fifth panel: George R. Wall, No. 139 Hill street, on account of illness; F. M. York, No. 221 Cooper street, on account of the illness of his wife; W. I. Brooks, No. 224 East Fair street, on account of having removed from Fulton County. The following were excused in the selection of the sixth panel: H. Maness, No. 112 Jefferson street, account of deafness; Joel Hurt was out of town.