Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 147, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1915 — FORMER BROOK MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER [ARTICLE]

FORMER BROOK MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER

Attorney Frank Davis Defended J. A. Crisler Who Was Sent to Penitentiary For Life. ;,.s- . j J. A. Crisler, who prior to ten or • twelve years ago lived in Brook, was last week convicted of the murder of Julius Brown in Montana and Crisler was sentenced to the penitentiary for life. Attorney Frank Davis, of Brook, went to Montana and defended Crisler but all that he could do was to save the life of the accused man. Crisler is 42 years of age and bad homesteaded a place in Montana. The first of May, 1914, he and Brown 'began living together in a shack not far from Glasgow, Mont. On the 6th day of May Brown disappeared. Crisler continued to live at the shack until July 13th, when he went to Canada. The body thought to be that of Brown was found buried only a short distance from the shack and suspicion pointed to Crisler, who bad not tried to conceal his whereabouts but bad corresponded with friends after his departure from Montana. The body was buried only about 6 inches beneath the ground. There was nothing but circumstantial evidence on which to convict Crisler, but the jury found him guilty of murder in the first degree and unless pardoned or paroled later in life will spend the remainder of his days in the penitentiary. Attorney Davis pointed out a good method employed in (Montana for selecting a jury. Fifty men are impaameled and the names are all placed in a hat and one is drawn out at a time. Thus it is that unprejudiced men are secured, while in Indiana after the regular panel is exhausted the court bailiff or sheriff practically controls the selection of the jurymen. Attorney Davis was in Rensselaer' Saturday afternoon, having, just returned from his western trip.