Imperial Valley Press

OIL CASE WILL BE LONG ONE
Julian Hearing Opening Today Promises to Last For Weeks.
KEYES PROSECUTING
Many Prominent Leaders Concerned in Conspiracy Trial.
By United Press Leased Wire
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5.-A bitter fight over the selection of a jury to try 10 defendants in the $35,000,000 Julian Petroleum corporation crash, was in prospect today as the trial opened in superior court.

Defense attorneys it was learned will center their efforts on barring from the jury any person who ever bought or sold Julian stock, their relatives, or any person who has had dealings with the corporation, its officers or the men on trial.

Counsel for both sides predict that a week may be required to try the 10 men charged with conspiracy to violate the state corporation act by the over-issue of approximately 5,000,000 shares of stock, and conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses.

With 10 defendants, the same number of defense attorneys, scores of prospective jurors, witnesses, newspaper men and photographers all struggling for seats in the small court room the confusion became so great that Judge William Doran ordered a recess shortly before noon after futilely attempting to untangle the jam.

S. C. Lewis, former president of the Julian corporation and the central figure in the trial, was the first to arrive in the court room. He will act as his own attorney. Later Jacob Berman, alias Jack Bennett, entered, but avoided Lewis and the two men who were close friends before the oil crash did not exchange greetings.

Because it is likely that a week will be required to draw the jury. Judge Doran dismissed 20 witnesses who had answered subpoenas.

Among them was John E. Barber, banker, named in another indictment in connection with the Julian case.

Lewis Does Questioning
The jury box was tentatively filled with seven women and five men and District Attorney Keyes briefly made an explanation as to the legal charge contained in the indictment.

S. C. Lewis, indicted ex-president of the corporation, who is acting as his own counsel and whose name appears first on the indictment was given the privilege of opening the examination of jurors.

His questions covered a wide range of subjects and into his interrogations he brought the names of C. C. Julian, Henry M. Robinson, president of the First National Bank; John E. Barber. Charles M. Stern and Motley H. Flint, bankers.

Lewis asked each juror whether he was personally acquainted with any of the defendants, whether they had any business dealings with their banks; whether they had ever owned oil stock of any kind and whether they had holdings in any of the Julian enterprises.

The aim of his questioning was clearly to keep from the jury any persons who have had even the most remote connection with the Julian case.

An indication of the time it will require to select the jury was seen in the lengthy examination conducted by Lewis. Each of the attorneys for the other nine defendants may follow the same procedure and examine every juror called to the box, and if they take advantage of this privilege, the task may be endless.