twelve o'clock
There was a thin , dapper manager of a small retail clothing store , very anxious to be excused , who declared , falsely , that he did not believe in swearing by the Bible . Judge Payderson , eyeing him severely , let him go . There were some ten more in all -- men who knew of Cowperwood , men who admitted they were prejudiced , men who were hidebound Republicans and resentful of this crime , men who knew Stener -- who were pleasantly eliminated . By twelve o'clock , however , a jury reasonably satisfactory to both sides had been chosen . At two o'clock sharp Dennis Shannon , as district attorney , began his opening address . He stated in a very simple , kindly way -- for he had a most engaging manner -- that the indictment as here presented charged Mr. Frank A. Cowperwood , who was sitting at the table inside the jury-rail , first with larceny , second with embezzlement , third with larceny as bailee , and fourth with embezzlement of a certain sum of money -- a specific sum , to wit , sixty thousand dollars -- on a check given him -LRB- drawn to his order -RRB- October 9 , 1871 , which was intended to reimburse him for a certain number of certificates of city loan , which he as agent or bailee of the check was supposed to have purchased for the city sinking-fund on the order of the city treasurer -LRB- under some form of agreement which had been in existence between them , and which had been in force for some time -RRB- -- said fund being intended to take up such certificates as they might mature in the hands of holders and be presented for payment -- for which purpose , however , the check in question had never been used . `` Now , gentlemen , '' said Mr. Shannon , very quietly , `` before we go into this very simple question of whether Mr. Cowperwood did or did not on the date in question get from the city treasurer sixty thousand dollars , for which he made no honest return , let me explain to you just what the people mean when they charge him first with larceny , second with embezzlement , third with larceny as bailee , and fourth with embezzlement on a check .