William C. Chormicle and the Castaic Range War.

THE CHORMICLE AND GARDNER MURDER TRIAL.
OVER ONE HUNDRED WITNESSES.
A Long-Drawn Contest Promised.

The Chormicle and Gardner murder trial began yesterday in department No. 1 of the Superior Court, and will last several days. The array of witnesses on each side is formidable, and the list numbers over one hundred persons. It seems as if the entire neighborhood for miles around the scene of the tragedy has been summoned to appear in this case.

The murder for which W.C. Chormicle and W.A. Gardner are now being tried is that of Dolores Cook, Who was killed in the Castac Canon in this county, February 27th, last. Mr. Walton was killed at the same time, and it is not denied by the defendants that they did the shooting. They will base their claim for acquittal on the ground that it was justifiable.

The defense is being conducted by J.L. Murphy, Esq., and Alex Campbell, Esq., while assistant District Attorney McComas is being assisted by Horace Appel, Esq., and H.T. Gordon, Esq. Only six jurors were obtained yesterday, the greatest care being exercised by the defense in their examination of the talisman. When court adjourned at 4:30 o'clock the jurors selected were J.W. White, Abel Sutton, J. Griswold, William Smith, Millard Fillmore, and J.A. Cline. It will probably take the better part of today to secure a jury if the defense is as liberal with its peremptory challenges as it was yesterday.

Judge Cheney intimated before adjournment that the jurors should come prepared to be kept together. He did not know that he would make such an order, but if it should become necessary not to allow them to separate they ought to be prepared for it. The trial will be resumed at 10 o'clock this morning.