HARRISBURG, Pa. — An obsession with the Wild West compelled then-mayor Steve Reed to scour the country for artifacts and plan for a museum to house them all in the unlikely location of Harrisburg, Pa.

The museum never came close to being built, and on Monday prosecutors and his lawyers will begin to pick a jury for Reed’s trial on 112 counts of receiving stolen property.

Investigators say they recovered some 1,800 artifacts, many from his home, and jurors will hear about dozens of them. They include stagecoach equipment, saddles, a dice game, and a gun collection that includes a ‘‘Whorehouse Box w/pin fire revolver.’’

His lawyer, Henry Hockeimer Jr., said Reed, who is dealing with what he described as serious health issues, denies the allegations.

Associated Press