Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-04-21
From the Michigan Snt. Journal.
THE MICHIGAN JURY WHO ONLY WORKED
FOR READY PAY.

rOh READY PAts
Mn. EpIroR-There has been a great
deal said and written of late years about
cheap justice, and at length our sapient le-
gisators, or the majority of them, imagined
that they had obtained the desired object
when they modelled the present eCounty
Court" Now have nothing to say pro
or con of the merits of the system, but l
have story to tell of the working of it,
"A few weeks ago was on tour west, and
during my absence spent a few days in
Jackson, and was very much amused while
there by hearing some of the stories which
friend Joe, the proprietor of the American
hotel, is such an adept at telling. ] do not
vouch for its truth, but s'tell it as 'tt*as told
to me-" and after hearing it, 1 assure you
that left with the impression that "return-
ing Justice lifts aloft its scale" in this part
ofthe country, ifno where else. The story
ran thus:
The County Court was in session, and
Judge Ny presided with his accustom-
ed gravity and dignity. The case before
the court was one in which the jury had
been demanded, and friend Lew, the Sheriff,
proceeded to summon twelve good and law
ful men (heaven save the mark,) at the
head of whom was old Major G-n, one
of the veterans. The proceedings of the
trial having been gone thro' with, and the
charge of the Judge delivered, the Jury de-
parted to the jury room. What transpired
there has not come to light, but after ashort
absence they returned to the court room,
when the following dialogue ensued be-
tween the court and the foreman, (the Ma
jorl
Judge-Have you agreed upon a YER
dict
Major-Young man we have.
Judge-Well, sir, for whom do you fnd'
Maior-For ourselves.
Judge-What do you mean, sir7
Major-We mean to say, sir, that we
have found verdict for one of the parties,
which you can have by paying our fees.
Judge-But, sir, you have been regularly
empannelled, and you must now deliver
your verdict and look to the county for
your pay.
Major-Judge, Pll be -- if you can
have the verdict until you pay US our fees.
We understand how to get our pay in the
circuit court, but this one hourse court We
don't understand.
Here the court interposed and threatened
to commit the valiant Major and his COM
peers to Jail fot contempt Of court, and end.
ed his TRADE by peremptorily commanding
the foreman to say what the verdict was.
"Well," said the Major, ''it you insist
upon it, I'll put it to vote;" and turning to
his fellow jurors with an air of venerable
grarity, which just then was extremely lu-
dicrous, he addressed them thus:
''Comrades, you have heard what the
Judge says: now all of you that will stand
by me and not give verdict till the pay is
forthcoming, raise the right hand;'' and
simultaneously eleven right hands were ele-
waited above the heads of their respective
owners. "Judge," continued the Major
'you see how it is, and by, I'd like tc
see you send us to jail :"
Here the counsel for the defendent rose
and read some law TO prove that the Jury
must give their verdict at this stage of the
proceedings, whether they were paid OF
not; but in the midst of his harangue he
was interrupted by the old Major, some.
thing after this sort
"Young man, stop, and let me speak
you needn't read any such law to me: i
is rule and maxim, both of scripture and
of common law, from time immemorial
that the laborer is worthy of his hire, ant
so is the juror, and you can't have the YER
dict until you pay us.'
Thus triangular discussion was continu
ed for some time, the judge insisting on the
dignity of the court, the counsel for the
plaintiff that the jury must give their YER
dict, and the Major resting upon the firm
foundation of his immemorial maxim tha
the laborer is worthy of his hire.
In the mean time the plaintiff, having
some how got an inkling that the verdic
was in his favor, proceeded to borrow
money from his friends present, in order tC
come to the Majors terms, to wit; sforl
the needful." He succeeded in raising 81,
dollars, which he offered to give for tn,
verdict. The Major, with greater regar
for his constituents than G,ost of the repre-
sentatives of the sovereign people are won
to have, proceeded to take another vote c
the jury, IN order to ascertain whether the
would Gccede to the proposition; havin
stated it distinctly, he called for shown
of hands on the part of those who were i
favor of accepting the proposition, and a
raised their hands with but one exception
and the Major concluding that the majorit
ought to rule, said that whenever the plair
tiff paid the six dollars the verdict WI
ready. This having been done, the Maje
announced the verdict. Now all SCENE
to be getting on smoothly, when PnA, q
counsel for the defendent, interferedi III
the spirit Of discord, and demanded tn
the jury should be polled. The clerk b
ing absent, the sheriff proceeded to Perfo,r
that duty, and to the question whether IN
was his verdict, each juror answered m u
affirmative until the last, who replied rat'
er tartly that "that was not his verdict
add sight" Oh, then it was terrible
see the awful frown which the Judge p
on. The nod with which Jupiter sho'
the eternal foundations OF the universe "
no comparison to it; he thundered OF
aSherif, take that jury back, and don't 81
not hrooA .