The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-04-14
A SQUIRTING jury. The following hui
anecdoe is taken from the Law Report

A SQUIRTING jury. The following hui
anecdote is taken from the Law Report.
err, as copied from an old English paper.
Once upon time, or to be little more partic-
uar, nearly half century ago, there dweIt in
the town of -, in Old England, remarkable
Oddly, in the person OF an Attorney at Law, who,
although not tar to look on, (ior he was in truth
one oil the homeliest specimens OF humanity ever
beheldSy mortal many was wihal person of
sound judgment great benevoence, varied learn
ing, poet, painter, and a wit of no mean or.
der
1t so happened that the aforesaid gentleman.
y. u. Esq. was appointed high sheriff Of the
town OF - He was man OF fortune, and had
a kind heart, as many poor prisoner could tes
tify, who partook of the good cheer with which
the prisoners were literally supplied at Christ.
mas, and other well knowrm festivals from the
private purse of the high sheriff.
twas oil course the duty oil the high sheriff to
summon grand and petit Jury 10 attend at the
quarter sessions, OF which the recorder, mavor
and aldermen OF the borough composed the irt.
In the performance of his official duty in sum.
monlDg the petit jury, our high sheriff lndulqed
IN some OF the slrangest and droest freaks that
have probably ever been heard of in any other
town or country. In the first place he summon.
ed Tor the October court jury consisting OF
twelve OF the latest men he could find in The
borough, and when they came to the book to be
sworn, 1t appeared that only nine Jurors could set
comfortably in the box After a great deal of
sweating, squeezing and ,dng the panel was
literally damned into the box, and when seated
they presented to the eye OF the court, the bar.
rlster and the audience 'the ITCH est fit'' of a
jury that was ever seen in court room Liter
ally they became, much to the astonishment Of
the court and its robed advocates, "paekcd iury.''
and no mistake
For the January term, our facetious high sher
Ill I'm consequence OF some hint from the record.
er mat there should be no more fat nes sum
moned to this ceurt,) went into the opposite ex
IRENE. He summoned twelve of the leanest and
tallest men he could find in the borough: and
when they took their seats in the box, it was
comparatively empty-there was indeed room for
twelve more OF the same sort and dimensions.
For the April term OF the court, our humo..
Gus tunctionary summoned jury consisting Of
twelve BARRIERS Now it so happened that among
the latter were perruquers who dressed the re-
corder's and barrlsters wigs, and some of the
latter arriving late at the bar, had to appear that
morning iii court with their wigs undressed or
hall dressed, so as to cut ridiculous figure
amidst the smiles and half suppressed laughter
oil the bys'anders. The high sheriff enioyed the
iuh amazingly, but looked grave as judge, while
he tried toskeep silence in the court room
But the browning joke of this waggish func-
uonary occurred at the summoning OF hisfourth
and last jury, at the summer session. in July-
For that term of the court, the high sheriff, not
having the fear of the recorder, the mayor and
aldermen before his eyes, actually summoned a
squirting jury twelve as queer looking bipeds
as ever took their seats in jury box-a jury that
was probably more looked at and laugh at.
than any OF the appointed twelve that ever were
sworn, to "well and truly try and true deliver
.ance make between their sovereign lord and
king, and the prisoner at the bar"
Butthe scene was so irresistibly droll that the
learned recorder could not maintain his gravity.
The mayor and Aldermen followed suit. The bar
rlsters laughed while their wigs became bald,
Powderless; nay, even the poor prisoners in the
dock, who were to be put upon trial, and some of
them undergone transportation, could not refrain
from joining in the general cachination! And
when the learned recorder commanded the high
sheriff TO bring the court room to order, and init
mated with halt suppressed laugh, that the lat
ter ought to be ashamed of himself for summon.
ing such jury; the drollery of the court scene
was heightened by the quick, ready, and sono-
rous response OF the high sheriff, who, looking
at the same time at the squirting jury, exclaim.
ed, Cali good and lawful men, your honor"