Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-01-26

The MILWAUKEE RESCUE CASES.. NJ.
Booth, ESQ.,, editor of the Free Democrat, of
Milwaukee, who was convicted of aiding in
the rescue of Glover from the jail in that place,
has been sentenced to pay fine of 8 900 and
to be imprisoned one month. John Reynolds,
for the same offence, has been sentenced to pay
a fine of 5000, and to be imprisoned ten days.
We have given some facts in relation to the
conduct of the judicial ruffian who presided at
this trial, Judge Miller. 1t is when such pro-.
ceedings take place, that we realize the i'm
portance of disseminating correct views as to
the independence of iuries. In this Milwau-
kie case, the jury was selected by the Marshal
and Clerk of the Court, in defiance of law of
Congress to the contrary, and when the eOun-
sci for Booth proposed to quash the proceed
ings for this reason, Judge Miller refused even
to allow him to read his objections to the pro-
ceedings. Among the jurors were two or three
persons who had openly denounced Booth and
his conduct. One of these men was named
Rockwell, and after he had been placed on the
jury, and had sworn that he had not formed
an opinion, he told Booths counsel, III am
death against your side" Gen. Paine, the
counsel, asked him why he did not tell the
Court this fact and asked him to do so when
the Court came in, in the afternoon He
promised to do So but neglected it, so that
Rockwell for the correctness of his statement
Rockwell admitted its truth, and then asked
to be excused. The Judge, Cor executioner)
however, said, this eoGS no objection against
htBe; he acas Just the man they a0Gated, for he
aoaS for enforcing the lao. The trial proceed
ed for while, but at last the Judge began 10
see that the juror and Judge also were in
delicate position, and that if the Juror was al
lowed to remain, he would damn both the
prosecution and the Court, and so he was
finally released, and man quite as obnoxious,
but who had not said so much was put in his
place.
In his charge to the jury, Miller told them
in direct terms, that the defendant was guilty,
that he alone was the judge of the law, and
that it was their duty to convict. In fact the
jury were coerced into giving verdict against
Booth, by this corrupt judicial bloodhound,
who it the government itself was not com
pletely at the mercy of the shareholders, would
be impeached and driven from the bench in
disgrace. Three of the jurors, after agreeing
to the verdict, adopted the following resolu-
tion:-
ReSoSced, That while we feel ourselves
bound by solemn oath to perform a most
painful duty, i'll declaring the defendant guilty
of the above charge, and thus making him liza
bic to the penalties of most cruel and odious
law, yet, at the same time, in so doing, we de-
clare that he performed a most noble, benevo-
lent, and humane act, and we thus record our
condemnation of the Fugitive Slave Law, and
earnestly commend him to the clemency of the
Court.
This shows to what state of subsection the
Jurors were reduced; they were coerced into
giving verdict which has sent a man to pris-
on, and robbed him of thousand dollars, for
doing what they acknowledge to be ga noble,
benevolent and humane act G1iRy of bu-
manity! What self qualification