Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-07-28
VOL. 4.---NO. 4s.
ETHAN SPIKES ExpERIENcE AS A JUROR.

ETHAN SPIKES EXPERIENCE AS JUROR.
Ethan Spike of Hornby, Maine, thus narrates
in letter to Portland paper how his servi-
ces were refused on jury, after being sum-
moned on a murder trial, just because he was
sin favor of hanging niger anyhow" and
| his sacred person was afterwards 'ssnaked out"
| by two constabeS:
ssDd you ever git drawed into a jury? l
was drawn out of box last fall an sworn to
support the CONSTRUCTION according to tho
statoot. Beyond general idea that jewrymen
was bound to go for the country, right or wrong
which country they is, l knowed eenjist moth
ing of the supernoomry dewties parfaining TO
| such funkshonaris.
''Wal-fuSt thing knowed, was summon.
ed to Portland to try Jarman and nigger
for killing Mr.. Albion Cooper On the high see.
never could see why the tarnn sHigh see was
used IN such case. spose it means floodtide,
and L know that pork killed one time of the
tide haint the same when killed at another
time of the tide-likewise beans pulled on q
| full moon don't bile so wen as when the
moon is gibberish che means gibbous y but if
a feller mortal critter is slowed, it don't stan
to reason that it makes any difference wheth-
er he was slowed at high water or low Its
murder any way. Thems my idees of the law
| on that pint.
sWal, felt rather proud that my fust sar-
| vice to my country as jewryman one OF
| life and death and when thought of them
cussed pie-rates, felt as though eff 1 had my
way I'd hang every Jarmin and nigger that
could get hold on. In this here patriotic and
Christian frame went to the court house. L
| found small chance of brother iewrymen
! thar, and pretty soon the clark begun to cues
tion fuSt one and then another, till at last they
kim to me.
s.Mr. Spike,'' said the clark, sshave you
any considerations scruplcs agin hanging"
| said he.
ssWal,'' said I, s.that depends on sarcum-
| fheaf ft,st
agreein to nomitive me, Muscular gender en-
perytive mood-that war to be hung-I hev
But eff it war ye, you, or them, future tense,
and INDICATIVE mood, not darn scruple,''
/ says [.
ssHev you formed any opinion for or agin
the prisoners ?' said he.
s'No particular agin the Jarmin," saws I,
''but hate niggers as general principle
| and shall go for hanging this ere old white
wooied cuss, whether he killed Mr.. Cooper or
not,'' says 1.
ssDo you know the nature of an oath 7'' the
| clark eyed me.
| 81 orter," says ssfor I've used enough OF
Fem. L begun to swear when was only a.
| bout
'sThat'll do,' says the clark. "You kin GO
| home," says he, s'you won't be wanted in this
ere case''-says the clark, says he.
s:Whot,' says /, saint to try this niger
at all l''
ssNo,'' says the clark.
ssBut am jewryman,'' says I, aan you
can't hang the niger unless I've sot on him.
says L.
| ssPass on" says the clark, speaking cross
'But,' says /, ssyou mister you don't NEAR
! as you say; / am irregular jewryman. you
know. Drawcd out of the box by the seleo
t men says l. ssI're oilers had hankerin to
hang niger, and now, when morciful dis
pensashon seems to have provided one for me,
| you say shan=t sit on him +? AR this our free
institootionsa Is this the nineteenth sentry
| And this our boasted ''-here somebody hol-
lered 'sslence in the Court
s'The Court be ID 1 didn't finish this re-
mark, fore couple of Constables had holt of
me, and in the twinklin of bed post was
hustled down stairs into the street.
Now, Mr.. Editor, let me ask what are wo
comin' to, when jewrymen-legal, lawful jew
rymcn ken be tossed about in this way Talk
| about kansers, Mormons, Spiritualism, free
| love and paniks-whar ar they in comparison3
Here's great principle upset! As an inder-
vidooai perhaps I'm of no great acconnt-
tant for me to say, but when as an enlghten-
ed jewryman l was tuck and carried down
stairs by perfane hands, just for assertin' my
| right to sit on nigger-wy it seems to me the
| pillows of society were shook that in my sa-
| cred person the whole State itself was, figger-
atiyely speaking, kicked down stairs If thars
law in the land, ssI'll have this case brought up
under writ of habeas Corpus or ixsy Dicksit.
THE GREAT RAINS OF 1S5S.-The amount of
rain that fell over large portion of the Uni
! ted States in six weeks, running from the lss
| of May TO the 18th of June, has scarcely
parallel. The Plttsburg Journal has given this
| snbject considerable attention, and says that
| the average of observations will give about
| ten inches in Nav and five inches to the 10Th