San Andreas independent., 1858-05-29
A MIXED JURY;
OR, LIFE IN OLD KENTUCKY.

county, there was considerable business
going on in court. There was one case
of murder or wilful shooting of one John
Brown, by one Amos Deyilcatcher. The
case excited a great deal of interest with
the public and consequently much feel
ing was enlisted in it. Now about the
same time, another case of peculiarly in
tense interest was up before the court, in
the same courthouse; it was financial
case in which J. Barber was indicted
for conspiracy with intent to share GER
tain business men of the community out
of their honestly acquired cash. The ju-
ries in each case being sworn in, the busi-
ness of the two respective courts pro-
ceeded. After much litigation, question
ing and cross-questioning, testimony and
rebutting testimony, the cases were sum-
med up, the Jurors charged by the judge
and sent out to deliberate according to
law and facts.
The murder case was rather plain
one, but conscientious scruples Oh the
part of some of the "twelye good and
true,' and doubts on the part of others,
with dogged determination on the part
of two old and rather wolfsh jurors, kept
the panel chung" off and on, for some
eight-and- forty hours Now, things were
no less slowly working in the other case
The jury room in which the financial case
was being deliberated upon, was immedi-
ately over that Of the murder case, the
one in the third story and the other in
the second of the building.
Tired out, monstrous dry, and weary
of the monotony of the thing, one of the
financial jurors managed to telegraph
somebody on the rear ground side of the
court house, and soon a communication
took place between those within and those
without said jury room.
"What the IS up?" quoth one of
the murder case jurors, as he sees long
string of variegated hues, dangling down
before their partially grated window.
ooh ho y says another, "going to
raise their liquor!"
+" Not so bad," says another awfully dry
juror, " is that jury out?'
"They are overheard; suppose we no.
tify them we're on hand for drink, or
game of euchre p says the foreman
The jury soon agreed to that point, and
just then variegated string which was COM
posed of sundry neck and pocket hand
kerchiefs of the upper jury, then began
to ascend.
jug of whisky, by snakes." said
one.
Raise the window, and snatch it inr'
adds another.
" Here she comes "
" Stand by"
"Take care, you will be out of the
window, majorp'
"Hold my coat tails, captain, I'll
snake her" says the major, and leaning
out well he grabs the jug. Those pulling
it up, gave the knotted line jerk, that
nearly took the major out of his boots, but
he held the jug, like grim death to a de-
ceased culled pusson. The lower jury
were about to give ''three cheers for
this strategy over art, when the foreman
brought them to order by
" Hish-h-h-h the sheriff's at the
door,!
Not verdict" say the Jurors
g How long are you going to hang out,
darn you, anyhow. Here you've been
out since Friday morning; here's Satur-
day night, Devilcatcher wants you to let
him know whether he's got to be hung
or 90 home tomorrow I'll starve you
out if you don't come down soon," says
the sheriff
"Come in the morning, sheriff." says
the foreman, "we'll settle the prisoner S
hash tonight, sure !"
The sheriff now visited the other Jury,
whom he found rather dry and cross as
hornets, but with no verdict After graf
flying them with the intelligence that
unless they made up verdict by next
morning, he should be under the neces-
sity of starving them out, he left.
Let us go up stairs among the fnan-
ciers, and see how they are getting along.
"Too bad, says one, too bad, there s
that thunderin' villain, Devilcatcher, con-
fined in that room below US, and he and
the sheriff have nabbed our whisky"
Look here, boys says another" I
don't believe there's any prisoners in that
room. I'll 90 a hoss that that KILN
scrape jury's there, out as we are, for a
verdict p
Well, what do you say" observes an
other, "suppose we drop EN- line"
"Good ! Go it, cried sundry voices.
+" Get the handkerchiefs.
Here, men, hand over your handker-
chers. Now, so, who's going to write?'
I'll do it." says the foreman; and
upon the margin of an old handbill was
written, care you Devilcatcher's jury 2"
:" The line was dropped to the lower
window with the billet, and soon re-
sponded to
!" Well, we are, ole hoss p
Have you drank all our burbta up. p
was the next question propounded Up
came the answer
g No sir Come down and get some. =
Good" says one of the upper jurors,
''lets crawl down to the boys Ask
them if they have bench to stick out
to drop down on?
Eyes, come on, bring down your cards,
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