Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-04-17
a sQuiuting Jury.

the following amusing reminisence
Once upon a time, Or to be little
more particular, nearly a half cen
tury ago, for the editor of this pa
: per we'll remembers the time, anl
place, and scene, which are hrnl,
fixed upon his boyish recollections,
there dwelt in the town Of -
in Old England, a remarkable Cd
dity, in the person of an attorney
at law, who, although not fair tc
look upon, Ctor he was in truth one
OF the honehest specimens Of hu
ma1ity ever beheld by mortal 1nan.>
was withal person of sound iudg>
nent, great benevolence, varied
learning, a poet, Il painter, and a
wit Of no mean order.
It SO happened that the aforesaid
gentleman, g. c., Esq, was
appointed High Sheriff of tie town
OF --. lie was man of fortune
and had q kind heart, as many 2
poor prisoner could testify who par
took Of the good cheer With which
the poor prisoners were literally
supplied at Christmas and other
well-known festivals, from the pri-
vate purse Of the High Sheriff.
| 1t was OF course the duty of the
High Sheriff: to summon / Grand
and Petit Jury, to attend tie Queen
Sessions, Of Which the Recorder,
Mayor and Aldermen Of the bor-
ongh composed the Court. In the
performance Of his official duty in
sumlnoning the Petit Jury, our
High Sheriff INDUCED in some Of
the strangest and drollest freaks
that have probably ever been heard
OF III any other town Or Country
IN the first place, he summoned for
the october Court, a jury consist
ing of twelve Of the tattest men he
could find in the borough, and when
they cane to the: book to be sworn.
it appeared that only nine Jurors
could sit comfortably in the box!-
After Il great deal Of sweating and
squeezing, Tie pannel was literally
jan1med into the box, and when
seated, they presented TO the eyes
OF the Court, the '1a,.risters and au-
dionce, " tue tigI,test TT" Of Il jury
that was ever seen in any court
room. Literally, they became, much
to the amusement 1T the Conrt and |
its robed advocate, a ''pack'd jury"
and no mistake.
For the j anuary term, our face |
sious High Sheriff, Gn consequence |
it is said OF q hint from the Record |
or, that there should be no more
tat pannels summoned to his Court |
went into the opposite extreme
He summoned twelve Of the lean
est and tallest men he could find in
the borough; and when hey took
their seats in the box, it appeared
comparatively empty - there was
indeed room for twelve more of the
same sort and dimensions. For
the April term Of the Court, our
numerous fnnctionary summoned a
Jury consisting Of twelve BARRIERS.
Now it 50 happened that among the
latter were the very perruQ uiers
who dressed the Recorders and the
barristers' wigs, and some of the
latter, arriving late at the bar, had
10 appear that morning in Court,
with their wigs undressed, or'half
1ressed,' SO as to cut a. ridiculous
figure, amid the smiles and half
suppressed laughter of the by-stan-
1ers. The High Sheriff enjoyed
he fun amazingly, butlooked grave
IS q judge while be tried to keep !
;ilence in the Court room. ,
But the growing joke of this wag-
5ish functionary occurred at the t,
ummoning Of his fourth and last
ury, at the summer session in July. :
Tor that term Of Court, the High
Sheriff, not having the fear Of the =
recorder, the Mayor and the Al :
lernen before his eyes, actually ,
ury-twelve as queer-looking bi- !
,eds as ever took their seats in a ,
ury box-a jury that was more
ooked at, and laughed at, than any
4 the appointed Twelve that ever Le
wore to well and truly try, and t
rue deiirerance make between the r