The hydraulic press., 1860-09-15
THE JURY SYSTEM.

THE JURY SYSTEM.
There was time when juries were thought
necessary to the fulfllment of the ends of
mode prescribed for forming such bodies,
had scrupulous regard for procuring intel
ligent, upright, impartial anek. Some trou-
bic attended the process, and on thataccount
it has, in these modern times, bceh almost
entirely discarded. Instead Of putting the
names of certain number Of responsible
freeholders in wheel, and drawing from it
the specified venire, a deputy now takes "a
slip of blank paper one hand, pencil in
the other, andspassing along the street and
into the drinking saloons, enrolls a list of
idlers-men, for the most part, without
occupation, sponsbilityo reputable stand
ing in community. These men make the
business proftable-in fact: support them
selves by it. The lawyers know them, and
would not, under circumstances that could
possibly be avoided, consent to go into
trial, where their proportion was not equal to
the known emergencies of the case. In
murder trials, this class of jurymen is essen
tial to the acquttal of the prisoner and it
seldom occurs that their verdict is not given
in his favor
Another farce, under this system, has just
been enacted. Dr. w. H. Stone, who killed
John c. Bell, member of the Legislature,
last winter, was tried in Jackson, Amador
county, ard found not guilty. Bell, it will
be remembered, was conTersing with gen.
tleman within che walls of the capitol, when
Stone, armed with pistol and dagger, step
ped up-uneXpected and uninvited-and
interfered between them. This interference
was the cause of an alteration between
Stone and Bell, which induced the latter,
with the malignity of bad man, and pre-
cision of shot and thrust which must have
been premedtated, to use both these 1nur-
derous weapons, with mertal effect, upon his
unarmed ndversary-an excellent gentleman
and worthy citizen 1t remained for jury
of twelve men TO say this ca!prit was inno-
ceHt of the crime alleged
DR.. Stone is now hero. FIFE has won his
laurels cheapiy. He will be looked up to,
and his society courted hereafter, by GER
tain fraternity of chicken-hearts, who, like
himself. feel NO safety abroad unarmed and
who, being the least useful mem bers OF socie-
ty, are usually the survivora of such en-
counters, as a reproach to their families, and
a nuisance to respectable people, who are
compelled to tolerate their presence
"a TRAP SoT."-The following anecdote is
told of old gentleman Dorland, who formerly re-
sided in this place.
At one time he was citizen of Missouri, and
occupied dwelling at the forks of popular
thoroughfare, in the country. One of the forks
led to Sparta; and he was continually annoyed
by the question, (Which is the Sparta road? ,"
The old gentleman therefore concluded to erect
a finger-board. 1t so happened that the Sparta
fork branched in such manner, that to paint
the sign notwithstanding from left to right-the
direction would be in the wrong way. AS a hap
py expedient to this difficulty, he SPELL
ed the words backwards, thus "Atrapsot." This
was exceedingly puzzling to travellers, who pull
cd up their horses, and after vain attempts to de-
cipher the hidden meaning of the inscription, be-
came more importunate in their inquiries than
ever. The joke soon got abroad through the
neighborhood; and it is strongly suspected that
the wags used it to so bad purpose as to dis
gust the old gentleman with that country, and
cause him to look up residence in another.
A ALUCKY THoUGHT.-On the morning of the
18th of July, when the sun had an arrangement
to put itself into eclipse, S. F. Basdell and Ma
jor Baiaey-the former visitor, and the latter
resident of Yreka, got up an hour before day
light, and walked about mile and half, to the
top of adjoining mountain, to get better
view of that sublime spectacle. At the appoint
ed time the sun arose, obscured as the almanac
makers had foretold, but in few moments,
when the earth's shadow began to pass off, was
so bright, that it could not be gazed upon with
the naked eye. The gentlemen named, had no
smoked glass with them, and were consequently
in fix. BY some accident Major Bailey inn
parted the information that he had matches in
his pocket. This suggested lucky thought to
Blasdell, who whipped out his watch, smoked
the crystal, and the eclipse at once became an
object of interest which was fully beheld and re-
allied.
FIVE TO BACK IT.-Saturday last the Morning
Transcript contained a statement to the effect.
that three young men, superior pistol shots, res
ident at Nevada, had placed a candle-card at
distance of so yards, and fired 80 shots at it., 26
of which entered the card, one cutting the centre