, 1865-07-21

Slip Shod INvest1E t1EattoHS-Tgporanes
and Prejudice Among JuFylnen.

The laws Of civilized peoples Of the present age
p,oride for tho holdtu9 Of IN examination into
the circumstances attending 1u5 sudden cecur.
repce, whereby the death; Of an individual his
been caused; IN some countries the i1qulsitlun is
Eot limited to the class Of sccide.s which NAV te
e,iled fata1, but II appIea in any md e7ery ea.o
where shtre is possibility that an iud1vidual,
corporation, or community hsa suIeEed throuah
the neglect or w1lfn1 act Of another. With u the
iuquc.s is limited to the former case,
The practice is one Of the strongest safn-
guards Of society agatnst wrong; the inqne.ts
held on the principle that the Ssts Is interested
in the discovery Of The hidden c.uses which havs
operated to the detrtHent OF q member OF its
tocety So important IL the investsga ton that Ut
dEst IT was direct exercise Of the royal power,
ard afterwards 1t Hsa q delegated .tght IS evl-
deneed in the vcsy name, I" Coroner's Inquest ~
eeaHch By the crowp, or king. TIE policy OF
euch IN tnFesugstlcn is apparent, Is 1t materially
dtmtntahes the chances Of eacspe In cases Of
erip!asl act; This, ef so9rse L ths ineae,t be
instead Of an Investigation. harm instead ns good
IL done, not alone In the possible omission TO de-
St at IL, naa IN 70 u
commit crime, The ch'ncss OF discovery being
dubious. Itls not 80 much the extent Of thre4t
low wfona DUNG, which viii prevent The eomuis-
slon Of crimes sGainst society,
It becomes, then, question Of vital interest
wheiher our coEone,'s tnquests are properly con
duc!ed. or are nere sh4ms, answering the pntpoae
only Of paying ices and screening ,be guilty. We
90 not sapPo'e that IN Ch cago We have less faith
we may safely assume that no city In the Union
has bs en- able to boast more eontciectlous, tnde
fat.gable or efficient line Of cotoneEs than We have
had Ia Chicsco from the 1fat till now; yet thsra
are not wanting msDy cases 10 our own civic tx.
perience where the ends Of justtcs failed To he
met, rot becaute The eoroLet failed to do bis
41f kTtk a n 4
the selection Of ths Jury. 1t 1s : sine qua non to
proper IL Lrestigsi1on; that she Jury % fnte1li-
gent .pd i the p1nsl Be- not
topps'y. p,S'Pet 'tfs' 'a''9 lN'(0 ''' ~ - ''.'u'
Ths standard Of imp,rtis1ity .eqnited Is ahso-
lutte. hence all relatives and peE4anA f14snds Of
The deceased, or of suspected parties, are very
properly excluded frum The Hat Of jukymen-tha
strict rule Of e1etston I. esslly iol oTed BY the
gard to tba oher point the difficulty ls great both
on account Of the want OF any poslt17e standard
Of efficiency, snd because Of the imposstoiltsy Of
RAugtnR Accurately the attAtnments and acunan
Of PROPOSED juEIman. Still ,here ehou1t De
somr minimum Of intelligence nxed upon, or the
,nyestgatop u sways in dangef ct beng mere
cham from the Ignorance or stupidity OF t1rymsn.
read but 1ndidsrsnny, or not 1t iii,
q Ges evidence I'D q Ss. e Ss
men. But such Is not the rule, and whec one sefa
Is tnouah 10 EaIso ihe bu.h % ahe check to zee
justtce 80 unEortblIy robed. As rute, min ls
not ut to eit on a cotoner's Jury unl1s5 ha can
gard TO the cooihed nsages Of society. Yer how
frequently do We npd the average Of intelligence
scaiee above that Of the mute. aai the moral
aenaihllty much less How nfeu do we sea the
bar-goom eupued Of Its regular SCH a INTO the
Jury liat sud tblnRs1under tho name of meu, sit
ting n Judgment VINO hsTe not been sober fcz
Tpe difficulties attending the enpsnelueut Of
Of the average Intelligence, there are lew who
known either ihe deee.sed Of The aseased, aud
tut force. + y scarcely tafe-for instance-to
no sufPected Of c.1me-they would not IN all ea.es
judge By the facts; and the sane IL true Of other
Contingencies which It's unnecessary to mention.
A 1uri+s are II present constituted, the popu14s
lee lnR for or aEa.ust corporation will often
wetRh heavily in the tcale with Or ag1tust the ad
du.ed facta N deteEntnlne the verdict.
speeial t1anH 70 throw On any one. All that ~.
ri call attention to tha necessity Of ltsl1e
n@1, ca1e than j. n.na y exercised IL ths sslse-
tee Of summonlng then, IL moss faulty; tha OH.
to ave time visits tho nearest s1ozeery, whero
sres e wns.s, @ dans Ire aiW1ys equal 10 sae asy
| In the oficial reckoning. Or. II this method hG
| not adopted. there .is the wondering, curious
either case, one OF Tho essenu il cnn!,tton1 to !,
good iusy IL sck1ne: md the Yees ar. absusu'<iy
thrown awsy, no good end being achieved by the
, ss..uo: -. Ii. ,:t = go ;::.: =:
lack u iuAute+ ana oar s6uent should ranzr
reeultin The holding over Of persons who are SUD-
| sequeutly proven 10 have been the criminals.
But the long list Of y tuessea IN wnich IN "open
se1y sid s my Ee eise so'or to a1a IL
hope Ct Tie Ingenious mntdeEet. 1hat be may snc-
essssasy esas the ss.seh q ~ InssSs, nSt n soa.