The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-04-23
Judicial Opinion Of the Lady Jurors in
Wyoming.

Judge J. II. Howe, in whose Court at
Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, the jury
! consisting partially of ladies was recently
/ empanneled, and before which number of
/ cases were tried, has written Il letter Civ
| ing his experience of their capabilities, and
| is very warm in their defence. The letter
| SAYS:
| With all my prcjudices against the poll
! cy, am under conscientious obligations to
say that these women acquitted themsel
YES with such dignity, decorum, propriety
of conduct, and intelligence as to win the
admiration of every f;lir-minded citizen of
| Wyoming. They were careful. painstak-
ing, intelligent, and conscientious. They
were firm and resolute fer the right rs es-
tablished by the law and the testimony
| Their verdicts were right, and, after three
or four criminal trials, the lawyers engaged
i'll defending persons accused of crime be
gan to avail themselves Of the right of per-
emtory challenge to get rid of the women
jurors, who were too much i'll favor of en-
/ forcing the laws and Furnishing crime to
suit their clients. After the grand jury had
been i'll session two days, the dancc-house
keepers. gamblers, and dcmi-moDdt fled
out of the city in dismay, to escape the in
dictment of women grand jurors In short,
| have never, in twenty-five years of con
slant experience in the courts of the coun-
try. seen 4 more faithful, intelligent, and
resolutcly honest grand and petit jury than
these. A contemptibly lying and silly des-
patch went over the wires to the cfict that
during the trial of A. w. HOWE for homi
eide in which the jury consisted of six
women and six men, the men and women
were kept locked up together for -four
nights. Only two nights interviewed during
the trial, and on these nights, by my order.
the jury were taken to the parlor of the
large. commodous. and well-furnished
hotel of the Union Pacific Railroad. in
charge of the Sheriff and woman bailiff,
where they We're supplied with meals and
every comfort and at 10 o clock the women
were conducted by the bailiff to a large
and suitable apartment, where beds were
prepared for them. and the men to another
adjoining, where beds were prepared forthem
and where they remained in charge of swsrn
officers until morning, when they were
again all conducted to the paror, and from
thence in body to breakfast. and thence
to the .jury-room, which was 4 clean and
comfortable one, carpeted and heated and
furnished with all proper conreniences.-
The cause was submitted to the Jury for
their decision about Il o clock in the after
noon, and they agreed upon their verdict.
which was received by the court between
l. and - o'clock at night of the same day,
when they We're discharged. Everybody
commended the conduct of this jury, and
were satisfied with their verdict. except the
individual who was convicted of murder in
the second degree. The presence of these
ladies in court secured the most perfect de-
corum and propriety of conduct, and the
gentlemen at the bar and others We'd with
each other in their courteous and respectful
demeanor towards the ladies' and the court
Nothing occurred to offend the most refined
lady if she was sensible lady, and the
universal judgment of every intelligent and
fair-minded man present was, and is. that
the experiment was a success.