Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-09-16
Gales and Sketehes.
THE MISSING JUROR.
Or how We tried Head.Centre OHOulehan.

Or how we tried Head.Cenire OHOulehan.
Of course | was on the jury, (such was
my invariabe luck, and that too at the
busiest time of the whole year. They
passed over twenty names till they came to
mine, and then as the Yankees say, Il was
walled in
My experiences as a juror are unremark-
able, save for the unhappy fact of my be-
ing always called upon to serve on cases
insufferably dull and unendurably long.
In the great fire insurance record OF Willop
VS.. the Blue Blaze Company, which lasted
twenty-one day, | was nothing less than
foreman. The atmosphere of the court
was akin TO that of the Black Hole at Cal
cutta, and we were well nigh worn out,
when, in order to expedite business, | asked
the plaintiffs counsel simple question,
involving "Yes" or NO" TO my in
tense astonishment and bitter regret, this
innocent query led to a legal argument
which lasted three clear days, and drew
upon my devoted head the hatred, ill-will
and contempt of Q may call them) my
fellow prisoners.
1t may be as well to mention that | am
an Irishman, a burgess of one of the prin-
! cipal cities i'll Ireland. | am loyal man
/ and the only two choruses | was ever
known to join are God save the Queen, y
and For he's a jolly good fellow con
/ slider that live under wise and benign
Government, and although some of my
countrymen are of contrary opinion, yet
when | put it to them, "What would be-
come of Us without England ?" they some
how invariably fail to satisfy me; and
| were Food, Gratten and OConnell to adj
vocate repeal for my especial conversion,
| would say, with an honorable member Of
the house. My judgment may be in
lluenced but my vote-neyer.'
In March, 1867, Fenianism eliminated.
The green flag was unfurled at Tallaght,
and dragged through the mud. For every
man faithful to the cause, fifty We're false
| for every true man there were fifty traitors
for every misguided fool there were fifty
designing knaves. The ringleaders were
captured and brought to trial
Now, to be on the panel at such time
was to say the least of it a ticklish posture
of affairs, Never did a Sheriff or Sub
sheriff receive so many invitations as those
of the City OF -. Mrs. Sub-sheriff was
visited by the wives of the Grand jury,
and her babies smothered in bonbons.
1t is, however but just to these worthy
officials, to state that they summoned us,
one and all, without the least partialty +;
and not a few of the jury, when they found
themselves duly sworn, regretted their yel-
low or green-seal bottles, and the odorter-
Gus and gallopscious liquor which had CUR
gled down the throats of the officials in
question. If my wife had not been in an
annual condition. should certainly have
visited my foreign correspondents, but
Matilda James situation forbade any at
tempt at sequestration.
OF course | was called upon to serve
How devoutly l prayed that my well
known loyal principles would evoke chal
lenge from the counsel for the prisoner
But no-I had to walk over. while every
other man called upon was either raped
up on the part of the prisoner or on the
part of the Crown.
Certain unpleasant rumors had gone
afloat, to the effect that no jurymans life
would be worth a ''penn'orth pins
should the prisoner be found guilty.
was favored, on the morning of the trial,
with coffin drawn upon very dirty
piece of paper, my own name and date OF
decease engraven upon the lid. 1t was
also industriously circulated, by gentlemen
unqualified for the jury box, that the trial:
|
eminent counsel engaged for the deteuc,
were instructed to speak against time
These pleasing rumors, in addition to the
fact that we were to be precluded from in
tercourse with the outer world until VIZ
arrived at a verdict, rendered the situation
anything but blissful.
M desperandana" is one of those quo
tations which, il adroitly applied, passes
| II ha nla al nf
first water Ignorant men don't under
stand it; men of letters imagine there is
more from whence that came. Nj deSper-
andatm. then, was sworn in, and took
nv place, with eleven others, to try Pat
rick OHoulahan. Head meanors. For in
asmuch as" &c.
The Attorney-General opened the case
in a speech that lasted the entire day.
Half dozen at least of the jury took fly
inc maps. Old Chouzler can sleep with
one eye respectfully fixed on the Judge
the other intently planted in the direction
of the Bar. Young Slopmiss, of the firm
of Sopnliss 4 Gudgeon, and Tompkin
the feather merchant, retired into the re
motest corner of the jury-boX, and ther'
% temporal o moreS = proceeded t.
play, as they facetiously termed it, three
chalks for ten shillings-being spoil live
between two, four tricks constituting
chalk This operation required silence
and dexterity; but as they manipulated
the "flats behind Mr.. Lampwhistle-wh'
is as broad as he is long, and weigh
twenty stone before dinner-they enjoyed
their little game i'll comparative security
one or the other starting up between th'
deals as the deal permitted as if in excru
ciatng anxiety to catch any labored sen
tence the Attorney-General was pumpin:
out.
did great deal of mental arithmeti
gave my boys professions and my girl
fortunes-during the long hours the Law
officer of the Crown was endeavoring t
impress upon me the enormty of tn
crime of the prisoner at the bar. My ex
perience of being in the box is this. Th
jury in criminal cases care very little TO
citations from acts of Parliament, ar
averse to prolonged intellectual efforts il
{ bn un nf ha / IN