The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-05-21

Shortly alter the bill granting sui"
frage to women went into operation,
wousnwers summooed to serve a. grand
and petit jjurorsin- the several courts Of
record and in this particular field their
participation in public affairs has been
especiany successful Acting with men
10 the capacity of grand jurors, they
secured hs Presentation Of indictments
that could not otherwise have been OBJ
tanned; serving as petit jurors thew
paid strict attention to testimony and
argument. profoundly impressed with
the new and important responsibilities
thatrhad been thrust upon Them.
The circumstances of the first case
tried by jury impannelled regardless
of sex were as follows: A young blade,
who had imbibed the tnen prevalent
notion that be could hot hope 10 attain
to the iun stature Of manhood without
killing somebody, participated unneces
sarily IN tar-room brawl and arcrn.
plished the object o his ambition
Having been indicted for murder, he
sought to show q justihable homicide,
claiming that the act was done 10 -elf.
de ense A jury, composed OF equal
parts male and female. was ,mpanne led
to try the case, and, after three days and
nights OF. dellberation. at last agreed
upon q verdict OF mauslaug liter, and the
cuIprit is now in the pen Tertiary med
itatrug upon the swiftness and certainty
of female Justice. The male juror
were in favor of scquittal, but the IA.
dies, believing that uman lie ought
not to be held by any such unsafe and
flimsy tenure, voted during three days
and nights for conviction, until at last
verdict of manslaughter was agreed
upon.
The Court, unlike some Of its East
ern compeers, would not permit jurors
to separate until after their final agree
ment and discharge. At nightfall, after
the days deliberation, adjacent rooms,
communicating by door, OF which the
sheriff held the key. were provided,
and the women, attended by female
constables, occupied one apartment,
while the men dispos d themselves IN
the other. When morning 1awned the
two sexes met for d-liberat on, and so
on from day to dsv, until final YER
dict was reached. 1t is ALLEGED that
the women passed considerable por-
ton OF the ight season in prayer'ul
contemplation of the grave respon-bi-
tiles resting upon them, while the men
INDUCED in a cheerful game o: draw
poker.
Some Of the ladies were matrons
whose dome-tic arrangements might
have been temporarily in chronic
state, while the spinsters enjoying their
season of maiden meditation fancy
free," were not annoyed by any harrow.
ing reflections concerning domestic
eclipses If patertamilias was domes-
tically disturbed and OBLIGED 10 practice
culinary arts, he bad the consolation OF
knowing that his other physical halt
was administering stern aud impartial
justice TOR the benefit Of society.
A lady with infant in arms appeared
in obedience to a summons; and while
the jury was being impanelled the
child addressed the Court with impas-
stoned though uuintelligihle eloquence,
filling the entire court room with VOL
umes of incoherent sound, and effectu
ally drowning all other attempts to be
heard. Whether the young pilgrim
was entering solemn protest against the
new departure, or singing the praises of
political equality, must ways remain
a mystery; but the Court promptly
excused both mother and child from
further attendance at that term,
In all cases where husband and
wife. happened 10 be summo ,ed
upon the came jury, one or the oth,r
was invariably excused on the grou Ids
Of public or private policy; and IN thu
case Of women, the present or prospect
i've possession of very young children is
regarded as sufficient cause for excuse.
whether pleaded or not, and the court y
EXPECTED TO take judicial notice of tn q
fact. No d votces, or e'opem.nts, "r
o her domestic calamlt es have ben
known to result from wUInan's intrJ
ducnon to the jury box
Daring a p .riod OF more than two
wears women have served as juror in
civil and criminal cases at nearly every
term o: the various courts rtcori
and their influence, thus practically
manifested on behalf law and order,
has ben noticeably beneficial. This Ia
especially true with reference to crimi,
raj trials In border precincts at tn
Wet, the LEGAL doctrine of excu liable or
justitiaole homie de il carr far beyon l
It's proper limits. For example, a rou
pie Of belicose soverei.ns INDUCED n
wnrdy warfare, and after having ex-
haus Ell the v.r"acular Of billings
gaze, exchanged shors, result ~
perhaps iaraIly 10: one but
not to the other. The eurvrvor is IN.
drcted for murd-r-claims that the act
was done in sci .deience, and in ma
jority of cases would be acqu tied by
Jury composed ex lusiveiy OF males;
tu won an jurors, unless satisfied that
the deceased was beyond question an
aggressor with murderous intent, are
quite apt to tiud tot lily difftrent YER
dict. The women of Wyoming, re
gardless OF race or previous condition
of servitude, adhere to good govern
ment, seed the enforcement Of whole
some laws, ard, while bravely perform
ing the onerous though unsought du-
ties pertaining to their new condition,
manifest no nnMomanly ambition for