The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-03-07
WOMEN AT THE POLLS.

idle. No disturbance occurred during
the entire day. A few shreWd politicians
attempted to foist the wrong ticket on
some of the ladies as they passed between
the long lines of men to deposit their
virgin ballots. but they failed in this
game worked so successfully upon drunk
en- men. The ladies heads were clear.
and they were not to be cajoled or cheat
ed. The rnughs, even, were respectful
Whenever lady dismounted from her
carriage the crowd gave way, forming
wall on either side, of men, eagerly
peeripg over his neighbor's shoulder, to
see who was voting, how she voted, and
how she looked voting. Sensible men
were seen standing around the polls all
day, with no other apparent purpose
than to watch the novel scene. The
ladies passed the trying ordeal however,
and INDICATED their equality among and
before the ''lords of creation" Many
voted either for the novelty sake or at
the solicitation of their husbands or
friends, who were interested In the re-
suit,
Later, at the city election, few ladies
voted, except in one ward, as an offset,
when the contest was close between a
temperance and whisky candidate, for
which the latter the fasti women of the
town turned out. The whisky man was
defeated by the ladies votes. From this
time until the impaneling ofjurors for
| the Spring term of court, the ladies of
Cheyenne were allowed the retirement
of private life. The names of those as
piring to sit on jury of their country
men were placed in the list and drawn.
The court convened on Monday morn
ing, and the futter caused by the sprink
ling of ladies in the courtroom was ap-
parent ON the outside. Men were curl
ously standing at the doors and windows
of the courtroom tie get glimpse of the
jurors in gowns Mrs. A, Mrs. P, Mrs.
H., Mrs. P, Mrs. W., and Mrs. c..
were seated inside the bar; these only
| of The married ladies in town being at
that time eligible to Office. AS the clerk
called the roll, the ladies ed to their
names and blushed. The docket was
called, and a murder case selected for
trial. After day spent in selecting, ma
nouvering, challenging, and passing jurors
for cause, jury was finally completed,
with three of these ladies' in the list
Counsel were too gallant to challenge the
ladies from jury; and their gallantry
has since become court etiquette in Wy
oming.
| WOMEN AS JURORS.
Three days were occupied in taking
testimony, and the evidence was nearly
in when Mrs. H. was taken i'll, and pro-
nounced by her family physician too un-
well to sit longer on the jury. Nature
would assert itself, and Mrs. H. had to
be excused, ard another juror drawn in
her stead. The testimony was all re-
taken for the benefit of the new Juror,
and when completed full week had
been occupied in hearing this one case at
an expense to the county Of over ST 900.
As to the prisoner, serious fears were en-
tertained that he would die on the jury S
hands, rather than wait the verdict. It
Is still an open question whether these
jurors are not liable to Indictment for
lnf1lcting upon fellow-being "cruel AID
unusual punishment, contrary to statute
in such case made and provided" How
ever, the prisoner survived verdict of
guilty in the first degree. It was then
| for the first time discovered that one of
these Jurors was not citizen of the
United States. In their modesty the
| counsel for the prosecution did not pre-
sumo to ask such an impertinent cues
ton. The only course now was for the
court to order new trial. But the pris
oner voluntarily offered to plead guilty to
murder in the second degree, and ac-
cept sentence of Imprisonment for lite,
| rather than endure new trial. This was
accepted by the court, and Noyes went
to prison for life, rather than to be tried
by female jury. As to the husbands
| and children of these ambitious jurors,
their case wos truly heart rend;ng. Dur
ing the entire week they could neither
| speak nor communicate with their loved
and lost. At morning the doorways of
the courtroom were crowded with dis
consulate husbands and children waiting
to catch a glimpse of their wives aud
mothers as the Sheriff brought the jury
into court.
AT night they would linger to gaze at
the retiring forms that once gladdened
their homes and their hearts, as they
were marched off by the sheriff to the
public hotel, to eat and spend the night
together. One husband became uncon-
trollable, and asked the Judge to permit
his wife to 60 home and see her children
and spend the night once more. But
the Judge was inexorable, and the poor
husband returned alone to his desolated
fireside to indict whitening review of
the paneful results of Woman's Rights,
which appeared In an evening paper On
the following day. His argument was
based upon the domestic impractability
of the system, and upon the divine an
nouncement that it is not good for man
to be alone.
During the entire week the ladies and
gentlemen of the jury ate, drank and
slept under the guard of the sheriff; the
ladies all In one room and the gentlemen
in another communicating. The day ON