The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-16
The rnfallibility 81 Jurdes.

The acoslittaI OF DIR. WEST, OF DeaM@ie,
who was charged with having killed. skinned
and burned Dip. negro, In order Ina. nc
WET, might obtain the sum of S25,ooo LOT
which his own life was insured, has occa-
stoned the Journals of New fora and eise-
where to spssk in the most disparaeing terms
~ the particular jury which acquitted WEST,
and has also enabled them TO indulge In
some unwarranted filings at the jury system.
So tas as we can Judge from what we have
read Of the case, the acq,tittal Of DR.. WEST
was not justified by the evidence; but we
are inclined to think that the papers
have not let us into the secret oi IL.
There is something hidden when may
yet be revealed. There was some fea-
son for the verdict which has not YET
been communicated to the general pubic
We notice that WEST Is now TO be tried for
arson. Perhaps it was the certainty that he
coultlebe convicted Of arson and confined IN
prjson for life that induced the first jury to
give him the benefit Of every doubt, and to
turn him over to the tender mercies of
new Jury. We know not, we repeat, why
he WAS acquitted. But we have great faith
IN juries, especially in criminal cases. 1t Is
hard to deceive an average jury. 1t is
almost impossible to get a verdict out. of
them which does not coincide with the
popular idea Of justice and fair dealing. The
thoughtIess charge the lawyers with deceiy-
ing juries; but this is not often done. ut
What cases are those in which the juries,
10 repeat the commonest imputation made
upon them, are made ur of ignorant men !?
Always, or almost always, cases about which
the public is greatly concerned. It is now
the case Of an injured husband who has slain
the man who wronged him; now that of a
brother who has avenged sisters honor ;
, row that OF q man who has killed, in self
defence as he claims, somebody who was not
known to be beligerent in his habits: and
now that of man who has killed an
other, and perhaps better man, under
such circumstances as that the public
mind is confused, and no one knows
what to think of the case, vet every one fool
ishly takes sides with the one or the other OF
the parties. The law may hold all these par.
ties to be guilty of murder. The lawyers
may decide as they please, or AS money shall
dictate, on the question. The ablest may be
the commemorative attorney. or he may
be the defendants counsel. Yet the result
will be the same: the ignorant, uninformed
Jury will render correct verdict, and one
that will commend itself to the judgment OF
almost every unprecedented man in the COM
munity. Even the best and ablest of judges
hem and haw and make great show
of their determination TO administer
justice, and act as il parties were
bound to be punished who, everybody
else knows, are not to be punished. Juries
never indulge in this sort of thing. But the
iudse has not been segregated from the COM
immunity. The poor, unintelljgent lurymen,
on the contrary are kept to themselves, and
made to listen to the law aud the evidence,
and to study the case without knowing what
those who have not heard the evidence think
Of it, and SO they make up their own verdict.
And that verdict, we repeat, is almost certain
10 be a Just one. We-,c cannot tell now IL Is
That such bodies of such men 50 often hit
upon the truth. We only know that it is So.
Those who decry jurles do SO without rea-
son. Experience teaches that learned judges
are more fallible ard less independent. When
IL is proposed to dispense with juries, we
may well say as the English have said for
centuries, q We are not willing to change the
laws of England"
P.S. Since writing the above, we have
learned (trom the Brooklyn Eagle) that the
punishment for arson in Delaware is death.
We suspect it is known that WEST can be
convicted On this charge. There is no doubt
that he set fire to the house, whilst there is
doubt as to whether he committed murder.
Hence the verdict complained Of ~. -.