The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-03-21
A Jury That Was Out Eleven Days.

The staid city of Philadelphia has Just
revealed to US the ways and means by
which twelve good men and true, !"
when shut up to deliberate upon the
guilt of the wicked, arrive at their con-
clusion. Two gamblers, Siner and
Kaas, had been indicted for the practice
of their nefarious profession, and after
their guilt had been pretty clearly
shown the case was given to the
jury, and they kept it the unprecedented
time of eleven days. The manner in
which the Juror of the period spends the
weary hours of his incarceration is
amusingly shown by the revelations of
one who was made the victim of an in
terviewing reporter Three of the
twelve were " straight laced, hard-shell
old Yellowstone Methodist, another a
Presbyterian and the third Quaker
who, from the first, were squarely for
conviction; three more were for acquit-
tai, and the remaining six were sublime
ly Indifferent. After fifteen minutes of
regular jumbled mass of ideas from
all at once" it was evident that they
stood nine for conviction to three for
acquittal. The interviewed Juror was of
the opinion that the accused was equity
to a slight extent" but did not deserve
much punishment, so he voted-with
two others--for acquittal. The more
they argued the more they couldn'
agree, and, after an hour or two, they
relapsed into sullen silence. In the
evening they cheered up a little, and,
somebody having produced a pack of
cards, they played euchre. And so
things went on for ten days; the fore
man would call meeting twice n day,
take vote; and, as no compromise
resume their game. One of the stiff
backs" at length got hold of the cards
and burned them up, and for the
righteous act he suffered the martyrdom
of being called thief and incendiary'
until he threatened suit for Islander.
All this was fun for the boys" but
confinement was irksome, and they be-
gan to consider seriously how they
should regain their liberty and relieve
the agonizing suspense of the prisoners.
Two of the three for acquittal at length
went over to the enemy, leaving one
against eleven; but he was logged and
unyielding, and they were forced to find
sources of amusement again. Somebody
IeXtemporized another pack of cards
from some stiff writing paper, and the
: wicked game went on, while the stiff
4 backs read from one copy of the Scrip
q TIRES, and others danced the "Boston
Dip and sang hymns But to be for.
e ever shut III by four walls, even with
d such a range and variety of amusements
:. was so dreary prospect that it al
length steeled the one stubborn juror
1t against the prisoners, and he agreed tC
Il call them guilty-but only on one of the
e iow counts. He didn't believe they
e were very guilty" but to "get out OF
/. the JAIL he was willing to 4" agree tina
N they we're on the fourth count, to which
he supposed, some light penalty was at
1t taehed. To this the others agreed, anC
+" they relieved the waiting court will
20 such averdict. Then came the riches
r. par Of the performance, for, while {
ver0ct Of guilty on any of the three
" counts would have sent the accused t.
J. prison for not more than one year, tn,
d actual finding On the fourth count sen
them toprison for two years and a half
ii with fine of $500 each. That is wha
N the intelligent Juror does when he wants
to 3" letaman off easy !" Truly it is
L hardened wretch who can refrain from
ID suicide eleven days, while such ;ur,
of his peers dance, sing and play cards
W with his late in their hands.