Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-03-13
A jury That was oua Eleven Days.

The staid city of Philadelphia has
just revealed tons the ways aud 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
kass, had been indicted for the prac-
tice OF their nctarious profession, and
after their guilt had heen ,pratts riearIy
shown NE case was given to tho 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
interviewing reporter. Three OF the
twelve were straight-laced. hard
shell old Yellowstone Methodist,
another Presbyterian and The third a
Quakcr"--who, from the first, were
squarely for conviction three more
were for acquittal and. the re-
naming six were sublimely indifier-
ent. After fifteen minutes ola .'regu-
lar jumbled mass of ideas from all at
once," it was evident that they stood
nine for conviction to three for acquit.
tai. The interviewed Juror was Of the
opinion that the accused were g guilty
to a slight extent, '.but did not deserve
much punishment, SO he yoted-with
two others-for acquittal The moro
they argued the moro they couldn't
agree, and, after an hour or two, they
relapsed into sullen silence. In the
evening they cheered up little, and,
somebody having introduced pack OF
cards, they played cuchre. And so
things went on for ten days; the FORE
men would call a meeting twice day,
take a vote; and, as no compromise
could be effected, the euchre men
would 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 martyr
dom of being called :. thief and incen-
diary" until he threatened suit for
SANDER. All this was fun for the
boys" but confinement was irksome,
and they began 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 ;bnt
he was logged and unyielding, and
they were forced to find sources of
amusement again. Somebody extern
ported another pack Of cards from
some stiff writing paper, and the wick
ed game went on, while the "stiff-
backs read from onecopy ofthe Scrip
lures, and others danced The "Boston
dip" and sang hymns! But to be for
ever shut in by four walls, even with
such a range and variety sof amuse-
ments, was so dreary prospect that it
at length steelcd the one stubborn
juror against the prisoners, and he
agreed TO call them gniity--but only
on one OF the four counts. He didn't
believe they were every guilty. but to
s'get out of the jailo he was willing 10
"agrcc" that they were on the fourth
count, to which. he supposed. some
light penalty was attached 10 this
the others agreed, and they relieved
the waiting court with such a verdict.
Then came the richest part of the per-
Torrance, for, whilst a verdict of gull
ty ON any of the three counts would
have sent the accused to prison for not
more than one year, the actual finding
on the fourth count, sent them to pri-
son for two years and a half, with a
fine of $500 each. That is what The in
telligcnt juror does when he wants to
sslet a man OF easy," Truly il Is a
hardened wretch who eau refrain from
suicide eleven days, while such '.itry
of his peers dance, sing and play
cards, with his fate in their hands.
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