Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-03-21
Ten Heroes.

Two ruiians, were lately brought to trial
in Philadelphia on a criminal indictment
for keeping gambling house. There were
some circumstances in the affair which
were peculiarly aggrayating. The forces
Of good and Of evil in society were squarely
pitted against each other. Public moral
ity itself-nay, even public decency, were
in the issue. At last, after full hearing,
the case went to the jury, and the jury went
to their room. There they were at once
/ locked up, and there, for eleven days and
nights, they remained, grimly, uncomplain-
/ ingly, without a murmur Of impatience
breaking from the room Finally, on the
twelfth day, they returned into court with
a verdict Of guilty" At that decision
I every good citizen breathed more freely !.
and then, loaded with compliments from the
| judge, girded about by benedictions from
the multitude, the discharged jurors grasped
their 0yorcOats and yalises. and sped out of
the court house away to their homes, weary
and haggard, through the crowd which
pelted them with questions to which they
| gave no answer but silence
What was the history of those eleven
days and nights in the jury-room2 What
kept them 50 long? How many resisted
the verdict which was finally rendered 3?
Ou- good friend, the interviewer has kindly
come to the rescue. By his help, We can
answer some of these questions.
The jurymen had scarcely had their first
polling, when ten of them discovered that
desperate game was going to be played
upon them by the grim minority Of two.
| These two, for reasons which have been
publicly impugned as corrupt, swore that
they were going to fight conviction" to
the last, any one of them said that he could
stay there and would stay there till the ac-
cused had 4 verdict of not gnilty. So the
battle began; and 50 it continued. hour after
hour. from darkness to darkness, till nearly
two weeks had been worn away. There
were no blows struck there was no noise
which sounded beyond the walls. 1t was
simply a combat If waiting. 1t was
battle of the passive virtues.
1t was motionless campaign to provo
whether the two could conquer ten, in
patience, in power Of suffering, in dogged
determination. By-and-by, one of the
amiable pair gave way; and at last, on the
twelfth morning, the other surrendered, aud
the cause Of public virtue triumphed
through the Clear Grit Of the ten heroes
In the conversations which took place
afterwards between newspaper reporter
and several Of the jurymen, we catch some
Iich glimpses of human nature.
Reporfcr.-"l suppose the hours were
often dull during your long imprison-
ment ~
JurymaR-'' Decidedly. We told each
other all the old jokes and yarns We knew,
but the interchange soon ran Us out. We
also imprOyised dominoes and checker
boards, but the time passed very slowly.
There was no sickness except an occasional
headache in the party, and good nature pre-
vailed nearly all the time
Reporter" Were the Jurors all on good
terms during your seclusiOn?"
JurymGn.-" With the exception Of once
OF twice One of the men brought in with
him pack of cards, and for while they
were Of great service in helping US to kill
time but at last Mr.. Webber, whose re-
ligious principles are opposed to the use of
cards, said that men who were trying a
gambling case should not idle away their
time in that above all other ways. lie not
only talked against the cards, but prevent
ed their use by casting them into the stove
There was some ill-ieeling for little while
over the matter; but ultimately it died out,
and the man who was angry admitted that
the old gentleman was right"
We think 1t not unworthy of our time to
tell this tale of ten heroes. An incident
like this is peculiarly refreshing. 1t can
not be denied that We have had among us,
during the last year or two, Juries who did
no honor to the jury system. In fact many
thousands of persons, of late, have serious
ly doubted whether the venerable institu-
tion ola trial by jury were not a venerable
humbug. One instance, like this of the
Philadelphia jury, goes far towards redeem
ing the whole method from the blight Of
popular distrust.- Christian Union.