The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-02-13
NUMBER 4.
Peeu'torJury trials and Findings

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The remarkable trials which have held
the attention of all classes Of peoplein in New
OTk during the past six months, havo
almost equally interested the journals and
people abroad. Our latest foreign flies arc
spiceG with remarkable cases, though there
does not seem TO have been any effort to
tind.;parallels to cur latest and most no,o-
Tious. but rather an effort TO equal later
exhibitions of quaint finding, where tho
moral perceptions seem to have been blunt
ed, or where singular obtuSeneSs as to tie
appropriate punishment for delinquents
seems to have dominated in the minds of
tEC HouOUed twelve. In this connection u
late Chambers Journal furnishes 4 variety
of items OF jury action, which are both in
stmctive aud amusing. The first case in
stanCed is that Of a Worcester Jury who
acquitted man in the face Of ovcrw helm
ing testimony, merely because he happened
to be defended 10y a local magnate the
foreman of the precious twelve actually be-
lieved they had done something meritori-
, Gus, eXultingly saluting the squire day OF
two afterwards. Another case is that Of =
" estern jury, who, sitting upon the body
of an Indian, undeniably done to death Ny
the random shooting OF the guardian Of the
potato plot, made things pleasant al round
by prOnOuncing that the Unluclly savage
had been worried to death by dog and
that not satisfying the unreasonable coro-
ner, altered THEN verdict to ''Kiled by fall
ing over elf, " and stuck TO that version
iii spite Of all remos,, trance
4 good story is told how Dcvonshiro
jury came to acquit a doctor, who had ac-
cidentally killed an old woman by mixing
her medicine little too carelessly.
soon as they we've comfortably settled
the retiring room the foreman told fheI
they must settle as quickly as possible
whether or not they would hang the doe
tor, so that they might go home to supper
in good tine, and that the quickest way
of dispatching the business was for him to
take the opinion of each in turn and let the
most votes decide the matter. Upon this
point, at any rate, the jury were unani-
nous, and the foreman proceeded to puU
the question. One said he did not caro-
how it went-hanging the doctor would
neither harm nor do him apS good au-
other, TINT the doctor had lately saved the
lives of his children, who were mortal bad
with the smallpox, while be had ONLY
killed an Old woman, who could not have
lived much longer anyhow it was two
lives against one, and he wouldn't hang
the man, not he. Others were for con-
viction on grounds equally ridiculous.
/ Fortunately for the poor doctor, ut length
all agreed to a verdict of not guilty.
Physical arguments have been used by
7
failed. y juryman once asked a judge
whether his differing in Judgment from his
eleven brethren justified his being knocked
down with a chair. In the case OF another
jury, one at dispersal was heard TO say t.
another: ''Only l threatened to knock
him, he d never agrecd.''
\ counsel trying to make the best Of a
bad case insisted that there was some evi-
dcnc- in favor Of the view he wished the
jury % When ho had done, Nr.
JUST id to the jury: The
learn ',"tly right in his
view evidence en
. that por.., an rs
not lawyers anu
by some evidence s..
. pose there was an action On.
change, and six people swore fnv,
him say he should have to pay IT, and ST.
others knew him Intimately, aud swore t.
. his handwriting and. suppose on the other
side, they called in poor old man who had
been to school with the defendant forty
years before and had not seen him since,
and said he rather thought the acceptance
was not in his writing: why there would
be some evidence that IL was not-and
that's " hat the learned counsel means in
this casn." The apt illusuatiou was TO
much foT the jurymen; they had seen their
way clear enough before, hut found it
necessary to retire and solve the Judge 5
abtruse cOnundrum belore.they could agree
upon their verdict.
Another bothered jury, we suspect, was
that American one which was responsible
for ''Ne find the prisoners not guilty, but
believe they hooked the pork "a verdict
matched by a Carlisle jury when they found
a watch stealer guilty, but recommended
him to mercy because it was really e J
hard to say whether lie had taken the
watch OF not. An Irish jury Iecomnoo nded
man to mercy on the ground that he had
no recollection OF the transaction but, Of
all odd reasons for leuieucy, commend US
to that of the Deyonshire foreman, who,
upon being asked why a convicted person
was recommended to mercy, replied, BE.
cause it is an aggravated case, my lord -