Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-05-01
5Hisrellamu.
An Obstinate Juror.

| tnat one Juryman OF the less undHlmous
twelve who inexorably refuses to agree
with his exasperated associates on YER
dict but there have been cases in which
his seeming perversity has proved ulti-
mately to be the salvation of justice, and
venerable English judge, recently de
ceased, was wont to cite one instance in
his earlier judicial experience when such
perversity led to an astounding discovery
of mistaken truth.
A man who was on trial before this
Judge in the Court of Common Pleas
for the murder of a neighboring land
lord, with whom be was known to be on
bitterly unfriendly terms, protested act
ually with tears and prayers that he was
wholly innocent of the dreadful crime,
though he acknowledged his enmity to
the dead man ON account of some dis
puted boundary between their properties,
and that the clothing he wore and after
ward concealed on the day of the tragedy
was deeply stained with human blood.
As he earnestly told and reiterated his
story-he was taking morning walk as
customary, across the fields of certain
farm, when he stumbled upon the body
of man, who was lying dead amongst
some corn, with two deep wounds in his
breast, apparently made by pitchfork
near at hand. Raising the prostrate fig
ure to ascertain if life yet remained, he
was stained by the blood, and discovered
that the victim was his own quarrelsome
neighbor.
Humanity at first impelled him to give
an alarm but in another moment the
thought of his well. known differences
with the slain man filled him with COW
ardly fear of being connected with the
murder. The idea so increased in its
terror that he turned back to his home,
removed his discolored clothing, and hid
it in the barn where the police afterward
found it.
But this story did not appear reasona.
bic to the Court /; and despite the prison
er's passionate persistency in it, and de-
spairing cry that God and his conscience
knew him to be wholly innocent" the
case went to the jury with apparently
absolute certainty of instantaneous con-
viction.
Such, indeed, must have been the re-
suit but for the dissent of one juror, and
he the foreman. This person, a man Of
education, high social and moral estima
ton and large property, begged the
Judge to permit the jury to retire fol
consultation, and then so reasoned, plead
ed, and actually prayed with his associ
ates against their unanimous judgments
as to fairly weary them into joining him
in verdict of acquittal. But the as
founded Chief Justice Indignantly refused
to accept the verdict, and sent them back
again and again to their room, until al
last he was obliged to accept it. The
unhappy men, cursing their foreman,
were discharged in disgrace, with the
the blood of an unavenged murder left
at their door F" though the prisoner al
his unexpected and seemingly miracu'
lous release, fell upon his knees in
court with the cry You see, my lord,
that God and a clear conscience can save
the lost"
When the Judge subsequently heard
by what means so strange a verdict had
been effected, and that the man respons-
ible for it was both intelligent and of
high character, he obtained conference
with the obstinate juror and adjured him
to explain his incomprehensible conduct
in the matter. The late foreman exacted
pledge of secrecy to last during his
own lifetime, and then calmly told why
he had labored SO infexibly for the ac-
cused mans life On the morning of the
murder the man doomed to be killed,
who was the tithing-man of the parish,
called early to collect tithes ON the speak
er's corn, and was so arbitrary and vio-
lent in his manner as to provoke indig-
nant remonstrance. Becoming enraged,
the tithe-gatherer assaulted the other
with pitchfork which he was carrying,
and which belonged to neighbor; and
in defense of his life the assailed man
wrested the weapon away, and in so do
ing inflicted wounds of which the aggres.
or fell dead on his way homel
So the actual slayer was the coming
foreman of the jury-a position he Sc
cured for himself at great pains and ex,
pense, that he might save an innocent
man from dreadful punishment for q
crime which he had himself committed
in selfdefense.
A papa in Greenville, Kentucky, has
daughter Kate, aud Kate has lover
distasteful to papa. On the lovers birtf