Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-02-21
at'eekly Trinity 9uurnal.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY ri. 1874.
JURY TRIALS.


We have had some remarkable ver-
diets by juries in this country, and have
had occasion TO notice number Of them.
The one in the Puifenberger case, for in
stance, where the prisoner was tried for
criminal carelessness resulting in the AL
ton railway disaster, was as queer verdict
in its way as one often hears. The jury
decided that PutteE berger was not guilty
of criminal carelessness, and then CEN
sured the railway for employing so reck-
less, incompetent, and careless an engin-
eer This was equal to the Welsh jury,
who found prisoner not guilty, but re-
quested the judge to warn him not to yield
to temptation again
Though we have had some strange ver-
diets in this country, we are still far in
advance Of most other nations, and cs-
pecially Italy, which, just now, is having
some queer experience. Three cases,
lately reported there, seem at first blush
incredible but when we think of what
an average jury will do in this land of
intelligence, we feel inclined to credit
these cases, and should do so even if they
were not we'll authenticated-whic they
are.
The Dutchess of Vastogirodi, residing
in Naples, was robbed a short time ago
of some very valuable diamonds. Sus-
picion fell upon her maid, who was ar
rested. The evidence was positive, but
the jury acquitted the girl, on the ground
that the jewels exercised such fascina-
ton on her that she was "driven to com
nit theft by an irresistible force !" The
Duchess was reprimanded for placing
such temptations before the girl. An
other was still more absurd. A man fired
gun into the church, severely wound
ing the devotee in the leg. The firing
party was tried, and the jury acquitted
him, deciding that if the gentleman had
been less supersttious, and had not been
praying his time away at church, his leg
would not have been in the way of the
bullet, and he would not have been hurt.
Another case, and one that will be most
heartily commended by defaulting pub
lie servants, is that of a tax collector of
Naples, who ran away with a million
francs. He was arrested and tried, and
the jury acquitted him on the ground
that the money stolen belonged to the
people and as he was one of the people
he was part owner of the money, and it
would be monstrous to convict man for
stealing his own property! This is rather
pleasant rule for the delaulters, surely,
and has the merit Of being not only novel
but ingenious. 1t is great pity that
the shrewd attorneys who delcndedTweed
and Genet did not think OF such Il plea in
time to save the former from prison and
the latter from the disagreeable necessity
drumming away.
1t is not at all wonderful, however, in
the light, or rather obscurity of such YER
diets as these, that the Italian Govern
ment has about concluded that jury trials
are unmitigated humbugs, and propose
doing away with them entirely. The
fact is, that juries need to be selected
for their intelligence, instead Of their ig-
norance, as is too frequently the case !;
and this is difficult thing to do in a
country like Italy, where education is
the exception instead of the rule. Here
however, there is no excuse for packing
the box with dozen ignorant men, and
little care on the part Of the court will
avoid verdicts remarkable for nothing
save their absurdity. - Chicago Inter-
ocean.