The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-03
SHERMAN ANSWERED.
A COMPLETE REPUTATION or Hxs
ALLEGATIONS RELATIVE no
THE ANDERSON TRIAL.
What the FOREMAN Of the Jury says
nA Asinfan lAan Ease.

1
| To my fellow eitiz ms of Louisana who have
felt an Interest IN the trial lately held in the
ss.nperipr Gririnai ,Con Of New Oreans,
Pp 81 The sIaa T. Y11aEar aage q fh7 sass
O. Ander, on
AS one Of the twelve jurors inpaneled to
serve In the ahove-namea case, / deem 1t my
duty, In view Of the many iflcprraet asset:-
tions published throughout the country rela-
tive to the matter to state siiel1 facts and
d furnish such Information as will enable our
people to readily comprehend all that oe-
Cured; as witnessed from my standpoint,
What write Is voluntary, without solieita4
Hon from any source.
ON NY own RESPONSIBILITY.
and Is placed before the public because think
Il should possess close acquaintance with
all points that bear upon matter which, to
me, appears one OF public concern.
In the latter part Of December last was
summoned to serve as a Juror for the january
term in the Superior Criminal Court Ap-
pearing on the fifth OF the month. / was ae-
jurors. Up to the twenty-eightll january
took part in the usual court services. On this
date the court began iInpaneling q jury for
the purpose OF trying the case Of the
STATE OF LOUISIANA vs.. THosGJ. ANDERSON,
on enarge Of having falsely uttered and
| published as true al altered public record
knowing the same TO be false; the record Re,
ferred to being the consolidated statement Of
votes Of the parish OF Vernon, La, the votes
being those. cast for Presidential electors at
the general election Of November 1876 On
Tuesday, the second day for obtaining Jurors,
my name syas reached on the list, and know
ing nothing of the particular case to be tried.
my replies to. the attorneys questions were
such as caused me to be accepted as a Juror.
About 8 o'clock Tuesday night the iury was
completely formed, composed Of eight -tnsin-
bers OF the regular january panel and four
talesmen, two of the latter colored; the
talestnen were summoned during the day, In
connection with a large additional number
Every name on the regular panel was,
believe. called: but owing to excuses. absence
and challenges, only the eight Jurors were OBJ
tained i will state here, as it was subse-
quently shown that the assertion made In
public prints that the jury was packed Is
| false. ! am sure the position to every man
selected was wholly unexpected
AS evidence OF the preeaution and
EXTREMELY RIGID REGULATIONS
for the guarding of the jurors from outside
interference from o'clock Tuesday niubt
January 49, till about 10 o'clock Thursday
night, February 7, the twelve were never sep
| atated- and sometimes three sheriffs
officers always accompanied our move
ments we were not permitted Il, speak to
any one except the officers. then only to sup
ply necessary wants, they alone being allowed
All written communications to and from
the. jurors were submitted to the Judge and
by him to the several attorneys for approval,
and oil packages OF clothing and other arti-
eles for the use Of the jurors were opened and
inspected before delivery
NOT NEWSPAPER COULD WE SEE
Of later date than that brought by MS
Into the building. Those placed upon
packages were removed and old dates substi-
tuted. At night one room contained us, In
which we were securely locked. Our seelu-
| complete.
| have no acquaintance with Judge Whita-
ker aside from seeing him on The bench. He
exhibited much patience during the long
trial; insisted frequently upon the attorneys
and Witnesses on both sides taking all the
time they required. 1t struck me that he was
| PARTICULARLY IMPARTIAL,
| and lt appeared to be his determination to
complaining Mt his action. The impression
being prevalent in some quarters that the
members of the Returning Board could not
have q fair trial in his court, it looked to me
| as though the Judge had this fact in mind.
and was using every precaution In the man
agenent of matters connected with the court
to satisfy all interested that any such fear
| was groundless
two eolored members Of the jury, deem it
| proper to state that they were sum rnoned to
| appear in court as talesfnen in the usual
manner and were readily accepted rs jurors.
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TRIAL
their conduct and demeanor, as regards civil
ity and .propriety, did not differ from that OF
their fellowjurors, and, us result we were
| harmonious and not an unkind word did /
hear spoken one to the other. Under the law,
and in the position OF jurors we we're equals
all distinctions leveled-so that no difficulty
arose to prevent our being similarly i'm
pressed in regard to all points of consequence
| in the case to which our attention was rf
course. constantly directed.
The disposition and capacity Of the colored
members to receive and comprehend the pro-
ceedings Of the court were, [ think, fully up
| to what should naturally be expected from
persons OF race so lately accorded the i'm
portant privilege OF a ballot | learned that
lthe jurors who happened to sit regularly near
properly direct their attention while in court
to portions Of the proceedings that should, in
justice to the case, be clearly heard and as
thoroughly comprehended us possible and
proffer them all needful explanations.
The length OF the trial our constant assoeia-
| tion and the apparently natural disinclina-
tion to differ in opinion, as evidence vas
| evolved, seemed gradually to build up
A TOWER OF UNITY
completed in full by the result Of our
sthe jury not to talk about the case
outside the court room. This was tolerably
well complied with, but our topics Of discus
sion became limited rs the days Of our banish-
ment from the outside world increased, and it
was not an easy matter for twelve men to ab O
stain altogether from alluding to snbiect
| that for from six to nine hours zach day was
SO constantly kept before them.
Feeling that we would not be justified in nc
knowIedging prernaturely even TO oneself, that
an opinion as to The guilt or innocence OF the
accused was fixed, no matter how decided inn
pressons might be, [ stated that we ought
MT to arrive at and, more especially, an
n1unce n, n conclusion among ourselves, untA
charge Of the Judge, had been heard. AS far
as | am aware the jurors pursued this course