Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-02-09
THE SKELETON INTHEJUR Y
BOH

THE SKELETON INTHEJUR Y
BOH.
Some months ago, there was u SEN
sational murder trial in the State OF
New York, the object of which was
to find who sent a bullet through the
skull Of a lady. This trial was rendered
moro sensational than 1t otherwise
would have been by the introduction
OF variety of skulls. 1t was considered
necessary to show the operation OF bul.
lets on skulls when properly fred into
them. The public crowded to the trial
and men, women and children sat for
days in the unwholesome atmosphere
Of crowded Court House, with view
to the picking up of useful information
in regard to skulls and bullets. If this
trial failedS to satisfy the public in
furnishing all the sensationalism that
was demanded it was because the
skulls had no flesh on them. What the
people want on such an occasion is a
nice fresh skull and not old dry bones.
Brooklyn, the city of sensations,
wholesome and unwholesome, is now
treated to a kindred entertainment.
Brooklyn enjoys greater completeness
and satisfaction than did the compare
lively rural neighborhood where the
skulls were exhibited Skulls might
do for Ballston, but the City of Churches
and church fights is not 10 be satisfied
with anything less than a iull set OF
bones. At sensational trial in that
city the counsellor the afflicted defend
ant brought in q full skeleton and
dangled it before the jury. The effect
Of this was ielcitous IN the extreme.
The trial has been a very dull one. Its
object was to determine whether or
not the spinal cord Of a lady who had
been pushed down stairs or otherwise
assaulted, was thereby injured. If in
jured, this lady wanted heavy damages.
That is to say the lawyers call it dam
ages" What she really wanted was
money for repairs, in view OF the fact
that she was already damaged or
thought herself damaged to q very con-
siderable extent The evidence in this
case was particularly troublesome and
hard for the average juror to under.
stand. The jury being neither more
nor less stupid than the average blum.
dered and wondered as the experts who
gave their testimony Numbered out
great lots of polysyllabic words in re-
gard TO the operation OF blows on the
spinal cord and other portions of the
human economy. One set Of experts
undertook 10 prove that the lady's
spinal cord was damaged to such an
extent that paralysis had supervened
The other set endeavored to show that
there was nothing the matter with her
worse than hysteria. After the case
had proceeded n considerable distance
it was found that most of the jury did
not know the difference between hys-
terra and paralysis, nor did they know
what "supervene" meant. They were
becoming drowsy. Some of them
nodded, and q few so far forgot them.
selves as to snore. But when the
counsel brought IN The skeleton they
were all attention. Even if they could
not compass the idea of all its uses or
Of its construction, they were pleased
when the counsel held il up before
them and dangled it in their sight
He was kind enough to make it rattle
its bones and to move its wiry joints
like those Of a iumpingjack. When
he endeavored to show them where
the spinal cord was they were greatly
bothered because Of the fact that this
skeleton had no spinal cord, but they
only showed the place where such a
cord would be il it had any. As TO
cords generally, such as bed cords,
cords Of wood and the cords which are
noosed around the necks of criminals
on hanging occasions, the jury had a
fair understanding. The idea of the
spinal cord was one which bothered
them beyond measure, Nor could they
see, if the cord was packed away
among hard bones, as the counsel ex.
planned it to be, how it could be hurt
by so simple an operation as pushing
its owner down stairs.
The idea of arriving at Just verdict
about matter touching the spinal
cord by exhibiting a skeleton which
has no spinal cord in it is utterly i'm
practicable. The jury cannot grasp it.
The skeleton is a great improvement
on the bare skulls. But juries are not
to be trihed with or imposed upon by
such dry bones OF law aud justice
The next managers of sensational
trial who want to do the square thing
by an intelligent jury will bring their
client into Court alive Tor the express
purpose of having her pushed down
stairs TO see how much it hurts. Such
sight would keep the jury awake,
and would confer intense satisfaction
on the spectators. 1t is TO be regretted
that the Brooklyn lawyers did not
think of this without our suggesting
| IT, Hilddelphid Times.