Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-09-14
JUMPING A JURY.
An Endeayor on the Part Of Interested Parties 4
Tamper With the Star Route Twelve.

~
Tamper With the Star Route Twelve.
Washington Cor: At the conclusion
OF the argument of the Attorney-Gen-
eral, as the jury was about TO be dis
missed, pending the discussion of coln-
sci upon the prayers that were to be
asked, Judge Wylie requested the Jurors
TO remain a moment. He said that he
a something to say to the Jury. The
something which he did say viii doubt
less startle the country, as it did the
spectators in the courtroom. The Judge
stated, as is reported elsewhere by the
general press, that members of the Jury
had informed him that attempts had
been made to bride them. Judge Wylie
SAID that he had no information from
what quarter these offers came, but he
characterized them as any honest Judge
should do. He said that the offers were
an insult to the iurymen next in rank
totbe grossest insult that can be offered
to a wife, and should be resented by all
possible means. After the court had
been adjourned Judge Wylie said to
your correspondent: Il heard of the
first attempt at bribery some weeks ago.
| did not care to bring it rs another ele-
ment INTO the case, as it would have
tended to protract the trial and could
have done no good. | warned the Jury
men to be watchful for such approaches.
and to inform me if any more were made
Since then | have heard that as many
as four jurymen have been APP
preached with offers of money. The
foreman of the jury has told me that
he has been approached. Last night
another lurymen was tempted, and this
morning. as | was passing through the
corridor leading to the courtroom still
another jurymen called me aside and
said that an attempt had been made to
bride him" Being asked if he intended
to proceed summarily against the par
ties for contempt, the Judge said that he
had considered the subject, and had con-
cluded to transmit the matter to the
district attorney, that the parties might
be indicted and tried in due course.
The arraignment for contempt would
not be as certain a remedy, and he pre-
ferred that indictments should be found
under the statute against bribery. 1t
appears from conversations with the
Judge and with officers of the court that
the jurymen in every instance know the
persons who approached them, and for
what reason they were approached. and
the names of all are in possession of the
authorities. For manifest reasons now
the names are not disclosed, and they
are the names of persons who would be
generally known throughout the coun-
try. They, Of course. represent some
one connected with the case lint =. n
yet too early to fix the responsibility for
this attempt at an infamous crime.
There was CONSERVATION at the LAWYERS
table when Judge Wylie began his phil
ippie against the bribers. 1t was no.
ticed that the counsel at the Govern
ment table manifested little surprise,
but the countenance of every lawyer for
the defense present changed. No one
for a moment supposed that the dis
guished lawyers who are counsel for the
defense have any knowledge of this
business, and # the attempts at bribery
have been made in behalf of any particu-
lar defendant the scheme has undoubt-
edly been planned by persons not con-
nected with the defense in a legal capa-
city, and all knowledge of it has been
kept from the reputable counsel for de-
Tense. The general impression, of
course, is that the attempts at bribery
were in the interest of a verdict of ac-
quittal, fol juries are not brlbed nova
days to find persons guilty.