The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-13
WOMEN ON TIE JURY.
A. Couple of Ladies' Relate Their Experience
to Their Fellow Citizens.
Seattle wv. II Post Intelligencor.

Seattle wv. r. Post Intelgencer.
To Our Fellow-ctizens: We are constrained
to give this open statement to vindicate our in
tegrty, disnterestedness and conscientiousness,
as a shadow of reflection and doubt has been
implied on the same, and an explanation being
asked of us repeatedly, IL is duty to give the
plain facts in the interest OF justice and truth;
and all who read may be judges Of the same. To
be brief and to the point
We were jurors on the smuggling case of the
Lone Fisherman. When chosen we had no
knowledge Of the case no interest in the parties
concerned never having seen the principals. 1t
was prosecuted with great vigor, and every
thing brought to bear to secure conviction. The
first intimation that there was to be aconfiiet
was when the testimony was all in for the pros
ecuton, and Mr.. Haines had opened for the de-
Tense, as to what he should show for the de-
Tense. AS we left the courtroom for the night,
on the stairs going down, one of the jurors said;
'"They will not get off. [ will hang the jury
forty weight hours first" implying that their de-
fence would be of no avail to him. One near
him told him to keep still, as some one would
hear him.
When the case was called, and the jury gone
to their room to decide, the first ballot gave
eight for guilty and four for not guilty, these
four being Ames. ludlow, Wood and Kidd. On
the next ballot Mrs. Ludlow, seeing herself in
the minority, changed to the majority. Per
ceiving that things had come TO standstill, Mrs.
Ludlow gave us lecturing discourse, winding
up with SAYING Now we will advise with our
brothers, and be guided by their Judgment, as
they have more experience and are better in
formed. and can show us the right" To this
Mrs Kidd Immediately replied that she was
capable of Judging and declaring for herself, and
should not look TO the dietum of the men; then
stating how her conclusions were made, viz:
That when the testimony was all in and that
part of the case finished which was Saturday
night. the three days intervening the inter
mission of the court had all been oceu-
pied in reviewing add weighing the tes-
Af %kA Ill
and her naind was made up. This brought
out the charges of Illegally, contempt and
fraud, Mr.. Jones saying that juror had no
right to an opinion until the judges charge was
given to them To this she replied; II know
what it necessarily must be; the law has been
read to us often enough" But this act of
thinking for oneself was the occasion of threats
of being reported, punished, complained of,
which were carried out Then Mrs. Ludlow
made the liberal remark that it was too weighty
a charge and too responsible a position for
women to have and she hoped it would be the
last time women would be on juries
We gave our reasons for not agreeing with the
majority; ''That the prosecution did not estab-
fish clear proof; that it was circumstantial and
based on suspicion; but one testified to its being
the Lone Fisherman, and that was unsatsfac-
tory, especially as he failed to identify persons or
the boat" Others might stretch their conscience
to convict on that kind of testimony, but we
could not be so elastic on such flimsy testimony.
After supper Mrs. Ludlow brought in a bed
from the clerks Office arranged it on chairs, and
slept the balance of the night, Mrs. Curtis rest
ing beside her. While we two were engaged
looking at the pictures, Mr. Judd came between
us and said. THAT unless found guilty our
action would be resented by the people, the
franchise taken from us, and we should not sit
on any more juries" To this Mrs Kidd indig-
nantly replied that she was above such force and
coercion. In reply, ne said: ''She thought more
of herself than others thought of her." In my
replying, Mr. Jones chmed in, chat she would
find herself injured" in manner implying he
would attend to it aud see that she was.
In the morning Mr.. Jones said to Mrs Wood
she ought to be ashamed of herself to hold an
opinion against ten of them, and Mrs. Ludlow
told her it would be SAID she was bribed. This
quite alarmed her, even to have the shadow of
suspicion cast on her In the morning it was
seen that some one of the men had written on
the wall over our heads where we sat- DE
frauders we are tired of the women"
Such being the principal facts, we state them.
In regard to the threats of being reported and
suspcioned of dishonesty subsequent incidents
in the courtroom showed these were acted out.
1t plain open challenge to that effect, and
cast reflection on our right of opinion and
judgment as jurors.
We wish to say something as to the peremp-
tory challenge, the excuse given for discharging
us. How did the judge know it would be SC
that we should be challenged on all future cases!
As we understand it. the lawyers do the chal-
longing. and unless they have united against
U.s. he must have told an untruth. We were
never challenged on any case we were called on,
and Mrs. Kidd sat on eight and Mrs. Wood six
or seven cases passed upon.
Mrs. Ludlow said to Mrs. Wood 1--WE ladies
ought not to stand out against the opinion of
the gentlemen. They are more experienced and
we ought to do as they say. Besides, you are in
jurng the cause of woman's rights" Mrs.
Wood said ''What has woman's rights to do
with this case? We are here to decide whether
this man is guilty or not" No one swore posi-
lively that Mr.. Willy was the man; it was too
dark to fully identify him; that it looked like
him, while, on the other hand, Mr. Murphy
swore positively that it was not Mr.. Willy, am
that the boat was not the Lone Fisherman whic'
certainly created doubt in our minds. and since
MIR. Murphy has been fully and clearly
acquitted by jury of twelve it shows we were
right in convictions.
Mr.. Jones was very domineerng and dictator
ial, shaking his finger in Mrs Woods face. and
saying: You ought to be ashamed of yourself
to hold out against ten of u.s.
ALMIHA KIDD,
NELLIE WOOD.