The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-12
IN THE JURY BOX.
How Good Men and True Greet the s.Dread
Summons"-The Distinctly Marked Pecu-
Harffies of JurorS.

| How Good Men and True Greet the s.Dread
Summons--The Distinctly Marked Pecu-
Iiarities of Jurors.
Perhaps there is no time in the life of
an active business man when he is more
tempted to rave at his clerks, stamp
with rage, and utter curses loud and
| deep. than at the moment he runs up
against little piece of paper properly
signed and countersigned and endorsed
Jury summons" The unfortunate re-
cipient of this unwelcome insignia of
citizenship grasps his hat, rushes wildly
from his office, makes his way rapidly
over to the Court House and stalks de-
jectedly into the court room where the
summons in peremptory terms an
nounces his presence as being "re-
| CURED" He is somewhat cOnsoled
when he espies his friend, and his bust
ness competitor c.. both of whom, as
he rightly concludes. are for the once
| his brothers in misfortune
| Scattered about the court room are
perhaps fifty men of various nationali-
ties and ages. They are all jurors in
embryo, and are waiting for the Judge
to open the court. When His Honor
appears and takes his seat on the bench
| thirty-fiye out of the fifty men get in
row, filing Indian fashion up to anil
from the judicial bench. whisper all
sorts of excuses and touching stories Cf
domestic affection and financial perl
into the sympathizing judicial right ca.
1t is plain to be seen that each one IF
the thirty-ivc is carefully considering
how he can best attain the object which
they all seek-viz., immunity from tie
jury box. Many of the excuses ale
frivolous, some are legitimate and not
few are palpably ''trumped up"
Sometimes Juror is excused upon his
mere statement of fact, but as rule
they are sworn to answer such questions
as shall be put to them by the Judge
touching their right to be excused. The
judicial examiner probes the anxious
applicant Sternly.
Once bound down to the jury box ths
juror becomes the type of a class. He
is no longer a broker, a merchant,
bank president or a saloon keeper. His
natural identity is lost, and he is par.
and parcel of the machinery of justice,
To be sure, he eats and sleeps like other
men, but then he thinks and acts only
like juror. His status is not firmly
established, however, until he begins to
develop a popularity. This done. he
becomes an object of interest, especially
to the lawyers.
The characteristics of jurors are dis
tinctly marked. 1t frequently happens
that the same persons sit as jurors from
term to term. Whether because they
like it, have nothing else to do or sit for
pay, or whether it SO happens that they
are drawn" with malice aforethought,
it is hard to tell. But somehow or other
lawyers are getting to know the jurors.
They are able to lean over to their
clients in the court room
and describe the peculiarities of each
one of them. The foreman is recog-
niZed as a model juror for good case,
but too sound for poor one. The
second juror is the proverbially obsti-
nate specimen who invariably insists that
he is right and the other eleven are pig
headed fools. He is first rate man to
wanted. The third is marked down as
always having leaning toward the
plaintiff's side of the case, while the |
fourth is known as an eaSy-going, |
'happy 90 lucky" sort of an individ- |
ual. ready to 90 with whichever one the |
''other fellows favor. Number five is
the inquisitive juror. He is always
asking questions of the witness about !
matters which the lawyers have kept |
carefully in the background. His |
brethren in the box respect him, but |
the lawyers regard him as an irritating
thorn. Number six is much given to |
argument and contention. He is al |
ways ready for fight in the jury room.
and, being somewhat glib" is gen
orally able to hold his own.
Seven is an unknown quantity. He is
possessed of great veneration for ju-
dicial learning and discernment and
goes with the Judge, if the Judge mad
vertently exhibits bias. Eight is re-
markable for nothing except it be 4
fOndneSs for the newspapers. He will
peruSe his fayorite paper regardless
alike of the most startling testimony
and the flowery eloquence of counsel.
Number nine is attentive, conscientious
and analytical. He weighs the evidence
on both sides, scrawls all day in his
notebook and votes according to his
convictions. He is looked upon with
suspicion, and is frequently challenged.
Ten is the silent juror. He watches the
proceedings with expressionless counte-
nance, is unfathomable, and therefore
dangerous. Eleven, on the contrary. is
as open as the sky. He sides with his
favorite lawyer, and is always ready to
laugh when that legal luminary makes
q good hit. He can be counted upon
as prejudicial for one side or the other
long before the trial is finished.
Number twelve is the last man in the
box. and he is likewise the last man to
make up his mind what he ought TO do.
He is pleased with the appearance and
bearing of the plaintiff. but. on the
other hand, he is thoroughly impressed
with the justice of the defendants case.
In this dilemma he awaits the first vote
and then chimes in with the majority.
After the jurors have listened to a
great mass of conflicting testimony.
been talked to and pleaded with by the
lawyers and gravcly instructed by the
Court. they are led away by the court
officer. who carries a portentious look
ing kew in his hand, and are marched
into little ten-by-ten jury room. The
key CRATES in the lock, che officer re-
treats down the stairway and the twelve
men good and true' are left to the
Joint contemplation of bare walls and