The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-24
GOTHAM GOSSIP.
Two Significant Cases and Their
Moral.
Boston Herald. ]

room or o low dance houfe, ana that OF an
insurance agent named Munssll who was q
Juror in the case OF the people against the
Irishman Short, who was charged with 90.
saulting the Irishman Phelan, accused OF
malfensance In that he visited O'Donovan's
den while serving as juror, are startling in
stances of the tendency OF the American
people to allow prejudice to. sway their feel
ings, driving them In absolute herds and
droves along the common pathway, regard.
less Of the goal toward which they contend.
Leaving aside altogether the question OF
guilt or innocence. so far as Crowley is con-
cerned let me explain the case. A gather.
Ing of young people is held on Saturday
night In o common dance house, connected
with which is o bar-room. They dance all
night, not only men and women. but boys
and girls. Many girls among them the al.
legged victim of assault, went unattended by
male escort, and at 2 or 3 o'clock Su nday
morning were enjoyi ng the festi vities Of the
occasion with . promiscuous acquaintance
there met In company with Crowley, the
girl Maggie Morris won't down stairs to O
saloon to get some sarsaparilla.
He urged her to take something stronger.
The bartender left the room, locked the door,
aud the two rem aimed there for some time.
Tn: girl then left the room and went on TO
the street, where her companions were en-
route for home. Up to that time nothing
had been said OF any trouble. To one OF her
companions she told very exciting story.
The companion told it 10 the others, and
then, urged by them. the girl went to the
station ht use and made az explicit charge OF
assault. a quick-witted reporter On morn
ing jour- o. heard the story, developed Ii into
sensation, interviewed the girl, interviewed
the DO iceman, procured a picture OF esch,
panied blished the harro wing details, accom-.
paDing tn the wood cut caricatures, on the
followby lmorning. From that time until
now avery whirlwlnd of indignation has
swept rough the social strata of this metro.
polls. The officer wes indicted, brought to
trial, and put to judicial torture in the IN
prececented time CT less than week from
Tire day of the alleged assault. Not a single
paper bad the manliness to euggest that there
might be two sides 10 this story. Not soil.
tary lawyer stood up In defence OF this man,
save the one who was hired, ard whore stand
ir ien't particularly notable in New York.
Everybody joined the hue and cry. Guilty
OK innocent, the result must, of necessity,
have beeDthe same. Here, apparently, was
youth sgair 81 age, virtue against vice, girl
a alnst man; and, OF course, everyb) dy
instantly sided with the one as against the
a
fair trial before Jury CT the vicinsge than
o wounded blsckbird would have in the
midst OF flock OF sparrows. The other case
is that of
MUNsELL. THE JUROR.
Here were two Irishmen. One accused the
other OF attempted assassination, and ths
accused's single retort was that he was de-
Tending himself against attempted assassina.
ticn by the other party. These cheerful
patriots" suppose We must call them,
had met in the den of another patriot. Jera.
miah o D)novan, who, for some occult rea-
son, styles himself Rosa, and there, in con.
genial company, with oafhs and impreca-
tons and other patriotic lingo, they fought
with knives and pistols. The natural desire
OF this country that one and ell had been
swept away by q common csrnage stirred
the community to its innerm0st heart. Re-
gardiess Of rhyme or reason, an indictment
was found, and as soon ss the witnesses could
be got together the trial proceeded. Such
scene as that court presented. Such gang
of patriots as were there disclosed. Such al
odor Of pure and undefiled love OF country
as made the room sicSening to its ordinary
occupants. However, the trial proceeded,
and although the verdict mot guilty. was
in perfect harmony with the insufficient evil
dence educsd, and the only one under the
circumstances that the jury could have
righteously delivered, the judge upon the
bench opened his mouth with stentorian de-
individually, and notified them that they
were unworthy to sit in the seats they occu.
pied, and that, so long as he had control of
the court. they should never DO charged
with that high Office again. IL isn't my
present intention 20 discuss the functions of
a Judge under such circu instances. although
have q very clea- idea that, so long "a we
are burdened with the farce OF trial by jury,
the conscience Of each individual Juror is
quite es much to him as the conscience of
the Judge upon the bench is TO him. The
district attorney, whose office signally failed
10 impeach the testimony given by the de-.
fence, stood on his head aud wagged his OIL
Cisl ear, not 10 mention his official tongue
in the most vehement depuuciation OF thess
jurors. In this they were backed by the
entire people. Every newspaper Illuminated
fiercest dedunciations Of the jury aud their
verdict. it was q clear case of Tweed over
again. II the jury tad found Short
guilty, they would have bean applauded.
But they found him not guilty,
therefore they were denounced. In
other words, the judge, the district attorney
and the press. who were not charged with
upon the jurors their ideas. and because tse
Jury didn't agree with them they have been
raising cain ever since. Mr.. Munsell have
known for many years. He is native of
New England, the agent OF q great north
western insurance company; q calm, placid,
honesf, conscientious man of birth and
breeding. 1t seems that according to the
strained Interpretation Of the law he COM
mitted an offence in seeking to make clear
in his own mind bya
VISIT TO o'poNovAN's DEN
the absurd diagrams laid before the jury by
the prc secution. He ought not to have
gone, bat in hts innocence and In his desire
to do the square thing he did 60. All thu
people and the press wanted victim, and
the prosecution wanted badly scapegoat
20 Mr.. Munsell was arrested. brought into
for his hsinous offence. For o while it looked
as though anything but justice would b
melted out to him. II looked a. though, In