The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-03-12
IN THE JURY BOX.
How Good Men and True Greet the stDread
Summons"-The Distinctly Marked Pecu-
liarities of Jurors.

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 nome t 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-five out of the fifty men get in a
row, filing Indian fashion up to and
from the judicial bench, whisper all
sorts OF excuses and touching stories of
domestic affiiction and financial peril
into the sympathizing judicial right ear.
1t is plain to be seen that each one of
the thirty-fve is carefully considering
how he can best attain the object which
they all seek-viz., immunity from the
jury box. Many of the excuses are
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 the
Juror becomes the type of class. He
is no longer a broker, merchant, a
bank president or saloon keeper. His
natural identity is lost, and he is part
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 popularity. This done, he
becomes an object of interest, especially
to the lawyers.
The characteristics of jurors are dis
tinctly marked. The foreman is recog-
nized as model juror for good case,
but too sound for a 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
have in the box if disagreement is
wanted. The third is marked down as
always having a leaning toward the
plaintiffs side of the case, while the
fourth is known as an easy-going,
''happy go lucky sort of an individ-
ual. ready to go with whichever one the
''o:her 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
ahe lawyers regard him as an irritating
horn. Number six is much given to
argument and contention. He is al
ways ready for fight in the jury room,
DtluS SOiucWIdJ EuU, Is Scu-
orally able to hold his own.
Seven is an unknown quantity. He is
possessed of great generation for jul
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 a
fondness for the newspapers. He will
peruse his favorite paper regardless
alike of the most startling testimony
and the fiowery 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
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 grayely instructed by the
Court, they are led away by The court
officer, who carries portentious look
ing key in his hand, and are marched
into little ten-by-ten jury room. The
key CRATES in the lock, the officer re.
treats down the stairway and the twelve
men ''good and true" are left to the
joint Contemplation of bare walls and
the case under consideration. The bare
walls look so cold and gloomy that the
unhappy jurymen at once devote them
selves exclusively to the case. Granted
that all the elements constituting well
ordered jury exist, quick justice is
melted out, and it oftentimes happens
that loud pounding ON the door
announces to the officer who has Just
left that the jury are ready with their