Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-17
SOME REMARKABLE PHASES OF JURY
BRIBING IN SAN FRANCISCO.

III civil acliOn In a superior court OF
San Francisco, presided over by Judge
Finn, and involving, including the costs
against the losing party, $4,000. an attor-
ney for one of the litigants was APP
preached by jury-broker, who offered for
$500 to cause the jury to render verdict
in favor of his client. The gentleman, Mr..
Crittenden, set a trap for the scoundrel,
md the jury-broker and the jurymen
through whom he proposed to act upon
other jurors are in Jail.
One of the remarkable phases of this
case relates to the manner in which Mr..
Sheath, one of the litigants in the case,
received similar proposition to have the
verdict in his favor. While the matter
was under investigation before Judge Finn,
Mr.. Sheath was sworn and said that gen.
tleman recently met him and told him he
could get majority of the jury impan-
eled to try the case of Sheath VS.. Water
man for $500 each to find for Sheath. Mr..
Sheath said that he told him that he had
come to the wrong man, that he did not
wish to win his suit that way, nor did he
wish to hear any more about it. 81 did
not ask him his name" said Mr.. Sheath
1t was no one | would know l would
know him by sight if / should see him
again. After being in Court that day, |
met him in the evening" when he apollo
gized about the matter. Well, | didn't
consider the matter of very much import
ance, and really l forgot all about it,
That's all there is of it."
The reader of this quotation will be
much mistaken if he supposes that it is
not pregnant with meaning. Here is a
substantial business man bringing suit
against another equally substantial bust
ness man for the sum of $4,000, which
suit, if the jury find for the defendant will
cost him the loss of the Judgment he
claims and add $4,000 to the costs. In
short, his suit involved Judgment either
for or against himself in the sum of S19,-
600. He is met on the street by an indi-
vidual who tells him that several of the
jurymen will agree to find Judgment in
his favor for the sum of $500 each. There
is no surprise or indignation in the mind
of this estimable citizen of San Francisco.
The matter has no significance to him
other than the money phase of the propo-
sition and the value of the assurance that
he will get judgment. He believes in his
case and therefore says, 81 didn't wish to
win my suit in that way" The signif-
canoe of it is that the practice is SO COM
mon that the business man is neither sur
prised nor indignant. He receives the
proposition, decides against it, and accord
ing to his sworn testimony says to the
Court wherein the case Is being tried, and
in the presence of the jury trying it, that
he didn't consider the matter of much
importance and had really forgotten
about it.
No one can imagine for moment that
in a community where jury-bribing was
not the rule rather than the exception, a
business man, a substantial citizen, would
have received such a proposition without
arousing in his mind either surprise or
indignation.
The incident indicates clearly the extent
to which the public conscience has been
and is being corrupted. The administers
ton of government in this State has in
deed fallen to very low ebb when openly
upon the street litigant is met and Of
fered the verdict of jury, and the matter
strikes his mind of so little consequence
that when under oath he had really for
gotten all about it.
1t is just as well known to the people Of
California to-day that majority of the
late Legislature were corrupt as it is
known that the sun rises in the east and
sets in the west. When the average citi-
zen is appealed to on the subject he re-
echoes Mr.. Sheath, Well, ! do not con-
slider the matter of very much import
ance," and in very short time the entire
commonwealth will be ready to say, we
have really forgotten all about it,
There is another very significant phase
of this question. The fact that juries are
bribed presupposes the existence of bribers
The fact that Legislators are bribed pro-
claims Enthusiastically the existence of cor
ruptors of men. Between the man, or the
corporation conserving thereto, bribing a
public officer against the interests of the
commonwealth, and the public officer
bribed, the position of deepest degradation
belongs to the briber. Between those who
buy and sell sin of any kind there is nc
moral distinction, and whoever has secured
the passage of q measure through Legis-
lature and consented to It's procurement by
corrupt means, is equally rs contemplate
and degraded as the legislator who sold
his pitiful little soul for pecuniary re-
ward
Whoever has purchased a jury has com
mitted a treason against the liberties OF his
country, and against the rights of his fel.
low-citizen, blacker than that which will
attach to Jefferson Davis or Benedict Ar
mold. In fact, Jefferson Davis and his
compeers are white with patriotic purity
as compared with the double-dyed infamy
OF that man who has used the varletry in
in his employ to corrupt member of the
Legislature or bride a jury.
We are rapidly drifting TO condition
of things where revolution will be the
only remedy. In every branch of the
Government the leprosy of corruption i:
doing its perfect work. Venal cunning
controls the judgment of inexperienced
simplicity in high places. The lust of ra'
pacity and plumber reaches forth Its strong
right hand in the person of a boss TO cor
rupt Legislature and rob the people
And at still more vital center Of personal
liberty, jury-bribing becomes so common
and so much matter of course, that an
average citizen, an average business man,
in the chief metropolis of the State, after
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