Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-14
AN AsIpINa MYsrERY.
what the Cogitations Of Petit Jury WIN
Bring Forth,

Bring Forth.
Any man who should attempt TO
amuse his hearers nowadays bytelling
q story of a jury who brought in a
verdict mot guilty, but if he does il
again he will get the full penalty,
would be greeted with cries of "Chest-
nut, chestnut, and would be assured
that thing was credited years ago to
the far west, was immortalized by
Mark Twain in one of his book, and
that nobody believed that it ever did
happen anyway. Yet the newspapers
reported, and what the newspapers say
must be true, that only a week ago a
jury at Newark, N. j., trying a case at
quarter sessions, brought in verdict
Of mot guilty, but wodon't want him
to do it again, and the verdict was ac-
cepted
In the court of general sessions in
this city last month, a jury, after
spending an unusually long time in
considering their verdict, came into
court and the clerk asked;
Are you agreed upon your verdict2'
I'VE have agreed replied the in
JeiilgtilL lOfCIlldli.
"What is your verdict, then2" said
the clerk.
1--WE find, said the foreman, sagely
and with dcliberation, that we stand
seven for acquittal and five for convic-
ton"
''Then you have not agreed at all, "
said the clerk testify.
II guess you have agreed to disa-
gree, said the judge, "but you had bet
ter try it again "
A poor fellow who was on trial for
his life in the same court not long ago
got terrible shock by the sudden
change from keenly anxious hope
to glad certainty of release, and then
back again to black despair, in the
course of one minute, brought about
by the precise and exact pomposity of
the jury which was trying him. They
too had taken a long time to consider
their verdict and the prisoner, des-
perate and hardened william, who had
poor case and had looked for moth
ing but the worst, began to think that
they might, after all, disagree. The
anxiety apparent on his face told how
the suspense had racked him when he
again faced the jury as they filed into
court and took their seats.
In murder cases, as rule, more for
mality is used than for ordinary
crimes and SO the clerk said Gen
tlemen of the jury, do you find the
prisoner guilty of murder in the first
degree, as charged in the indictments"
Now, the foreman was a young
lawyer himself, and he felt that he
ought to show his legal and fine judi.
cial mind. So he paused a moment,
evidently repeating the question TO
himself, and finally said complacently,
mot guilty"
There was a stir of surprise all over
the court, and the prisoner almost
tainted with joy as he heard the words.
But the jurymen began to demonstrate
with their foreman, and he conde-
seconded to explain.
II mean, of course" he said, that
we find the prisoner not guilty of muir
der in the first degree, as charged in
the indictment. That was the question
asked me. But we do find him guilty
of murder in the second degree.
The prisoner burst into tears over
the disappointment, though he at one
time contemplated worse result with
stolidity, but the legal gentleman had
properly upheld the reputation of his
profession for eXactitude and verbosity.
The recognized locality at present
for story tellers to lay the scenes of
jury dramas is in the new south,
where the "darkies" furnish ample
material to draw from, In Florida a
jury in the Indian river country not
long ago found that the diseased died
by the will of God or some other dis
ease unknown to this jury" Another
dusky panel, bound to show that they
were not going to shield one of their
own color, found a negro prisoner
guilty, with considerable doubt as
to whether he is the man."
A man had shot his neighbours hog
and the owner had him prosecuted for
malicious injury to property and
wanted him fined heavily, but the jury
found "the defendant guilty in the
sum of 81. 80 in favor of the hog"
1--WE find the man who stole the
mule not guilty" is another verdict
vouched for on good authority, and a
weary judge in despair over the tardi-
ness of his colored jurymen, who de-
light to spend hours and hours "ar-
guefying" among themselves over the
most triiing points and often ending
them by tossing a penny, is said to
have blurted out in his wrath: IF
you can't find verdict of your own,
take the one the last jury used
Whether these clear instructions were
followed explicitly or not, the records
do not show New York Tribune.