The Critic and record., 1891-04-06
THE POLICE COURTJURY.
JUDGE MILLER BEGINS a SESSION
UNDER THE NEW LAW.

There Is Nrch the Same Trouble In Get
ting Jurymen There As IN the
HIGHER Courts Excuses Good, Bad.
and Indifferent are Plentiful.
This was the busiest day that the Police
Court has seen for long time, and the
noisicst, too. The organization of the
new Jury court brought an unusual NUM-
Der of people to the building and, be-
sides this Monday is always the busiest
day. The bailiffs had the greatest diff
Guilty i'm preserving order, and at last
Judge Miller brought his knucklcs down
OH the desk with emphasis and said;
There must be order kept in this Court,
This is disgraccful and II has got TO be
stopped. The police are worse than any
one else SIT down, If YOU don't TIL
put the first man caught making any
noise in the dock, policeman or no police
man. and ! will put heavy fine, which
he will have to pay before he leaves IL.
After this the fall of a pin might have
been heard in the court for time, and
the work of choosing a jury went on un-
mterupeely. The jury selected is rs
follows.
Wellington Taylor, John Dunn, Arthur
Burt, j. l.. Washington, William II,
Mcndlcy. w. r. Keenan,, John G.. Nost,
James i. McGrann, w. II. Hunter, Alex
ander Hawkins l.. II. Douglass, II, \,
Tolman, w, II. Selby and James j..
Flanagan, ir.
The men drawn were all asked the same
questions as in the higher courts, and in
the course of an hour Judge Miller had
succeeded in gettinga jury. Nearly every
one of the twenty-iOur men drawn had
some excuse to offer, and seven were eN-
cused upon the first examination, but the
others were asked TO step back and await
further orders. -Four of the men drawn
presented certificates from their physi-
clans, but the Court decided in their cases
that the physicians would have to present
| them selves in person and testify. They
were given an opportunity to bring them
| i'm &C urt.
Mr. Morris Soissa SAID that it would cost
| him thousands of dollars to serve on the
| Jury. lie was the confidential representa-
! tive here of a big sugar manufacturer
and on account OF the Mckinley bill the
| plant had been closed for over four
| months. They had just started in busi-
ness again aud had several car loads of
| sugar now on the way TO Washington and
would have every day for perhaps weeks
! to come. lie did business Of $1,000 a
| day and he would have to give up either
one or the other. After this the Judge
decided also to excuse the four sick men.
My experience in this court said
Judge Miller in his address to the jury,
lis that but u very small proportion OF the
defendants brought before me demand a
! Jury trial, and do not think that your
services will be required here except for a
short time each week. think that your
business will not be interfered with TO any
great extent, and by prompt and careful
! attention TO the testimony | think that
business can be transacted rapidly and
we will get along very comfortably The
| jury, or rather those who have been
selected, will now retire until 10 O'Clock
tomorrow morning when we will tryand
make IL complete
In the Police Court tins morning Allen
Watson was charged with carrying con
ccaled weapons and assault on Squire
BcaSlcy. lt was claimed that Walker haa
drawn razor on Bcaslcy and attempted
to cut him, but that Beasley had thrown
a lighted lamp at him, iniicting q sever,
wound in the head. There was not suili
cient proof in either case and the charges
! were dismissed.