The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-20

1nere mas been conSidera BILE comment
upon tho singular pertinacity with
which certain names constantly appear
upon the jury panels of the Hastings
and circuit courts Of Roanoke. Tho
jury system is regarded as one of tho
pillars of human liberty and, venerable
with age, has been handed down from
tho days Of Alfred, King OF England. 1t
is supposed to be ono Of the duties OF
good citizens to sit in Judgment in the
disputes of citizens and to pass upon the
guilt or innocence of persons accused of
crime. But when that duty fall into
the hands of courtroom loungers there
is danger OF justice going seriously
awry.
To learn the extent OF the practice
OF putting professional" jurymen into
and thorough investigation of tho re-
cords of tho Hastings Court during the
last two years. Once year the Judge
OF the Hastings Court makes from the
poll lists jury sheet of 300 names Of
reputable citizens, emitting all who arc
exempt from jury service, including
policemen. city officials, physicians and
members OF military and fire companies.
From this list one of tho court officials,
usually deputy clork, draws panel of
sixteen names, from which q jury of
twelve is to be selected. When the
panel is exhausted and the jury still re-
mains incomplete, tho sergeant or one
OF his deputies is ordered to summon by-
ISLANDERS TO complete the tale.
Hero is where tho professional"
juryman gets in his work He is al
ways at hand, and with outward reluc.
lance and delibera ton but inward ioy
he approaches 20 be sworn in. Under
interrogation no has no preiudices, is
not related to any of the parties on
trial. As he never reads a newspaper
unless he can borrow one he has formed
no opinions on tho case. He is thor
oughly qualified and in he goes. Then
he is in paradise. He knows all the
formalities and niceties of law from fire.
quent experience. He has also formed
the habit OF going fast asleep with his
eyes wide open and exhibiting a gaze of
profound interest. He can also keep up
an appearance of goat-like gravity when
the attorneys are arguing; yet his
thoughts are either blank or cen, red on
the dollar day to which his services
are entitled.
From list of 800 names eighteen full
panels may be drawn, and no naue
would appear but once. If the service
was fully performed no man would be
on the jury over twice in the same year,
and, with tho changes from year to year
in the list, would hardly BIO calle upon
over three times in two years. There
are good citizens who mover got on, and
there are others who seem to live in the
atmosphere of the jury box.
For folOnv caeac thu iudOo frr,;eb.
twenty names to the clerk of the court,
who issues vcnire facias to the SER
geant for tho summons of the twenty
men. In case sufficient number fail
TO appear. or for any reason satisfac.
tory jury cannot be obtained from these
twenty men, tho sergeant is again in.
struc,ed to summons bystandcrs and the
chronic juror is there ready and waiting.
The professional" juryman used to
hang the jury frequently; now he sell
dom does. he found out that after
awhile he got himself disliked If he
were obstinate. Consequently he is
now the most unanimous person alive.
He goes with the majority. He knows
which side his bread is buttered on.
1t occasionally happens that man
who has once served on the jury gets
the jury fever. he may have been on
the regular list and nave been once
regularly drawn. but tho virus is in his
blood. 1t is like the opium habit; it
grows by what it feeds upon.
In this Investigation several such
cases have been discovered Some of
them arc among the most pronounced
cases. They arc hopeless. Instances
are in possession OF THE TIMES in which
ono half of the jury was made up of
professionals. There is a distaste in
the minds OF many men to serving on a
jury, partly because their time is val
nablc, partly because OF tho poor re-
pute into which tho professionals have
thrown tho service. There seems to be
about thirty five men who show up in the
jury room with uncomfortable regu-
laritY. list Of the more "numarous"
ones have been selected. THE TIMES
has nothing against these mon person
ally, but merely shares in tho general
prejudices against chronic seekers after
place.
The following names appear most FREE
9uently upon tho juries during tho past
two years. There are others which
could be brought into almost equal
prom inence, but these will be Ju Efficient
to illustrate the case:
Amin, w. P..,...... IL Owen, o. II ....... al
Byro, w: A.......... II Pollard, r. A....... IL
Bare, Z. Is Read, e. P.......... q
Carnefx, Is: S....... II Raglano. II. T...... ~
Chapman, N...... % Snead w. C....... 10
COOK, A. B.:,....... 23 st Clair, J. E....... s
Earman, H....... il Watson, K. C........ IL
Greenwood, D. w.. % Waugh. w. A........ 0
Gold. j W........... - Waugh II. Ii. ...... u
JoFdon, j. N......... Z Woodson, Pr! orr. &
kinsey, d. O......... Woodbridge, A. b.. II
Obermyer, L.......-. Yeatman, p g.. %
Tho lau ~ nho t. l..