Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-27
WISE MEN OR FOOLS
osItcT LESSONS IN COURT



sskous e shsir own dsserminasion of
sp1rsA o. Of then. ssys shs I.osdon
flins<rsss1 NswA Csosks Jsnss ssils
e. oncs szp,Atnsd - the Rssor1es.
wAs had sossssd his psealisrisy. THAI
IN bshsvios wss snsir~1y nisunkss-
st0od mo nAn. si<. - nors opsn
tAa. 7 IN % eosvis<ion. and % Do
whAs = risns IN every eass. bat hass
nee ne wikh - snGs eonsidsrsskoa
from e<hsr& II hAs gsnsraliy been ny
ios - ~ On . jsxy with eleven Of the
meat obssinats man tnngfnable. whe
win not ii.ssn - rssAon-- 10 II fair 70
cay that sncs IN hundred simes or 80
this ninority Of enc proves 70 Be IN
The right Lord Lyndhuxst usentions
. &C., In which. shro~gh The opposi-
tioa Of . singls individual, the Jury.
who were otherwise ell for . verdict
of guilty. eonid come 20 no sgreemens
hat on ne prisoner being tried again
he vas unanimously and. - IL turned
out. Justly acquitted On the other
hand. sons iurymen have TOO low IN
opinion IF what some philosophers
call their ego. and are willing 70
deputs their duties TO an alter ego.
when Justice Gould had bean about
two honrs trying . case ~ York he
noticed there were but eleven jury
r<n IN the box PLEASE. my lord"
replied the foreman. in Answer % the
judges natural inquiry. "the other has
gone away about some business he had
- do. bat he has left his verdict with
ne
The rnost remarkable case Of jury
standing out" against what seemed
unrekutAhic testimony, and all through
tbs resolution Of one man. oc-
earrea before Chief Justice Dyer. He
presided a. . murder trial in which
everything went against the prisoner.
who on dis part could only say that on
his going 20 work in tbs morning, he
had found the man dying. and tried TO
help him. whereby hc had become COW
cred with blood. bat whom the man
presently died he lad cone away and
said nothing about IL. because he was
k7own 20 have had . quarrel with the
deceased. and feared that he might get
into trouble The hay fork with
whion the nan had been murdered had
the prisoners name on It. In other re-
spects his guilt appeared to be clearly
established. and the chief justice was
convinced 81 1t. When this II the case
. Judge likes 10 get . conviction
have sat beside one myself. who on
the second day brought his black cap
with him. neatly folded. and placed IL
In the drawer before him ready for
use. and very much annoyed he seemed
20 be when the Jury returned verdict
Of mot guilty This was Chief JUS
tioc Dyer's ea<c. and when. notwith-
stsnding their being looked up all
night without Ere and candle. his
jury could come 90 no deci-
siou. and svetitually came to the
wrong one, he put some searching
questions 20 tie high sheriff. The
cause Of the acquistal. said that Oh
eial. was undoubtedly the foreman. .
farmer Of excellent character. es-
tsered by al his ncighbors and very
unlikely 20 be obstinate or vexatioG&
"TAcn.- said the judge, II must see
this foreman. for an explanation Of the
matter I will have" The foreman
came. and after extracting from his
lordship promise OF secrecy proved
40 encs that the prisoner had been
rightly scquitted. "for." said he, ii
wa myself who killed the man II
had been no murder. for tho other had
attacked him with the hAyfork. and
(,s he showedi severely injured him;
bat In the struggle TO get possession
of the weapon he had the misfortune
20 give the mssn fatal wound He
hal no fears ~ 20 his being found
guilty Of the murder. but. the assixes
being Just over. his farm and Affairs
would have been ruined by q confes
sion. through lTing 50 long in jail. 50
Ne suffered matters TO take their
course. He was horrifcd 20 find one
Of his own servants accused of the
matter. supported his wife and chill
aren while in prison. managed 10 be
placed on the Jury and elected fore
rasa. aud resolitely held out In favor
I'd ths prisoners innocence lie added
that n ne had failed In this he would
e>rtai1iy have confessed TO his own
share ia the buaincss. aad the Judge
believed him Every year for fifteen
years his IorsishIp made inquiries 90 to
che fcrvman's existence. and ~ last.
hs7penirsf tn survive him. he consid-
cred himself FREQ ~ tell the story.