Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-08-05
NOTES AND COMMENTS.


which it has been held that the Jurors
were Judges of the Law as well as OF the
facts in criminal cases. For nearly sixty
wears there have been decisions oy 'he
higher court of the State in which dlrec-
tions by the trial judges that the jury
are Judges of the law and of the fact
have been sustained. In almost every
other State Of the Union, aid in most
English speaking countries, the jurors
have been considered the judges of the
facts only, and the judges have been
called upon to decide as to all matters
of law. The Supreme Court of Vermont
in a recent decision has carefully re-
viewed the decisions in that State, as
we'll as the whole history under the
English and American decisions of the
relative duties of judges and jurors in
criminal cases. of course rs soon us the
Judges concluded to disregard the APP
parent mass of presidents in their own
State, the reasoning was easy and con-
elusive leading to the opinion that jurors
were not the paramount judges of the
law Judge Thompson, who writes the
opinion, supposes a case in which the
jury think that the Court has erred in
its statement of law. Declared from
access to law books of authority, from
which they might hope to obtain some
light to aid them, nor even permitted to
read the statutes which perchance they
are attempting to construe, unaided by
precedent and utterly ignorant of the law
of the case, they are left to evolve 1t
hair sim
thus evolved, and applied by them to the
case, their decision as to the law cannot
be placed upon the record pursuant to
the requirements of the statutes. for 1t
can never be known, except by inference
or conjecture, what they held the law to
be-
The construction of a military road
between Washington and Baltimore is
being agitated by the business men of
both cities. The idea of the project
seems to be that such a road, we'll graded
and ballasted would offer safeguard,
which neither should be without merely
because no necessity for it seems to ex
ist in these peaceful times. Mr.. Wallace
Stebbins. merchant of Baltimore, whC
has interested himself and many Others
in the matter. points out that in time Of
riot, or even invasion, the railroad;
could be quickly rendered useless, and
the facilities for moving troops arc
artillery would then be found to be tn,
worst conceivable, for the road system
between the two cities is execrable from
military point of view The suggestion
is made that suitable route be selected
that the State of Maryland be asked t
construct that part within its limits anC
the Government pay for that part within
the District of Columbia. There woulC
be no objection, he says, to setting apar
a portion of the roadbed for the use Of
an electric line to connect Baltimore anC
Washington, but the building of such
railway should be so restricted as not t.
interfere with other travel on the road
He thinks that the convict labor at tn,
Houses of Correction could be brough
into rcquisition to build the road
81 NEVER saw such a sight in my life
and may not again." said Lieutenan
Coffin of the U. S. s. Bennington, which
had Just returned from the trial trip o
Uucle Sans new cruiser, the New York
"When the new cruiser was fully twt
miles away we could hear the roar of tn,
water as she cut through it, She wa
going 50 fast that the water could no
get out of her way, and when she wa
quite mile off we could feel the motion
of the water that was displaced. Sh
seemed to cut and split the wave, anC
yet she was going so fast that it piled u
against her bow until it seemed siXteel
to twenty feet above the sea level. Sh
was not only pushing the water in front
but sucking it along by the side, 50 tina
amidships the surface of the water seemed
at least ten feet lower, and one woult
have sworn that if she had been side
wheeler her paddle wheels would hay
been entirely out of water On boar,
the Bennington we were mighty excite
and cheered like lunatics as the tastes
&rmored ship in the world tore past us
We could see the crew flat on thei
bellies, lest there should be any surfac
exposed to the wind to retard the spec
of the vessel She left a wake of smooth
seething white foam half mile wide"
STRAWBERRY culture was an industr
almost unknown among the farmers Q
Arkansas ten years ago but to-day the
are deriving large profits from it. E;
pecally is this the case in fertile Crav
ford County. In 1885 the Rev. c. Il
Gregory, then President OF Hiram Col
lege, leased tract of land there and Sc
out seven acres of strawberries, intend
ing to ship the product North Th
farmers regarded the experiment ii
credulously, but when in the secon
year he received $1,100 for his croT
they lost no time in following his exam
pie. To-day there are 1000 acres o
strawberries in Crawford County, AMI
daily train of refrigerator cars, which fu
to Kansas City, Denver, and st. Louis
has been put on for the benefit of ia
shippers In that part of Arkansa
strawberries begin TO ripen as early a
April 20, and so alluring are the prodt
of the comparatively long season tia
many farmers will now do nothing bu
grow this fruit. The net profits hi
season are estimated at 500 900. The
have formed themselves into a societ,
and now send representatives TO th
principal shipping points to look afta
consignmonts.