Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-12-05
SAVED BY A JUROR.
go he Is deadi

looked again nj the newspaper which
held in my hand and read:
Jethro-Di.d, near Mobile, March la ls9a
Emanuel JcthrO, aged ~ years.
He is dead after all these years, and at
ast | am free to reveal n terrible secret Of
jury room which has been burden TO
myself and 10 other men unless they, like
Jethro, have passed over the river.
In August, 1875, there was "A murder
trial in Mobile. which perhaps the older
citizens Of that city still remember.
! was the third juror chosen. OF jurors
No. l and 2 ! remember but little, except
that they were both elderly men and we'll
TO do citizens. Of the county.
Jurors No I, 3 and q were merchants Of
the city, ri least two were merchants and
one clerk.
After Juror No. was told to pass into
The jury box the court clerk called the
name Of Emmanuel Jethro."
believe every one in the courtroom
was struck with the mans appearance.
lie walked brislly ana in a peculiarly
nervous manner which could not fail to
attract attention. lie answered the 30
licitnr's questions eagerly. In fact, one
time his answer came before the question
vas concluded.
The solicitor sail. "Prisoner, look on
the juror. Juror, look on the prisoner"
and he probably expected the defense to
strike, but the defense did not.
Juror No. : was told To take his seat In
the box. His residence was given In the
jury list ~ Bayou La Batre, and he
evidently cumc from avery secluded place
on the coast
The rest of that day was taken up In
securing the Other five jurors.
Tn" next morning the examination OF
witnesses began. The evidence was short,
and II was conclusive.
Karl Bcidcrman, IA German youth en-
ployed on "a truck garden near the city,
was charged with numbering his employer
by splitting open his head with an AK.
He and the gardener had lived alone.
One morning the boy came into the city,
and while drinking freely had shown a
large sum of money. A day later the gar
dener was found lying dead upon the floor
Of room In his house, with the bloody
AK, which had done the work, lying near
him.
The German youth was arrested, with
some OF the money still in his possession.
There was proof that the boy and the gar
dener had been heard quarreling about an
increase in wages, which the boy had
| asked for and did not get.
To Offset this strong array OF circum-
stantial evidence there was nothing but
| the prisoners statement, very badly told
| by an Interpreter. He denied knowing
anything Of the killing and said the mon
ey he had was given him by man the
night before IA bribe to leave his en-
| ployer, that he know nothing Of the kill
ing or who did It.
When We reached the jury room, there
seemed but two things To do-elect n fore
man and bring in IA verdict OF guilty.
The first we did with little trouble.
Then we took ballot, merely IA mat
ter OF form. | counted the vote, and Ii
stood: For guilty, IL; for acquittal, 1.
"NhO IL the twelfth gentleman who
does not know murder when he sees itS''
one OF the jurors asked sarcastically
81 am, v came the reply, calmly spoken
by juror No. 7-Emanucl Jethro.
Then we began to argue the case with
him. He looked ont the window most OF
the time and made no reply To any Of ouI
telling arguments. Finally he was asked
: IL he had any reason to advance for voting
as he did.
"None NJ oil, " he replied quietly. eek
cept that | don't wish To see an iLuocen,
| man hanged "
There were some more convincing argll
ments by the | !, and We took another
vote: For murder, | I, for acquittal, |.
And that was the way the vote stood
next morning. after breakfast.
We grew desperate. Finally the Who'll,
manner of Jethro changed. and he exclaim
ed eXcite~e
"lf each ~ you will take n solemn oatl
before the God that made you not TO NJ
veal whnt | tell you until | am dead.
will gveyou the reason why do not agre
to verdict ~ guilty"
After some consultation and glances n
the clock. which showed that the hour fo
rcconvening ~ court was at hand, we, on
, at time, took the oath.
In low, half whispered tones the juro
told his secret.
Fifteen minutes later we went into th
, courtroom With verdict Of mot guilty.
rememhsr distinctly the consternatiol
on the Judges face and the lont ~ die
suse ep that ~ ths solicitor.