New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-16
UOMEN on JCRIES.
HOW THE EXPERIMENT FAILED IN WASH.
INGTON.
From The Chicago Tlmes-Herald.

From The Chicago Times-Herald
TIE talk in the Chicago papers OF late about thu
drawing OF two women for service a jury re.
minds minds M! me that saw the experiment Of women
what was then the Territory of Washington. The
Legislature OF that Territory passed a fun femaI,
suffrage act, and at two or three elections ali OF
the women in the State over twenty-one years Of
age had the privilege Of voting
There was Judge in Washington named Greene
women enjoyed the suffrage they ought tn has ,h
burdens OF citizenship just the same as men ' Hs
made order to the Sheriff in his judicial district
that they should put women on all the jury panels
and he declared that he would accept no Jury in hi;
court unless there were women upon H. There wa
but a number OF prominent suffragists came for.
ward and announced their willingness to do Jury
favor Of the women who didn't want 10 be Juror =,
and a small social CONFUSION followed the arbitrarr
| was out in Washington a considerable part Of
every year and talked good deal with the law
yers as 10 how the women Jurors were performing
their duties. All agreed that they were conscien.
tious that they listened carefully to the evidence
ana tnat they gave closer attention TO the argus
ments OF the lawyers than the average man juror
ana. They ana not yawn or shut their eyes or look
the lawyers were talking ''-
But the lawyers were unanimous in their opin>
ION that they didn't want women on the jury. They
SAID that the trouble was the lack OF the logical
faculty in the female mind The women didn't
seem 10 be able TO weigh conflicting evidence or TO
tppnow closely Inc or dry argument. or TO give
mem. They were very apt 70 make up their minds
In the progress OF the trial from some little circum-
SthHceS OF Dlt% OF evidence tndt might be almost
mmaterial TO the real point issue. When they
had once come TO the conclusion that the plaintiff
or defendant right all subsequent evidence
or pleading ran OF their brains like water from "a
ducks back. man might haye a very strong
case. but II the women heard that he had not be-
haved himself well toward his family they were
sure 10 favor verdict against him. no matter
what the evidence might be Their tendency was
to take everything in a personal Way II Mrs 4:
sat on jury and her particular irena MIS- Is
husband was a party TO the lawsuit. Mrs a was
pretty sure that Mr.. b. was right because Mrs. B.
was friend OF hers. ., ..- -.
The nhvsicaI Inconvenience Of having women on
the turtles were great IL was necessary TO provide
some SORT OF retiring for them In the court.
houses and female bains had TO be appointed.
When the fury locked up 20 force verdict
tho men whose wives were thus incarcerated with
a miscellaneous lot OF masculine Jurors were natu-
rally furious. | do think there was any
while the experiment lasted when the jury was held
over night. out OF courtesy 10 the women members
the men came agreement sooner than Is
ally the case and didn't resort 10 the general and
venerable custom OF firing out the minority by ALL
night sessions with cigars and pipes
Finally The whole business came to an end by q
decision OF the Territorial Supreme Court knocking
out the Woman Suffrage law the trifing tech.
pical point that Its purport was got fully expressed
III It's titlos ..-- -