Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-23
THAT ROOSTER CASE.
THE FAITHFUL RECORD OF A
coopLy COURT CHRoNICLER.
SOME PERT AND EXPERT TESTIMONY,
rxponcnt Of womcn's Rights Tn the
Jury Box-Drowbcating Counsel
MD Their Worst--scaies of Justice
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Picked Facts.

There having been N the air during the
mast several days wide diversity Of
comment and criticism as to the Justice
OF the verdict returned against Mr.. Evan
r.. Chestcrman. the talented young law
ycr who was convicted Of the larceny OF
a patriarchal Plymouth Rock rooster and
given five years in the penitentiary by n
fury OF twelve more or less good men and
true. sitting in the Young Mems Chris
tan Association Hall last Thursday eve
,ninc the report in detail Of the proceed
incs herewith appended will doubtless be
oi priceless value 20 those who were not
present at the trial and honestly desire
10 form an intelligent opinion as to the
merits OF the case.
The record was taken by honest. up-
Hcht and goodly chronicler. who has
sacrificed picturesque elects to a simple
'ccital Of plain, cold, picked facts. and
Is absolutely unbiased. 1t may be used
with impunlty or even chndllke confidence
a. an authority whereby TO settle
any or all of the arguments born of the
great rooster case" That there were
certain Irregularities in the mode of pro-
cciurc followed by both the prosecution
and the defence. the most irresponsible
person reading this record must admit.
While the prisoner. no doubt. deserved the
sentence. there Is every reason to
believe that the jury. of which Hon
Grover Cleveland was foreman were nm
consciously influenced against him by the
contour Of his profile. the color of his
hair the architectural construction Of his
pedal cNtrmities. or his tout ensemble.
Prejudice was displayed by members of
the jury al various stages of the trial
first against and then In favor of the
man on trial-but the preponderance of
prejudice certainly initiated adversely
90 the prisoners interests.
The court convened shortly after 8
o'clock with a prolonged shout from the
cier, Mr.. {. b. Richardson. His Honor.
colonel John :. HARDWOOD, took the bench
after being introduced by City Sergeant
II. Claiborne Epps. and spent the balance
OF the evening behind an expression of
dense gravity. Messrs. J. Garland Pol
lard and James Gordon. who were acting
as prosecuting attorneys, grouped them
selves together in cute attitudes to the
Iieht of centre. Immediately opposite
them Oeft centre) Colonel NJ. l. Dawson.
and an unknown who was subsequently
Identified as Colonel A. V. Newton. Of
Massachusetts. were picturesquely dis
posed over a couple of chairs at a desk
hired expressly for the purpose. They
defended the unfortunate, but with no
telling effect 10 speak Of.
SOME PRELIMINARY CANTERs.
The trouble began with the case of the
Commonwealth VS.. one Phil. Parsley, in
dicted for over-exerting his physical
strength by vicariously resorting TO labor.
A plea Of guilty being submitted. the court
sentenced the prisoner 10 the Laurel Re-
formatory until such time as he shall
have reached his majority.
An indictment against Thomas T. Todd
for unlawfully consuming all Of the
oysters in the stew at a church festival,
was quashed. Mr.. Dawson. of counsel for
the defence, raising a point which won
the case-viz., that IT being a well-knOwn
fact that there is but one oyster in a
church festival stew. the alleged offence
is an impossibility"
The case Of Evan r. Chesterman having
been reached. Colonel Dawson arose, and.
addressing the court. stated that he had
associated with himself in the case Colo
mel Newton. Of the Bay State, who had
arrived in town only forty-five minutes
before on a special train, chartered at
the prisoners expense. Colonel Newton.
said he had come TO ask that the case be
continued for a year or two This the
court refused 10 hear 10, and the Ser
geant was directed 10 trot in the prisoner.
il was generally commented in the audi
ence as the unhappy youth entered.
wearing a haggard look and heavy
shackles on his ankles, that he had a
bad eye. Through his counsel he sub
mitted a plea of not guilty. The Court
ordered that the jury be called in; where
40 the special panel came in the door.
Grover Celevland entered first, followed
in turn by Mark Hanna. Cyclone"
S muel, John w. Daniel. Coroner w II.
Taylor. Giles Jackson. Mrs. Mary Lease.
Hon. d. 3. Hill, r. NJ. Taylor. General
Coxey. ". ]. Bryan, and Jerry Simpson.
Later on John j. Crutchfield was added
10 give the jury-box an air of terror and
gloom.
A WOMAN IN THE CASE.
Mr. Pollard offered instantaneous Oh
lection 10 one OF the Jurors Mrs. Lease.
and a lively argument ensued, counsel for
the prisoner holding that the lady was
as good a man as any one present. Mr..
Pollard said he would quote from an au-
th0rlty higher than the highest He
would cite the Hon. J. J. Crutchheld. who
had reversed the opinion Of the United
states Supreme Court many a time. He
read from "Crutchfeld ON Women as
Jurors" the following extract: Women
amt got no business on Juries nohow.
They ought to be at their home minding
their children"
Colonel Dawson replied that the law
laid down by Crutchheld had no reference
~ Mrs. Lease who was without either
home or children. The court ruled that
a woman could not serve on the jury,
and Mrs. Lease Immediately took seat
I'm the iury-box, challenging the world
TO take her out If 1t dared.
Colonel Newton examined Juror David
B. Hill. lie asked:
are you a DemocratY
eyes" answered the juror.
"Have you any scruples against sitting
In q case OF this kindT'
NO"
"Have you any conscientious scruples
at al?'
"N0"
How many scruples in a dram?"
"Threc."
Glow many have you got against taking
q cram?'
"NOne"
"Have YOU formed any opinion Of late
IN any subject whatever
"No"
Have you discussed yet where you are
"No"
Hc was adjudged competent to serve.
THE COMPLAINANT'S PLANT.
The first witness called was Hin Mon
aguc. the complainant. Replying TO the |
'ucries Of Mr. Gordon. he said he was a