The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-07

CASTIGATED
JURYMEN
Judge Wilbur Sharply
Criticised Them.
CASE AGAINST B. F. KEITH
A Tattler Believed to Have Been the
Cause OF Trouble.
CASE AGAINST B. F. KEITH
A VERDICT OF SO RENDERED.

Tattlsrs are we'll known characters and
trouble makers. Dick Steele was the only
man who ever redeemed. for brief period
the disgrace of the name. Tattlers get st
juries once In q while and they have
great habit OF Incorrectly rel,ting what
they pretend to give information about.
A tattlsr was ON the jury that heard the
suit of James j. Gilsese vs.. B. II. Keith
which was brought by the plaintiff to re-
cover damages for bsing elected from
Ksith's Opera House and the tattler had
false Information conveyed to Judge Will
bur who presided at the trial The Judge
yesterday talked pretty sharply to the
jury, IN fact. the remarks were considered
by the members of tina bar who heard
them 10 be about as severe castigntion
Of u jury as ever took place in tie county
court house.
The Information furnished the Judge, II
true. would certainly have justified his
honor's remarks. Inc tattier had lied,
however, according to the statement OF
the man the II mark was attributed to, and
that statement was corroborated BY fel-
low juror with whom the party accused
had had rather warm argument. The
tattler had the information conveyed to
the court practically to the eff sct that q
juror when his attention was called to q
portion OF the charge remarked that he
did not care what the charge was. He, the
juror. had right to decide the case AS he
saw fit AS he. the juror, was to judge
the law as we'll as the fact. The Judge told
the jury how improper such remark Was
and criticised the action f the juror. but
said the verdict would bs accspted. 1t
was In favor Df Gileese and damages
were awarded amounting &c $40.
On leaving the court room one member
tf the panel which had been SO sharply
criticised said to brother Juror: Il must
bs the one that the Judge meant and
must be responsible for our severe scOid-
ing and yet nover made any such state
ment All said was there we're precu-
dents where men had been given damages
for teing ejected from a theatre" The
juror who mud taken the remarks Of the
court house to himself IL a respected bust
ness man. but not a resident or this city
and during his service rs a juror has been
foreman of number or juries though not
Ut the one that heard the theatre case.
Another Juror spoke up and said, "You
and had controversy about bhe charge
and you made no suoh remark as the
court has attributed TO you. understood
that you referred In your remarks to an
other case entirely
The juror who spoke last said. 81 will
60 and see the judge with you and tell
him the truth about the matter.
The two men went to the probate room
Of the JucRe wno had spoken harshly, as
they thought aud the explanations made
were thoroughly satisfactory anu In diplo-
matic LANGUAGE the incident was declared
closed. The Juror who believed he was
che Gauss OF the trouble Is Mr. Normandy
OF woonsooket The jury was out from
shortly after o'clock yesterday afternoon
until o'clock and brought In q sealed
verdict this morning Only one member
Of the jury opposed the bringing in OF q
substantial verdict for the plaintiff.