Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-08-17

They Are Apt 70 BE Cheerful, Even II
They Have . Murder on
Their Hands.

l
The jurors who serve at murder
trials might be supposed to be so
much Influenced by the solemn nature
! Of their duties in court as to carry
Z sort of courtroom air with them
when they go to dinner. This, it APP
/ pears, is far from being the case. 1t
has been found that the thought Of
having to decide whether fellow be-
ing shall die in the electric chair or
90 free does not affect their appetites
or interfere with their appreciation
of the good things Of this life. The
proprietor Of a restaurant where jury
men dine said
! "The jurors in civil cases who dine
here are generally solemn and sedate,
while the jurors in murder cases are
usually cheerful and lively. Why is
this SO? The principal reason, | be-
lieve, is that the civil jurors pay for
their own meals, while the jurors in
murder cases dine at the expense Of
the state. The latter know that the
state is generous paymaster and
that they will have good dinner any.
way, while the civil jurors know that
If they want first-class dinner they
will have to pay for it. Another rea-
son is that the jurors in murder cases
find it great relief to get away from
the courtroom for short time. They
are glad to unbend and become for
the time being like other people.
"These jurors are allowed to have
q frst-class dinner, but no liquor Of
any kind Sometimes juror who has
served for the first time wants some
thing to drink, such as beer or whisky
or cocktail, but there are six court
officers in charge of the jury, and at
the first sign of ordering drink one
OF the officers comes up and warns
the juror that he must not drink any
liquor. The six court officers always
sit at table by themselves, near
enough to watch the table where the
jury is seated and at the same time
far enough away not to embarrass the
jurors when they are engaged in con-
versation. They keep watch on the
Jurors all the time lest outsiders
should attempt to speak to them.
"The jurors must not read the news
papers, and when newsboy comes
In all the six officers are on the alert.
Occasionally member of the jury
who has acted in a murder trial, per-
haps for the first time, forgets the in
structions of the Judge before he left
the court room not to read any news
papers while he is away, and beckons
the newsboy to come up. You should
see how fast the court officers get be-
tween the jury and the newsboy then.
The juror is cautioned and reminded
Of the instructions given to him by the
judge. If the juror is very young
man he occasionally gets angry, but
usually he has too much sense to be
offended
1.-THE regular customers Of this place
know that they must not speak to any
sf the jurors but strangers, when they
hear that jury has come in for din
ner and know that murder case is
being tried in the Qksrt, will often go
up to the jurors TOY * to them about
the trial. That is, they try to go up,
but the officers al& always too quick
for them and stop them before they
reach the jury.
do jurors ever kick at not being
allowed to take liquor? Oh, yes.
Now and then man will plead for a
drink just the same as thirsty man
at the time Of the Parkhurst investi-
cations, when the saloons were so
tightly closed on Sundays, was more
determined to have drink than if the
saloons were open. But they can't
get any liquor, all the same. Yes, the
jurors can do the table credit and
have good appetites as arule. They are
nearly always in good spirits, as it is
Z great relief to them after sitting 81.
lently for many hours in the jury
box to feel like other people and to
be able to chat and joke, even if they
can't talk to outsiders"
A dollar and half is the limit set
by the state on the cost of the dinDer
OF each juror.-New York Sun.