Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-03-21
AN EXCITED LAWYER
A CASE THAT WORKED HIM UP TO
THE BURSTING POINT.
The Outrageous Conduct of Juror No.
g and the Explanation Which
Changed the CounseTs Anger to
Limp BewiIdermcnt.


Limp BewiIderment.
"In my 20 years. experience as a
practicing lawyer" said a we'll known
member of the bar at the Lawyers club
the other day, II don't believe l ever
went through u mere exciting trial than
one / took part in out at Freehold, n.
J. When 1 say exciting, / mean excit-
ing for me, for / was the only one who
appeared to he concerned about the con-
duct OF the man who occupied the sixth
seat in the jury box.
THE case was a civil action, and
represented the plaintiff. 1t was small
matter, and we were suing for only
$500, but as nay client happened to be
personal friend, and he was more
anxious to establish a principle than to
collect any money, ! was out to win.
The judge was "A sedate individual,
who slept most Of the time, and the
jury looked as though it had been draft
ed from the hayfields. l scored well for
my client with the first witness and
was looking out of the corner of my eye
TO see what effect the point had had
with the jury, when l noticed the
man in No. & scowling furiOusly at me.
When I continued to make Roadway
with the next witness, he shook his
head, scowled and looked as though he'd
like TO eat me up. The rest of the jury
men kept watching him, and began to
think L was up against a pretty stiff
proposition.
Finally l threw a question at a wit
ness, which if honestly answered l
knew would establish our claim to dam
ages. No. q evidently thought so, too,
for he rose from his seat, shook his head
vigorously at the judge, and leaning
over the rail waited for the judges de-
cision, for by this time the defendants
counsel had made an objection.
1.-The judge ruled against me, and
No. fell back into his seat and laugh
ed az though it was the funniest thing
he had ever heard. / was mad clean
through by this time. Such outrageous
conduct l had never seen i'll court.
"'Your honor, began protestingly.
Go On with the case roared his
honor.
"'But, sir. I began, this is the
most extraordinary
ECO on with the case, interrupted
the judge once more, and seeing it was
vain TO protest went on.
''Well, this thing went on all
through the trial. Every point 1 made
brought scowl to the face of No. 6.
Every point my opponent made brought
smiles to his face. When 1 summed up
he kept shaking his head vigorously
and saying things in an ugly tone, but
under his breath. Once he threw his
hands up in the air in protest, and 1
got so mad that 1 could have hauled
him out of that box and thrashed him
with pleasure.
when the defense summed up, the
fellow grinned with delight. He shook
his head arrrovingly at all the lawyer
said, and once, when the lawyer induIg-
ed in abuse of iue, he clapped his hands
together as though he was dying to ap-
plaud. During the judges charge he
scowled and smiled alternately, accord |
ing TO which side his honor favored.
t'We're gone, L whispered to my
client, and never engaged in a better |
case than this. Rather than submit to
such a barefsced steal I'll fight this |
case through every court in the state, |
and without a cent of fee too
1.-The judge had finished by this time, |
and the jury had risen to go out. To |
my utter establishment, No. jumped |
over to where the defendant and his |
lawyer sat clapped the former on the |
shoulder and said in a loud voice,
You'll win sure Here my indigna-
ton got the better of me. Rushing over |
to No. 6, I took him by the arm and |
wheeled him around.
"'See here, sir, the jury has retired, |
and you might better be with them |
, hn, ..lf lo 81 ~,
why should I be with emp he
replied.
Why. good heavens, man, can the
jury deliberate while you're in the |
and they're elsewhere:'
Don t know why not, he replied.
i amt no juror.
"'Then who the devil are you:' 1
demanded.
Hes my hired man, put in the
defendant
'''Then what was he doing in the
jury box?'
why, consarn it, there warn't an
other seat in the room.' said the hired
man. Didn't suppose was goin ter
stand up, did yer:'
81 went back to my seat, completely
and as l sat down the jury
came in, having been out five minutes.
They gave me the verdict, and L was
ruly the mcst astonisfed man in the
state OF New jersey at that moment.
~ found out afterward that before
began active work in the case juror No.
) had been sick for week and that the
,ther II jurors had been acting without
lim under instruction from the court. "
New York Sun.
False Alarm.