The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-31
JURORS QUEER BEINGS
Strange Verdicts Given by Men
of the Deciding Twelve.
Odd stories Told by Old Attorney of Queer
Incidents in Court-One Witness Declared
that n Man Who sat in the Jury Box
Had Robbed Heroine Prisoner Pointed
Hand and Made Accusation.
4rom the Chicago ChrcrlcIe.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
The jury box in the courtroom is by no
means always the repository Of duliaess
and pr0siness which it is suppose ed to De.
Time and again IN are have been instances
in Chicago wheG The jury-bOX, or rather
one Of its occupants, has furnished the
great dramatic incident Of a trial. OF
course the jury as a rule can be depended
Upon TO furnish the important feature Jf
the trial in its verdict. but aside from
trat it cannot be expected TO excite much
interest during the progress Of the hear
ing Of a case.
The Juryman who. under the sopOrIic
Influence Of the average lawyers OratOFy,
d long drawn out examination, or the
reading Of agricultural or similar reports,
finally gives way and floats of into
dreams and shores, is an old and time
hOnOred friend. Very often his slumbers
are not disturbed and he IS allowed TO
illlsh MS nap without interruption. Why
Neither lawyer wishes TO court ne re-
sentiment OF the juror by making the re
quest that ne he awakened. The att0r-
Legs fear such a course might have some
Interior effect on the verdict for instance
Sometimes n the court himself Is not
asleep ne may Chance 10 see the sleeping
JUROR. Then the sleeper will very kindly
be asked 10 wake up and listen 70 III,
trial
There have been a number Of instances
IN "hich members Of jury have been
caught IN the act OF reading rauers In
those cases the misconduct il s.IyrsVs
stopped as quietly as possible in order
not 70 attract attention As rule the
balm, under the direction Of the court
SIPS around 10 the jury box and takes
Lhs papeI away from the offender and
quietly and briefly tells him tnat sr,rb
pT1cuces are not permissible under any
consideration When d man is sitting uUon
jury. Sulclly speaking both sleeping
~ IeaIIHs On the part Of d 1uryman
during the trial Of case are yyrobaEIv
nothing less than cOnternut Of conn -.
II WOULD De- diflicult 10 find nm, N
stances IN which they have been 81 con-
s'd-rec and punished
E1t once Ia q while a Juror does some
thing which shows that h. a. q ~, -,
rom D"Iis asleep or reading q newsDsr,s.r
only Il" days ago q sorneyg }rar r..y.-r
anu courageous Juryman created a drs-
maiic scene IN = circuit eaurfr,,.,,, "a
gave a nervous ghock 10 M ll,l1-1 a..
lawyers The auditor. and .-sp--ri,Iiy 10
= MIt..t5o ana young girl Who Wa
scarcely oid enough 10 know what !. savi-
OuA OisdLA % court etiquette yac Wa
committing Mrs. Hcphinv wa uregzfuz
d suit for alleged wage dgz Eer @e,.f-,.,
MS Bragg, the woman who vyas roI.sf-r-
iCuAly snot some time aE0. Tho GO 14.94
on ma Def"re Judge Bishop. a vigillaE
y,--t I,"Is Olt q the city. The step
daush'er OF Mrs Bragg nad been on The
sisne and having nnlshed her testlrno.,v
A1o resumed her seat q snort distauee
away man had been called Ia ia.
slanl- lie gave his answers Ia a peculiar.
h--lt4uEs Way. "a II BE- had very littic
huOHle1Se OF TIE ease, although he had
i'een called a. witnes. FOR the slefense
II" heh TIE direct examination Of the wit
iirrn va concluded. Alderman Charles
AllinF, The attorney FOR the piaintIY h.
gan the Decentralization.
suddenly. juror IN the second row.
sprung sxcii@dly 20 his feet, and pointing
Gresfed the court:
our honor, T. IL permissible for any
ore 70 Sit down IN the audience and b,
gestures and signals tell q witness list