Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-13
FOR TWO DOLLARS PER DAY
Prominent Business Men win Be Called to
Serve IN jury,
JUDGE NOT INCLINED TO EXCUSE THEN
No Release from service Unless "a i'
shown thu Actual and sub
stantiaI Loss Mast IBevi-
tably Follow.

There is good prospect that business
men juries' will be much IN evidence dur
ing the May and October terms OF the dis
trict court Of Douglas county. for the
county commissioner are putting business
men ON the new list and Judge Baxter
states that he intends to hold them unless
they can present reasons for being excused
that are positively imperative.
When the local bar association made its
recent allegations against the manner Ct
the selection OF the jury list for 1909 and
succeeded in bringing about the substitu-
tion Of a new list. the lawyers stirred the
county board into trying a new plan. which
seems destined to start the Precipitation on
many a merchants brow and TO start a
rush on Judge Baxter Of the criminal bench,
who does the excusing, that will put that
judicial dictator In the position Of an en-
throned monarch, with suppliants for
mercy constantly at his feet. Pursuant to
this plan the commissioners have system
Rtically canvAssed the list Of business men
and selected about 900 names to be put IN
the box, with as many more OF common la
borers, of mechanics. and Of various classes
Of employees. They refuse at this time to
divulge names. but the list is known 90
include both retailers and wholesaler. to-
gether with a complete list Of the hotel
preprietors, some bankers, several profess
sional men and some members Of the work
Ing staffs Of the newspapers.
The classes exempt from service in this
state, If they desire to be, are the minis
ters' probate judges, county commissioners
licensed attorneys, practicing physicians,
poStmasters and mail carriers, Judges and
clerks OF the district and county courts.
sherids, coroners and jailers. Among bus
mess men the only class said to be exempt
are the druggists.
Judge VIII Id Exacting.
Judge Baxter was asked how exactinR he
intended to be with those who may be
drawn from the commissioners new list and
ask to be excused. He said:
This course which the commissioners are
said to be contemplating will, 1 realize, re-
suit in my being constantly importuned. but
l will say now that such importuning will
be OF no avail unless backed by an excuse
that is of an imperative nature. The old
plea that the applicant has important bus
mess matters to attend to will not be
listened to unless he can show that the
business is such that he or others must in
evttAbly suffer actual and substantial loss
by his absence from it for such time as he
would be required in the court or Jury
rooms. Sickness, OF course, is q legitimate
excuse when the sickness is bona fde. and
I shall be considerate in the matter, but
the. man who comes hobbling in on a cane
that he is carrying for Just the one occasion
will find the court extremely incompas-
~sionate.
Moreover, II / do not excuse q man, he
must be here. The FIRST who transgresses
this rule will have a deputy sheriff ON his
ktrail that very day and he will be brought
in and fined for contempt. The fine may be
SIS and in addition there Will be the costs,
great or sranl, aceordire 10 the circum-
stances. DuriGg this present term I have
shown 1~eniency in this matter q couple of
times and in both instances. / have been
imposed upon so brazenly that I have de-
cided to chance It no more, but to apply the
Law in letter as we'll rs spirit"
Business Men Are wanted.
Judge Baxter also said tina he considers
business men juries highly desirable, which
makes still more dubious the outlook of
those prosperous men OF affairs who relish
not the task Of sitting six or more hours q
day in q STRAIGHTFORWARD chair without even
the solace Of a smoke and with no CONVEX
sation other than the ambitious babble OF
attorneys whose purpose seems TO be to
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