Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-24
ABOUT JURY V[N|R[S
Bill Prepared For Law Com
pletely Changing System of
Drawing Jurors In Iowa
LAWYERS TO SUPPORT REFORMS
Evidence Recently Produced That Inn
proper Influencing Of Jurors is Com
mon in Des Moines, Will Give Added
impetus to ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ben Anxiously Awaiting Decision.
pecial to Times-Republfcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Sept. 24.-The recent
revelations of bar committee in re-
gard to the irregularities that have pre-
vailed In the matter of the drawing of
great aid to the members of the bar
jury venires in this county will be
court systems. One of the judges of
the court In this city has prepared
bill for a law to completely change the
system of drawing jurors in Iowa, by
providing jury commission, and re-
lieving the elective county officers from
the duty of preparing the jury venires.
The objection to the present system lies
largely in that the original lists are
made out by the judges of election.
who are. at least in the cities, too
often mere ward politicians associated
with class of men who make very
| in with their poll books are not always
| of representative citizens, and thus 1t
| happens that the turies are not very
good to begin with. Lawyers in this
county will support some system that
will effect needed reform here. The
evidence also produced that improper
| influencing of jurors is common In this
city, will give add i impetus to move
ment already we'll started for a change
| In the method of finding verdicts. The
state bar association has endorsed the
| plan for verdicts by less than a unan-
imous vote Of the juries. The plan Is
| to have majority verdicts in civil suits
unless the sum involved Is large, and
| in minor criminal cases to have major
lity verdicts. In other criminal cases
there would be provision for two thirds
| OF the jurors to get together and de-
eide the case, while only in the case of
| the greater crimes would unanimous
verdicts be required. The purpose of
this scheme is to prevent mistrials and
| to render more certain the melting out
! OF justice. Where one man, as at pres
cnt. can balk the whole system of jur-
! iisprudence, bribery or improper infiu-'
encing is easy. A bill has been pre-
pared to be presented to the next ses-s
! sion OF the legislature to provide for a
graded system of verdicts. It will re-
ceive the support OF the bar associa-
ton and of leading members of the bar
and OF judges In the courts. 1t will be
opposed by every person who has made
use of the opportunity at present af-
forded Cor improperly influencing the
jurors.
The decision of Judge Mcpherson in
the anti compact insurance law case,
| is still anxiously awaited by the in
surance men of the state 1t was an.
nounced, on what authority is not
known, that about Sept. 10 the judge
would tell what he had decided In re-
gard to this law of Iowa. But he did
not announce his decision. He has
been here this week holding court but
did not make any announcement. At
torneys for the insurance companies
| in the compact or combine say they
have not received any information as to
when the case will be decided. 1t was
fully argued months ago. In the mean
time q similar suit has been brought in
South Dakota to test the law which
was recently placed on the statute
books in that state, in line with the
llaw in Iowa. The fact that wherever
there is a law that interferes with the
right of insurance companies to COM
bine to fix rates and commissions, the
compact companies have brought suit
to crush the laws, indicates that the
movement is general, and that the COM
panies are fully determined upon pre-
venting any interference. The attor-
news for the state in the recent case
submitted to Judge Mcpherson point
ont that the Iowa law has some phases
which are not common to all such laws
and this may save the law from the
destruction which came to the Ne
braska law on the same subject The
fact that Judge Mcpherson is taking
more time than usual to this case is all
so believed to indicate that the case
is a little troublesome.
The report OF the first official state
inspection of the new Odd Fellows
Orphans Home at Mason City mas just
heen filed with the board Of control.
This report shows that the nome Wnlcn
was opened last May has received 13
orphans, nine DelNS oSel y ySais W
age. The matron is Mrs. j. w. Lewis.
The land and buildings are OF an esti-
mated value of $56,210, and the per-
sonal property $4,336. The report in
dicates that the home has started out
admirably and is we'll managed.
***
John M Work, of this city, will open
the speaking campaign for the socialist
party by addressing meeting In Mus
catine on the evening OF September 26.
He expects to do great deal of speak
| ing in the campaign. and a number of
outsiders are engaged to do some
speaking in the cities of the state. The
campaign of the populists, If one is
made. will be entirely in the rural
districts. tho the state organization has
not as yet manifested any signs OF life.
The ticket of the socialists was first
Ia be filed with the secretary of state
but the populists have not yet filed
| theirs.
The old trouble between the. osteo
paths and the physicians appears to
be in danger of breaking out again.