The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-20

of men drawn for the jury box have
been discarded by the jury clerks and
others substituted. This matter the
bar committee has. been investigating,
and If these charges prove to be true
it may safely be said there has not
been a lawful jury trial in Polk county
for several years.
This is the result of q woman in poll
tics, the outcome of having one elected
to public Office whose mind holds no
other thought than doing what is right
and obeyfng the law as the people have
sanctioned. For 1t was Mrs. Frank
Dedson, the present county recorder,
who exposed the methods in vogue in
Polk county, demanded a following of
the rule laid down by the law in draw
ing Jurors, and when she could not
gain her point consulted the court with
the result of the investigating COM
mittee being appointed.
According to- the Iowa law the jury
yenire shall be drawn by the county
clerk, auditor and recorder. The pres
ent incumbents are Clerk B. F. Coffin,
Auditor F. A. Cope and Recorder Mrs.
Frank Dodson. The bar committee
has met and taken the testimony of
these three, and is. now preparing it's
report, which is to be presented to the
judges. f5
County Recorder Mrs. Frank Dodson,
before the committee, claimed that
when she first, began to draw juries
with her two male colaborers they
were discardine some of the names
they drew fromthe box. She protested,
she says, saying that the law provided
the requisite number should be taken
from the box and set down, but affirms
they told her that was not the custom
and that they had been doing 1t this
way for all the irtime they were in
Office. The mem maintained that some
of the names drawn represented men
who were not fl. to hear cases and sit
upon jury. But Mrs. Dodson pro-
tested, saying that was no fault of the
jury clerks, but the men at the pri-
maries who sentn the names up She
said there werep two against her and
she could do nothing They told her
that If she stuck to the letter of the
law she would have all the thugs in the
county on the juries. Again she as
serted the lawyers did not have to ac-
cept them to sit on case, but her ar
guments awaited her nothing, so she
consulted her lawyer. He at once told
her she was right, she said, and ac-
cordingly she went to the court and
asked what she should do. This re-
suited In the appointment Of the bar
committee.
Since that time the juries have been
drawn in the regular way. The two
men officers before the committee took
the stand that If they accepted the men
they drew the county would be placed
at an unnecessary expense. Recently,
they claimed, they had drawn men who
were in jail and who were dead. These
names, they said. they believed 1t their
duty to discard.
, Mrs. Dodson says she has been ap-
preached by men who asked her to get
them placed on the jury since she has
been in office. This, of course, she has
refused. All of the testimony of the
three witnesses was taken In short
hand, and 1t is possible transcript of
1t will be furnished the court when the
report is submitted by the lawyers
The judges aFetl all-powerful in the
proceedings and may take any steps
they deem right, though the defendants
have a right to, appeal to the supreme
court. ,ra
A report OF ther committee showing
the irregularities and reporting that It
is evidenced these have taken place will
cause great eruption. and there
might be no end to the possible fitiga-
ton which would follow.
Mrs. Dodson, sthes woman who caused
the tumult in the court, is q bright
Intellectual and 9 fascinating person.
During the canipaign she was called
upon to make several addresses and
proved herself ttalbe a clever talker.
She does not assume a position Of try
ing to revolutionize things in the court
house, but maintains that she will fill
her position and Hdo her duties as the
law demands and provides. If the
laws are poor she says the blame cam
not fall upon her shoulders So she
has taken decided stand in the jury
drawing question.