Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-05-21
Miseellaneo,ls 8saaing.
REMARKABLE EXCUSES.

REMARKABLE EXCUSES.
Some of the Difficulties of Obtaining
Jury for Haywood Trial.
Most Of the excuses Of the talesmen
In the Haywood case were of a char
acter that never would receive atten-
ton from a New York judge. They
had nothing to do with the business Of
the talesmen. Many Of them were
ranchmen who had no one to take
their places and their stock or crops
would suffer by their absence. AL
most every such excuse was accepted
Three or four men got away because
they were road overseers and under
bond to the county to keep the roads
in repair. Some were let off because
they were managers or drivers on ir-
rigation bitches. 1t was a curious
scene that this crowd Of gray-headed,
te-bearded men made, standing at
the end of the bench. They were pro-
foundly respectful to the judge. 1t
was like a country schoolmaster with
all his scholars before him, called up
for inquisition into some mischief re-
garded as unusually serious.
They stood awkwardly on one foot,
twisting their broad-brimmed hats
nervously in their hands and speaking
softly and pleadingly when the time
came to make excuses.
have seen very much such meet
ing aboard warships when a group of
the men had come to the mast to tell
the captain Of their troubles and seek
redress. The wide acquaintance Of
the Judge with his people and his keen
appreciation of their situation, his
knowledge Of their circumstances,
came out frequently when he told the
lawyers that he himself knew about
the case under examination and
thought that the men should be ex-
on not a few occasions also. One
Boise business man glibly began to
offer series Of excuses. The first was
sickness in his family, and the second
rangements to leave the city the af-
ternoon when he was subpoenaed. The
twinkle came into the judges eyes as
he looked up quickly and said: Then
the sickness is not such as to require
your presence at homer"
It made even the talesman laugh to
see how he had trapped himself, but
he made good on the business excuse
and the judge let him go. No doubt
the knowledge that the man would
have been challenged for cause any
way had something to do with it,
There came up a fine old, white-beard-
ed man, clear-eyed and frank, as near
ly all these people are, who told the
Judge that he was kind O. under the
weather" but for the last year his
health had been better than it used
to be.
How old are you?" asked the
Judge.
."Seventy-six, was the reply.
That brought from the lawyers on
hath sides a ready consent to letting
the old man go, but another-ef sew
enty-three was held, although he said
that his health was not quite so good
as 1t used to be. Another who was
troubled with kidneys" at sixty-ive
was let off, but a merry youth of fifty
seven, who complained that his hear
ing was DOOR" was held for further
examination.
So it went through the long list.
When the inquisition was ended twen-
ty-four of 100 summoned by special
panel had been excused, and eight or
ten who had tried to be released fall
ed. The eleven men already in the
box had been locked up since adjourn
men on Thursday afternoon, and now
they were sent for Sheriff Shad Hod-
gins went out to the back door OF the
Judges room, and shouted across the
jailyard to the house where the ju-
rors had been locked.
Hey, come on there"
The eleven men filed in presently,
the WOTh VI llyilb NeS
resumed.
Haywood seemed more interested In
the proceedings than before. He
seemed to be more conscious or the
seriousness Of his situation as the Or-
deal of the actual trial of the case
draws near.
There Is about his expression as ne
sits there with dropping lips and
averted face watching the talesmen
and the lawyers and listening to the
careless badinage that goes on some
times, something of the Indian-ike
expression that comes over the face OF
Senator Tillman when some matter IN
which he is much interested comes UP
in the senate and his opponents go az
ter him full shod. 1t was an express
sion full of bitterness and cynicism
quite unlike the frankness and good
humor the mobile mouth often SHOWS
when less serious matters attract Hey
woods attention.-Boise Cor. New