The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1907-01-10

!, HITS AND r ;
eeeeeeeeeesess

not, why not? Some people try to
shirk jury duty, dragging long excuses
into the court room to exhibit to the
judge, that takes two bailiffs to sweep
out. l am always ready to serve my
country when Ihave to and have been
properly urged: SO when I received a
r. 8. VI note from the u. S. mar
shall requesting my presence at U. s..
courtto act as juryman l gladly re-
sponded in my most pleasant manner,
first kicking the dog out doors and
refusing to buy q lead pencil from a
one-legged agent.
arrived inthe court room on sched-
ule time and was much pleased with
the surroundings. Each juryman was
allowed a chair and a pocket hat
rack. At given moment a hearty
looking old gentleman in a blue coat
and brass buttons, occupying the
southwest corner of the court room.
pounded on the table and advised the
assembly to arise: everyone fastened
to comply, and the judge walked in
and assembled to the bench in a quiet
and dlgnifed manner. I saw at once
that he understood his business and
could not see where Iwould be of any
benefit to him. Ny brother had writ
ten to me that possibly after I had been
a juryman for twelve or fifteen years
| might become a Judge. He once
knew a brakeman who called off stat
ions and ate out of the newsboy's fruit
basket Tor eighteen years, being ad-
yanced to conductor. But after I saw
what a judge of federal court has to
contend with and what he has to sup
ply, and what he has to do when it is
up to him, / recognized the fact, as an
old friend, that I couldn't qualify and
[ separated myself from the idea at
once.
Most persons as they are seated in
court for the first time are going over
IN their minds an excuse why they
should hasten home. The Judge is on
to them and he saves time by advising
them that for many years he has been
trying to find a time when business
men could be spared from home for a
few weeks, but he had not been able to
find any such a period. Sickness or
death of the juryman would be recog.
nized. Business excuses would have
to step aside. But, further, if there
was any juryman who had no business
who never had any business duties,
who was recognized as the town loafer,
if he would rise, he, too would be K
cused. No one arose.
Business of the court then goes on.
The clerk looks the other way and
draws a luryman out from a small
box. The person thus selected walks
gladly to the place assigned him and
sinks into a cane-bottomed chair:
which seems almost too good to be
true. Twelve men are selected and
the lawyers then begin to earn their
money by asking each man. questions
which may seem to the new juryman,
like myself, unnecessary, but a lawyer
! has to be active and alert in the. in.
terest of his client. The client is the
; man who pays the attorney, However,
:: it does not paw to be a client.
:: The clerk of the court is; the mar
who swears the witnesses or anyone
I else who is expected to tell the truth.
He holds up one hand and the person
! who is being sworn does the same
Some men when they are sworn a
hold up both hands and sometimes 8
foot, but in court one hand is all tina
is required. The clerk administer.
the oath in a careful, thoughtful man
J ner and the swearee listens in a patien
way SO as to keep the line of though
IN his mind and follow the suggest
|. ions then impaired during his career
! on the witness stand or in the jury box
} Oaths impaired hastily and received
carelessly have been known to clos
and become confused, the result bein.
b to retard justice. The clerk of a fed
I eral court has many other duties, pay
Z ing off jurymen being one of them
The willing manner in which he di,
this pleased us greatly. The cler]
! did not pay us off in trading stamp
or pleasant remarks, but in goo,
American dollars. There is nothin,
Il --r.# - r. , 49, v, - --a4F.L ~
7 small about the U. S., and you dom
, have to stand around all day waitin,
Tor your pay when the Gig is up"
The U. 8. marshall is a man VIII,
stands up near the judge in authority
but also listens when the Judge speaks
I He furnishes the raw material to fee
= the court; has a firm and elastic ste
J which assists him in getting over tn
y country after the evil doer or witness
who has been overcome with the ide,
= that he is too busy to answer a sum
: mons.
y Just another word about the ;a..