Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-30
TRANSCRIPT FROM A
WOMAN'S DIARY.
roriginal.l


foriginaI.l
Herbert Ringiand called Tuesday
night for his answer. ! told him that
!, wished my husband to be interested
with me In the amelloration Of the con
dition Of women. We had a long dis
cussion on the subject. during which
he asked me II I believed in women
serving on juries. told him that
believed In woman performing any
and every duty man performs except
certain manual labor and the duties OF
soldier. Then he said that women
had been tried on jury and be had
been present at trial before such
jury. asked him where. but he cut
me short by telling me the following
story:
"The prisoner. Thomas Adolphus
Swcetword. was mild hammered. OF
eyed individual with . red head and
freckled skin. thought him the home
Hest man I had ever seen and, since
he was 10 be tried for bigamy. wonder
ed how he had ever persuaded one NO
man to marry him. not to speak Of two,
when | heard q woman behind me
say. Isn't he handsomer The jury.
twelve true and good women, were
sworn and took their seats In the jury
box. They seemed to be conscious that
every one in the SPECTATOR seats was
looking at them. Six Jury women felt
Of their back hair, evidently expecting
to find II loose and ready to come
down. while the other six adjusted
their hats. They listened attentively
to the Indictment accusing the prison.
er OF marrying Ave women. ] saw IN
the face OF every woman on the jury
a terrible premonition OF the wrath tn
come and thought how hard II was on
a man TO he tried for such an offense
before women.
"wife No. gave her Testimony 6rst
It was simply form to establish be,
position. She looked pityingly upon
the prisoner. while he looked at her
with no expression at all. The other
wives were present. and he stood be
fore them like tame bull before the
toreadors In a Spanish arena.
wife No 2 told the story Of how she
had been deceived. betrayed. ruined
glanced at the jury as they listened
to her. Their eyes were flashing. their
facial muscles were working. but they
were restraining their wrath Dohiy
Wife No. 3 was at disadvantage, Ler
appearance being against her. She
was surely very untastcfully dressed
And so the recital OF betrayal went
on till the i've women had told their
narrowing tales The other two did
not appear. was very much inter
csted In watching the expression OF
the jury women. The prisoner might
better have been subject to the claws
Of twelve hungry lionesses. Being the
first time they had sat on jury. all
were. OF course. ignorant Of the forms
As soon rs wife No, 5 had given her
expersence-she was the most attrac
tive and her case was the most heart
rending OF all--up jumps the forewc
man and says. or. rather. screams:
"'Your honor. we don't need to hear
any more OF this case. We are ready
to find verdict without leaving the
box
1.-THE judge bowed politely to her and
told her that verdict would not be In
order till evidence for the defense was
In and the case summed up. where
upon she sank back into her seat. fan
ming herself violently and muttering:
"'1e can put In any defense he likes
He can't change my opinion
"Some Of the men In the room Uttered.
but the judge glared at them. and the
prisoners attorney arose. He sum
moned but a few witnesses to prove
that Mr.. Sweetword's home with his
first wife had been pandemonium.
that this had driven the poor man to
seek another and another till he had
tried Eve without getting that connu-
biaI comfort that any man has right
TO expect. When the advocate came to
sum up he skillfully contrived to throw
all the blame on the women In the
case, making no mention OF the va
rIous iufractions OF the law OF the
land. He drew picture Of the hor
rors of married life with wife No. !
and Infatuated that wife No. had
been no better than she should have
been before her marriage with Sweet
word. Wife No. 8. be claimed. was too
vulgar for any man to 1--we with. Wife
No. 4, who had angled for him. bad
shamefully neglected him. while No Z
was Z hard drinker.