The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-04-16
IN THE JURYROOM.
Strange Verdicts and Odd Occur
rences Recalled by Business Man.

What was said in an editorial ar
ticle in the Sun on March 8, about
the foolish verdicts rendered by ju-
ries is all true. 1t would take a
whole page of the Sun to relate the
ridiculous and curious things l have
experienced in thirty years of service
in juries. grand and petit, Federal
and State. I've been ashamed Of the
verdicts I've had to concur in civil
cases rather than have a disagree
ment that would be dreaded by both
parties.
l remember a case where q SER
want sued the administrators of an es-
tate for a large sum in lieu Of sup
port for life. which she claimed had
always been promised her by the de-
ceased. To me and to three or four
others of the jury 1t was plain that
the whole thing was concocted by the
woman's attorney, and when we re-
tired We compromised in $1,000
award to the woman. The defend
ants attorney assured us afterward
that while 1t was an absolutely cold
steal. they'd rather pay that sum
than have the suit hang over with
all 1t implied to the estate.
On another case a smart lawyer
had bought up the claims of a dead
and gone company of some kind
down south and came north to try to
collect from some of the original
stockholders. He sued a we'll known
gentleman of standing in the United
States court before Judge Lacombe,
and the defendant employed Mr..
Choate to represent him. The whole
thing was so preposterous that Mr..
Choate said but little, and the jury
was sent out. To the surprise Of ele-
ven of us there was on the first bal
lot one vote for the plaintiff. We be-
gan to discuss the matter, and one
Of the jurymen who sat quietly filling
his pipe. said: Gentlemen, it's no
use discussing this matter. That was
my ballot. and If we stay here a year
you will never get me to vote in favor
of that blankety, blank blank (naming
the defendant.) I'm employed In the
custom house. and some time ago,
when that fellow was returning from
Europe. he treated me as If I were
dirt under his feet, and here Is where
I get square with him, d-n him."
We Of course had to report a dis
agreement, and at the same time
gave a statement of the matter to
Judge Lacombe.
/ remember a humorous incident
occurred In Judge Peckhams court.
A tedious case had dragged along and
on Friday the Judge told us that
court would sit on Saturday. Several
OF us business men didn't want to
come to court on Saturday, ad dur
Ing lunch time we arranged with one
OF our number, a Hebrew, to remon-
strate against serving on his Sabbath,
and get us discharged until Monday.
Well. when court reconvened we
pushed our little man up to the front,
and as soon as he spoke to the judge
we saw there'd be something doing.
The judge called up the counsel, one
of whom was Gen Tracy, and there
was quite a confab, resulting in the
judge informing us that with consent
of counsel he was going to withdraw
juror and go on with the case on
Saturday with eleven jurymen Our
little game had been entirely Success
full Of the Hebrew.
III there were space to spare I could
give innumerable instances of both
the sad and the humorous side Of
jury trials. Think of being on jury
for year In the Emma Mine case"
and losing your business and becom-
ing a bankrupt through 1t, as some
men did. Think Of a Federal court
sitting five days with twelve iurymen
and such counsel as the late Leon
Albeit and Edwards Pierrepont to
decide on the loss of a sloopload of
potatoes. frozen on their way from
Nova Scotia. I'll bet Judge Wallace
remembers it.-New York Sun.