The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-04-14
IN THE JURY ROOM.
Strange Verdicts and Odd Occurrences
Recalled By Business Men.

What was said in an editorial arti-
Gle in the Sun on March 9, about the
foolish verdicts rendered by juries Is
all true. It would take whole page
of the Sun to relate the ridiculous
and curious things I have experience
ed 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 disagreement that
would be dreaded by both parties.
I remembered a case where a SER
want sued the administrator of an
estate for a large sum in lieu of
support for life, which she claimed
had always been promised her by
the deceased. To me and to three
or four others of the jury it was
plain that the whole thing was con-
cocted by the woman's attorney, and
when we retired we compromised In
a $4,000 award to the woman. The
defendants attorney assured us af-
terward that while it was an abso-
lutely cold steal, they'd rather pay
that sum than have the suit hang
over with all it implied to the estate.
In another case q smart lawyer
had bought up the claims of dead
and gone company of some kind down
South and came North to try to col
lect from some of the original stock
holders He sued a well known gen.
tleman 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
eleven of US there was on the first
ballot one vote for the plaintiff. We
began to discuss the matter, and one
of the jurymen who sat quietly fill
ing 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.) 4I'm en-
ployed 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 get square with
him, d-n him" We of course had
to report a disagreement, and at the
same time gave a statement Of the
matter to Judge Lacombe
I remember humorous icident oc-
Cured In Judge Peckham's 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, and dur
ing lunch time we arranged with one
of our number, Hebrew, to remon-
strate against serving on his Sabbath,
and get us discharged until Monday.
Well, when court reconvered we
pushed our little man up to the
front, and as soon as he spoke to the
Judge we saw there would be some
thing doing. The Judge called up
the counsel, one Of whom was Gen.
Tracy, and there was quite confab,
resulting in the Judge informing us
that with consent of counsel he was
going to- withdraw a Juror and go on
with the case on Saturday with elev-
en- jurymen. Our little game had
been entirely successful for the He
brew.
II 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 a
jury for & year in the Emma Mine
case'' and losing your business and
becoming a bankrupt through it, as
some men did. Think of Federal
court sitting five days with twelve
jurymen and such counsel as the late
Leon Albeit and Edwards ,Pirrepont
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.
D1:-Lzl h. C3-r1n nri,,b