The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-12
BARRIERS TOO
BRAINY FOR
JURY WORK
Members of That Trade Gain
Much knowledge by Lis
tening, Says One. f

~
4 CICERO, ILL.,. Mar. 11.-Louis Krei-
ter, town barber Of this classic SUI
burban retreat, has the floor Krei-
ter was almost selected as q Juror In
the Lorimer trial, now progressing In
Chicago. 1t was close shave.
"Barbers," explained Kreiter, "aro
much too intelligent 10 make good iur-
ors. A good average juror. the kind
the state and the defense In a case
dream about when they're planning
I their dope. is sort of combination
vacuum and bottle headed party. It's
all wrong, the jury system Ia, and so
are many of the questions man must
answer before he can qualify as tur-
or.
I'm not sore because they let me
out Id just as soon be a juror and
I'd just as soon not. It's hard for
me to be definite about 1t. But I tell
you it's all wrong. Now, you take
me, a barber for thirty-six years,
Shaved Some Notable Men.
l. Been shaving men for that long. I
vas the most trusted barber Presi-
dent William r. Harper. of the Uni
yersity of Chicago. ever had, Wouldn't
let anybody else shave him. Shaved
business men, scientists. lecturers,
| poets. politicians and just regular h0i
poll0i. Well, for thirty-six years I've
been a-hearlng the world discussed.
settled and unsettled under me In the
BARRIERS chair.
1--WE exchanged opinions on every
| subject under the sun. I'm not the
wisest man In the world, but I've got
a quick mind-all good BARRIERS have.
! You know, a barber gets SO he can
almost tell what mans thinking by
the feel OF his skin under his fingers.
Gets Education Listening.
we got my education just listen
ing. That's the way you can keep
your mind clear, by listening. When
you talk you're likely to cloud your
mind up. I've listened for thirty-six
years, and I've got n reputation for
fair mindedneBs in Cicero. All the
boys claim I've got a mind as open
and fair as you Gun find anywhere In
this town.
Well, now I go down to the trial.
They put me in the box. give them
my name, my address, my business.
And then they start shooting ques-
tions at me. l noticed how they work
the defense and the state. They had
five men picked, and sized them up.
Just as soon as they start ques-
tioning me, start answering. I've
got my opinions. A man without upin-
ions, such as the attorneys want, is
two points short Of a boob. NY opin-
ions aren't prejudice. Every man
who thinks has opinions. L think;
I've got opinions.
Tries to Get Rid of Him.
"Well, when l tell this attorney I've
got opinions, but can put them aside.
he grows leary. He starts pumping
mo, trying to trip me up and get rid
of me. saw right away lie didn't
want a thinking man. He wanted a
juror. Well. some people are nat
Iural born turors-llke attorneys want.
"In fact, jurors are born every min
ute into the world. AS soon as ex-
hibited any intelligence my goose was
cooked. They wanted a man who was
scared pink at the sound Of their
voices, who eats with a shovel, and
who can't inscrlbe his name on an
envelope, that's what Well, didn't
qualify. No self respecting barber
could.
"Not a System, n Sinecure.r
$50 they let me out. got no kick.
don't need the Job of being juror.
But as patriotic citizen just make
these remarks in general about the
jury system. 1t amt system. Its
a sinecure.'
AS Krelter was talking, wagons and
cars passed his shop. Each wagon
driver stopped and waved his hand,
raising a finger tnquiringly. Krelter
answered by swinging his arms out
and shouting:
mo. nothing doing. Wouldn't take
mo. Not looking for BARRIERS on the
iury-or for anybody else with some
thing growing under their hats"
KreIter's drafting as venIreman
had evidently set the town of Cicero
on edge.
''You can say for me-" he went on.
"but / want you to get 1t right-1'm
not mad because they wouldn't take
me. I'm excited over the principle OF
l."
just then.-a customer entered and
the. town barber fell to work.