New-York tribune., 1922-03-09
Wives 2 Nights
On Mixed jury
AngerHusbalnds
Seven Women Locked Up
With Five Strange Men;
Some Enjoyed 1t While
the Rest Are Indignant
Gov. Preus Is Shocked
Feminine Members Did Most
of Fighting Among Selves
in Conviciing Auto Thief
s.ee4n1 nisnnseh 10 The r,4hnne

ST. PAUL, March S.-Seven women
:n-ors. who were locked IN two nights
m;,h five men during the deliberations
"a case in Ramsey County, emerged
,a-dav with emotions which ranged all
,As way between tho positively in
arpsnt and the openly enthusiastic
according to age
While the women were thus divided
.seir husbands were unit in denouuc-
;nr the legal proceedings that made
<ncb a situation possible, and in this
,isv were joined by Governor j. A. o.
p-eus who said that the whole affair
pss an outrage and that it would
never he repeated again in the State
of Minnesota while he was Governor
Think of it," exclaimed the Gov
crnor. "oniv curtain separating the
men and women as they dressed and
rndressed in one big room and slept on
cots all night. I certainly would never
hermit my wfe to undergo such an
ordeal
would call special session Of the
legislature. but he felt sure that the
common sense O. the local authorities
would prevent repetition of the oc-
currence private quarters for women
jurors is the only solution of the
problem" he said.
Test Case Proposed
Judge Horace Dickinson, of Henncpin
Count. is not sure that the Cover
ror's suggestion would work out as
.he law provides that the juries shall
be kert together until \ verdict is
reached He is Of the opinion, how
ever, that the plan of lodging them
in separate quarters should be tried
snd that q test case be made to de
termine the exact rights of women in
such an emergency.
The case caused such furorc
throughout the state that District
Judge Dean, of Martin County, advised
the commissioners to ignore the
lights OF women to sit on iuries and
tiuse TO summon them for service.
M this, Of course, leaves the situa-
i'm Just where it was. and it remains
rthln the option OF other county com
n;ssjoners TO call women in similar
eases and subject them to the same
ordeal that was endured by the women
OF Ramsey County-or, more properly
speaking. the husbands of the women
Of Ramsey County.
Fine Experience-to Forget
Mrs. B. Clemons, one of the older
members Of the jury IN Ramsey Coun-
t.. said It was wonderful experience
to leave behind.
I'D certainly hate to so through an
other like it," she said. "Why, some
Of the things that were said were per
fectly awful! The women seemed to
lght among themselves more than they
did with the men For instance, some
body asked me Why | didn't use my
brains, or maybe it was because l didn't
have any
The women, with five men, were
sa,.ed to serve at the trial of Georg'
Thoemke. charged with the theft of an
automobile, and those skeptics who
claimed no two women could agree on
any subject evidently were mistaken,
for this jury brought in a verdict of
guilty
However, it is evident from the state
ments Of Miss Grace Williams, the one
unmarried woman. that the verdict was
not arrived at without some sharp pas
sages between the jury members of the
gentler sex.
al have always thought women were
very different from men in that" said
Mss Williams. 81 have always admired
the way men can combat one another
the worst way about something and
then five minutes later be the best OF
friends again-you know, cat lunch to-
gethef and all that. never thought
women could do that, but things got
pretty lively at times and yet were all