Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-11
Seven Women and Five Men
Spend Two Nights in
Same Room - Indignant
Husbands Start Rumpus
BY GEORGE N. BRIGGS
Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929

Copyright, 1929
ST. PAUL, Mimi, March 8
Never would I allow Mrs. PreuS to
go through such an ordeal,
This frank statement by Gov. j.
A, 0. PreuS, of Minnesota, has CIV
en- such added velocity to the storm
which has arisen here over the con-
finement of seven women and five
men for two days and two nights
that it was freely predicted today
there would be no more mixed
juries" in this county.
To this extent, therefore, the
fight of Women'S organizations for an
absolutely equality of rights with
men has received a decided setback.
The privileges of citizenship repre-
scented by prolonged jury duty have
outraged the feelings of seven st.
Paul householders and sown the
seeds of an organized movement
against some of the outcropplngs
of universal suffrage.
The jury of seven women and hVe
men, selected to sit in judgment in
the case of the state against George
Theomke, charged with stealing an
automobile, was "hung up" for two
days and two nights before verdict
of guilty was returned. No sooner
had the jury been discharged with
the usual thanks by Judge F. M.
Cattlin than a great hue and cry
went up.
Husbands of the women serving
on the jury didn't mind doing the
house work and caring for the chill
dren during the day but when at
night, their wives were herded into
changing formation and locked
with the men in one Jail room
where there were no screens or
curtains to shield the feminine Sec
ton of the improvised dormitory,
they felt the end of duty as good
citizens was reached.
In consequence, notice that is
assured the support of most of the
married male population and few
of the promised in marriage, as well
has been unofficially, but none the
less firmly, served to the effect that
there will be no more Of that sort
of thing in these parts.
Tells Court His Feelings
One of the irate husbands so We
hemently outlined to Judge Cattling
his position as a citizen and tax
payer that ne narrowly escaped cita-
ton for contempt Throwing eau
IlOl " the WlICS, dIlu AOI SSlS1ItS
that he was addressing 1.-The ma
spouse made full use of his uneX-
purgated vocabulary, and declared
that neither his wife nor himself
would ever serve on a jury, let the
penalty be what it would.
Never have I been thus spoken
to in my official capacity" said
Judge Cattlin today, but was con-
WINGED that under the circumstances
the man was not responsible, and
allowed him to get away with it.
l believe it did him good"
Five of the husbands went after
Sheriff John Wagner and informed
him that hereafter he need waste
no time with jury summons for
them.
The shocking" details are just
coming to light. Said Mrs. Josephine
Brown:
when they put us in the Jail the
first night we just sat around on
the edges of the Gbeds and talked
about the case until we were nearly
dead. Then some one mentioned go
| ing to bed. / am sure it was man.
cit really was rather funny. The
men withdrew to a corner where
they sat facing the wall. We took
the sheets off the beds and tried
in vain to make screens of them
Then we crawled in and pretended
to sleep.
But we didn't sleep much, I can
assure you. One of the women
talked all nigth. I don't think the
men lost any sleep though, judging
from the snoring that was going on.
Dress While Men Shore
I'm the morning, long before day
| light, and to the accompaniment of
| loud shores, we were up and
dressed"
The second night was a repeti-
ton of the first night, with the ex-
ception that the men turned IN"
early, being worn out with argu-
ment. and left the women to their
own devices.
While all the women, after a show
of indignation are considering it in
the nature of an experience" and
joke, the husbands are not dis
posed to pass the circumstances
| it an issue, if possible, before the
state legislature.
Men not personally affected by
! the case have Joined in the argu.
ment and are willing to lend q
hand in disputing the right of the
state to compel their wives, or any
wife, in fact, to endure two nights
Of confinement with strange men.
Letters of protest are being sent to
the newspapers, to judges. to state
senators and to the governor, but
the latter has declined to commit
himself further than the staten: ent