Evening star., 1927-05-08
Why Trial by Jury Was Abolished

wav to fame and fortune lay not along the
stony paths of hard work but upon success
in being tried and acquitted of heinous of.
Tense. or else sentenced and pardoned on the
strength of petition" fostered by a penny
guttersheet.
And so it came about that public sentiment
at last aroused, did away with trial by Jury
altogether, and adopted the system of secret
tribunals we have today, which meet in secret,
examine the defendant and arbitrarily pass
sentence upon him; a sentence which is with
out appeal and which is served under cover of
darkness. so that the criminal, upon the com.
mission of a crime drops from the sight Of
men and is heard from more. The system
has it's faults, and cruelty and injustice un.
doubtedly occur, but when compared to the old
system it succeeded 1t is not bad, after all.
X X *
To make clear to you the status of trial bv
jury shortly before the abolition of that. insti.
tuition / shall sketch for you the history Of a
famous murder and the subsequent trial his.
tory which l culled from many records and
the yeowed files of old newspaper called
the Daily Scream. 1t is interesting to note in
passing, that the Daily Scream office was dyna.
n.ited shortly after the trial referred to- and it's
editors tied together in a neat bundle and cast
into the sea.
1t seems that Betty Dumbell pretty
blonde, and with a pronounced Tondness for
ginger ale orange juice, provided either was
mixed with gin, Drank a great quantity of both
afternoon and then placed arsenic in her
husbands coffee. She put her tiny tot to bed
and turned on the radio to enjoy a nice quiet
evening at home. Her aged mother, however,
called to see her later in the evening, and noti-
fid the police. The police told the reporters
and the photographers that here was a perfect
crime. And just as Susie Slush feature writer
of the Daily Scream, came upon the scene of
the murder, the dulcet voice of Archie Fauntel-
roy. announcer for Station XYZ $50 miles
away, came through the loudspeaker, announc-
ing This is Station N.Y."
Who was that?' asked Susie Slush, taking
out her notebook.
Archie Faunteroy, announcer for Station
XYZ," said policeman.
Il love his voice." said Betty DumbelI, still
slightly hazy from the ginger ale and orange
juice.
Betty was arrested and next mornings Daily
scream announced: "Slays Mate for Love of
Radio Sheik." The leading article, by Susie
Slush, wove circumstantiaI web of evidence
around poor Archie, and limited that he ought
TO be investigated There were pictures of the
love nest" where the beautiful blond Ret.
ty Dumbell," with her Glowing spouse lived
in marital bliss until the 'love thief" entered
and ruined ALL" There were other pictures
of the arsenic bottle, of the ''tiny tot' and of
the aged mother" whose photograph it later
developed, was secured by knocking her over
the head with chair and standing her against
the side OF the house until, recovering con-
sciousness, she began to cry. Archie Fauntel.
roy was arrested and lodged in Jail
X X X X
After many premnaries, attended by pho.
tographers droves of reporters, armies of law
yers and mobs of feverishly excited men and
women the case came to trial. A jury was
selected and sworn within the short snaca of
az days.
The Daily Scream took iustif1able pride in
the thoroughness with which it reported the
trial. To write the psychological" aspects of