Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1896 — How the Last Juror was Won. [ARTICLE]

How the Last Juror was Won.

Dr. Robert D. Sheppard, business agent of the Northwestern University, relates a story of how he owe won a law suit which illustrates the manner in which lawyers sometimes adapt themselves to their juries. “There was no question,” said Dr. Sheppard, “but that I was in the right of the case. The evidence was conclusive, the law was on my side, and when my attorney arose to make his open m;; address he thought he had the case won. He briefly reviewed the evidence, stated the law in the case, and was about to close his argument when he mtlced that one of his jurors, a stolid o'd farmer, , did not seem to be with 1. m. The other eleven men had already decided the case in their >wn minds, but the farmer had a singgsh. set expression on his countenance which boded no good for me or my case. Again my lawyer reviewed the evidence, addressing his remarks entirely to this one man, but no impression was made. The same stolid expression still o cupied the man’s face, and tie seemed as little likely to be moved is the courthouse in which the trial was taking place. The attorney tried all kinds of arguments, and finally, when he was al.out giving up in despair, a happy thought struck him. He repeated again the bare facts, and when he came to a place where the person opposing me had made an egregious error in judgment he leaned over to the old farmer and said: “ ‘And I want to tell you, my friend, that there's where he dropped bis wat-er-melon.’ “The old farmer’s face lighted up, and from that moment the c-tsi was won. The jury was out less than five minutes, and brought back a verdict for all that I had asked.”