Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1879 — A Danger in the Jury System. [ARTICLE]

A Danger in the Jury System.

The dry, cutting satire practiced so much by the cross-examining lawyer of to-day is sometimes as dangerous in court as it would be on the street. A short time ago a jury was sitting on a case in Southern Colorado. A woman took the stand and was somewhat unceremoniously treated by the lawyers. At last a particularly dry and caustic fellow began to practice on her with the cross-examination. Now among the jurymen was one gentleman who was drawn with apprehension and fear of consequences. He was a free, wild miner, with no more idea of the restrictions of law and justice than a buffalo. He had twitched uneasily while the woman was being examined, and could only be kept stall by being provoked into a whispered conversation with the foreman. As the cross-examination reached a particular point, he astonished the court by jumping up, thrusting his hand into his nip-pocket, and exclaiming to the lawyer: “ Hi, thar, Mr. Stick-in-the-mud!” This from a juryman brought every eye in wonder ana amusement upon him. He heeded nothing, and proceeded: “Jack McCabe won’t ’low no man to talk to a woman in that shape; not while he’s ’round!” The Judge rebuked honest Jack, and he slunk into his seat, embarrassed but mad. The lawyer, turning upon him with withering scorn, began, bombastically: “Of what weight with me is the opinion of an ignorant juryman? I—” “That’s what I thought,” said Jack, as with one bound he cleared the rail and wound himself around the lawyer. Before a Constable could reach and separate the struggling pair, Jack had macerated the lawyer so that he was obliged to give up the case and go home on a shutter. The juryman nearly cleaned out the court before he could be placed under arrest, disabling two Constables and putting the Cner and the Judge to flight. Another argument against the juty system— Boston Herald.

Mountain Railways.— Some railway memoranda lately published in Germany .give the highest points yet reached by existing railways passing over moutain ranges or through mountain passes. The Appenine line reaches a height of 2,024 feet; the Black Forest line, 2,789 feet; the Semmering, 2,920 feet; the Caucasian line, 3,198 feet; the St. Gothard tunnel, 3,788 feet; the Brenner, 4,475 feet; Mount Cenis tunnel, 4,390 feet; the North Pacific, 5,420 feet: the Central Pacific, 7,021 feet; the Union Pacific, B,s73feet; while a railway over the Andess climb to 15,646 feet. The annual tea crop of the world Is 681,000,000 pounds.