Rensselaer Union, Volume 12, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1879 — “Agree to Disagree”—A Novel Verdict. [ARTICLE]

“Agree to Disagree”—A Novel Verdict.

Thursday last week, a Mr. Redding, of Fowler, brought action against editor Maddox of the same place, for provoke. Maddox, it seems, had used several ugly epithets towards Redding, who, in revenge, was anxious for the scribe’s incarceration. At tbe end of a long- winded trial, the jury, after an absence of about ten minutes, returned, and tbe foreman an oid, gray-haired citizen, plenty old enough to know better, replied to the question of the clerk, that they had agreed, and handed him the following extraordinary verdict: “We the jury in the case of the State of Indiana vs. Maddox, do agree lo disagree.” The J edge, after recovering from the great shock of amazement, told them that it was their business to agree and not to disagree, and very properly sent them back to the jury room. A much longer time elapsed, and they finally brought in a verdict of acquittal. There is but one similar instance of parallel stupidity, not to say idioey, on record. A jury in the state of New York once returned a similar verdict and were very promptly fined 8.50 each for contempt of court- — La Fay Cite Courier.