WOMEN AS JURORS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 12, 15 January 1912, Page 3

WOMEN AS JURORS.

SCENE WITH A JUDGE

It has remained for a jury pf, women to attempt to defy a judge { and the law rather than commit what ■ they felt was an injustice. The case was tried at Tropico, California, last month, and, as so often happens, no • legal crime could be proved, though jthe jury weue, certain of the man's i guilt: ■■■■■■ "v- '■■■ ; -.'■ -■■■ ■" " ..; Ah employer was charged by a 15----year-old boy with withholding his wages. Judge Melrose, instructed ; them, on a.-legal- point, to return a • verdict of "Not' guilty." A jury -of i men .would not have hesitated, but I the astonished; judge saw the ladies | file, out of court to consider their de- | cision. ' WTien they returned there j was a heated dialogue between the | judge and the jury. r It began with the announcement' j by the forewoman (Mrs Myra Shuey) jto the gasping- judge: We find the i defendant guilty as charged. "Why have you disobeyed my clear instructions?" was the indignaait question from the bench.

; ' "Because," was the reply ; "we decided according to our own judgment. The Judge: The Court instructed you to return a verdict finding this defendant not guilty of the crime as charged in the complaint. I must, therefore, refuse to accept your verdict and renew my instructions to you.

A lady juror (excitedly): What did you bring us here for if you were going to take the matter away from us?

"We were empanelled to hear and decide this case," another lady told him, "and we are going to do it. We believe the man guilty. He did not pay half as much as he ought, arid there should bo a way to punish him." The judge remained firm, though embarrassed. He pointed out to them that contempt of court had its inconveniences, and that imprisonment was not unknown for refusal to obey a judge. Then the ladies gave in and reluctantly changed their verdict to that the law directed.

A letter that lias had a long journey was cast ashore in a bottle at PortWaikato, Auckland,, on Boxing Day, Claude Deed being the finder. The letter was addressed to Lieutenant Hubert Groyrne Smith, sth Imperial Yeomanry, Lord Methuen's column, South African Field Force, South Africa. According to the enclosure the letter was thrown overboard in the Indian Ocean, from the White Star liner Moravian, by It. W. Read, of the Daily Mail office, London, on December 30, 1901. The bottle containing the missive must therefore have boon tossed about at the mercy of'the waves for over ten years. The writing, although somewhat faded, was quite clear and readable. "Just a line to wish you a Happy New Year," proceeds the missive. "This letter goes by ocean post. It will be thrown overboard to-day. We are making a wide circle, and are about ten days outside Australia." A further enclosure in the envelope the finder, after placing his name, the place where found, and date on the envelope, to forward it on to the person it was addressed to. It will be interesting to know whether the lieutenant will finally receive the letter thus posted in such a novel way.