The jury Had the Last Say room.
Finally the jury came in. Every
217
Then, “You are discharged, gentle
men," and the jury scattered and left
body was relieved.
"Gentlemen, have you agreed upon a
the court room.
The court adjourned.
"We have," said several jurymen. The officer brought up the typewritten
This was beyond any experience of the astonished lawyers. It was worse than the Butterfield breach of promise case.
verdict. All had agreed on the necessity of taking the strip for alley purposes. Eight had signed the long verdict award ing damages to the various owners. It was satisfactory. The judge an nounced the fact, and the jury acquiesced.
"There is one thing left that can be done," gravely remarked the judge to the group of discussing lawyers, as he was putting on his hat and coat. “What is that?" quickly spoke up the corporation counsel, as hope sprang up
So the Kicker people got their three
in the breasts of all.
verdict?” quoth the judge.
thousand dollars!
There was general
“We can all go out in the rotunda and
relief and relaxation. Lawyer Reuben Smiley smiled—but was the smile prema
listen to Mr. Smiley's real opinion of the
ture? and remarked that they had made some
"t certainly wouldn’t be proper to express it in this court room," answered Lawyer Smiley as he bravely tried to
change in the typewritten figures!
smile.
Then the foreman of the jury rose
ah, um!
Oh,
That was different again. The
judge glanced over the typewritten pages of the verdict. The lawyers stared ex pectantly. "The only change you have made in this verdict relates to the amount of damages for the Kicker block?"
The jury nodded affirmatively in a body, and some answered.
“You changed the figures for damages for the Kicker block people from three thousand to one dollar?” continued the judge. Again there was acquiescence by the jury and consternation among the lawyers. Lawyer Smiley's smile faded away. “Is there anything else, gentleman?" said the judge pleasantly, addressing the lawyers. There was no response.
nothing to say. Madison, Wis.
There was
Jury‘)!
And the long-sufiering jury had the last say.
Addendum (three months later). jury chuckled and scattered.
The
Lawyer
Reuben Smiley set his jaws and ap pealed. Then he became pleasant again and smilingly inveigled the other lawyers
into stipulating to have the superior court re-try the case without a jury. All the lawyers again solemnly agreed that three thousand dollars would be a fair settlement for the Kicker block people.
As the proof showed damages in double that amount, judgment was entered by
the superior judge for three thousand dollars without opposition. Query: Where was the joke finally? On the jury, Reuben Smiley, the other lawyers, the superior court, the Kicker block people, or the system?
