Page:Palmore v. State.pdf/6

VOL. 29] Rh  and the appellant convicted of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to be hung. During the progress of the trial appellant excepted to sundry rulings and decisions of the court, and moved for a new trial, setting up twenty-four grounds for new trial. This motion was overruled by the court, and a bill of exceptions was signed and made part of the record, which set out all the testimony given, and offered to be introduced by either party, and the instructions of the court and affidavits in support of the motion for a new trial.

The record states that the jury were duly drawn, selected and sworn as required by law, the oath administered being the one prescribed by section 219 of the criminal code of practice. This method of swearing the jury is made one of the grounds of the motion for new trial, and this provision, it is here argued, is unconstitutional in failing to swear the jury to try the case according to law and evidence. The oath is as follows: "You and each of you do solemnly swear that you will well and truly try the case of the state of Arkansas against W. B. Palmore, and a true verdict render unless discharged by the court, or withdrawn by the parties," etc. The jury are the judges of both law and fact, and were so informed. It would be difficult for them to well and truly try and a true verdict render, without acting according to law and evidence. There is nothing of substance in this objection.

The record shows that the court ordered the jury to be kept together, and put them in charge of an officer during the progress of the trial, and pending their deliberations there were serious acts of misconduct of the jury, and irregularities were permitted on the part of the officer having the jury in charge, in permitting them to drink intoxicating liquor, and in allowing one Jackson to separate from his fellow jurors, to go into a kitchen at a restaurant to eat by himself, and in allowing one of the jury to separate from his fellows, and go away from