Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 22.pdf/235

 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?