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Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 32, 9 December 1879, Page 4

Scene on a Jury.— Last month an inquest was held touching the death of a woman named Margaret Collier, at Hereford. The jury consulted a short time, and then ashed to 'be allowed to retire. The Coroner granted the request, and ordered the sergeant-at-mace to keep them without “meat, drink, or fire.” A Juryman ; Do I understand that we are to stop there without meat, drink, or fire? The Coroner ; Yes. The Juryman.: Then I think we are agreed (laughter). The jury were then locked up, and in half an hour one of the number said eleven were agreed, but the other was not. The Coroner : You must carry the other one. At 9.40 p.m. the same juryman came to the coroner and asked if there were any beds (laughter). He said the dissentient said he would not alter his opinion if he stopped there g month, sp it was no good stopping there all night. The eleven wished to bring in a verdict condemnatory of the husband of the deceased, but Mr. Hart, the dissentient juryman, would not agree to it. The jury were brought in, and the coroner went through the evidence again. Mr. Mills : What do you think of it now, Mr. Hart? Mr. Hart ; lam of the same opinion as before. The Coroner threatened to bind them over to appear at the assizes. Mr. Mills ; We have decided by a majority in this room before. Mr. Hart : It has been done by tossing (laughter). The jury attempted to win over their dissentient brother, but he was firm. They then abused him, when ; he said “there were eleven dogs and one bohe. ’’At lo.ijp.m,* the prospect of being further locked up having become unendurable, the eleven gave way to the one, and brought in a verdict that the deceased died from “spinal apoplexy, caused by excitementbut the eleven added a rider to the verdict that the excitement to cause the spinal apoplexy was caused by the husband.