EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF JURYMEN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 79, 22 July 1876, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF JURYMEN.

An inquest was held at Runcorn, before Mr. Ridgeway, on the body of a child which had been found drowned in the Runcorn Canal. It was stated by a young woman named Ruth Taylor that the deceased child was illegitimate. Its father was a boatman named John Taylor, her brother-in-law, who had been living about six years with Sarah Tyrer, the mother of the child. Several witnesses stated that' on the afternoon of the 2nd March, Taylor and Tyrer, with another woman named Rouen, were seen staggering along the canal bank drunk, following the horse which was towing the flat. Taylor was subsequently seen on horseback, with the child before him. One of the women to j holding on to the horse's traces, while the other woman was being dragged, along by the horse's tail. A man on the opposite bank of the canal shouted to the women to take the child from > Taylor, or IV would fall into the canal along with him, as he could scarcely sit on the horse. The woman Rouen then took the child, and shortly afterwards she lost her balanceand fell into the watei*. The mother screamed, but, like the father, was too drunk to render any assistance. The man on the opposite bank raised an alarm and a laborer named Smith jumped into the canal and rescued the woman and pulled out the child, which was wrapped in a shawl. He took the child to an enginehouse at one of the locks, but on his open' ing the shawl the child was found to be dead. Taylor and the two women went away leaving the dead body of the cliild in charge of the lock-keeper. Information was given to the police, and Inspector Buckley apprehended Taylor, Tyrer, and Rouen. This was the whole of the evidence, and as the jury could not agree they were locked up to consider their verdict Ten of the jurymen were in favour of a verdict of manslaughter, but the other ■two considered that the death of the child was accidental, and said that if they stayed there seven years they should not alter their opinion.- Argument being useless, the jury devoted their time to amusement and conversation, to render their position less miserable. One or two of the jury* men, who were "local brethren," employed the time in giving religious addressa directed against capital punishment. To vary the entertainment, Mr. Sankey'i hymn, " Hold the Fort," was sung, andit was followed by addresses on religion politics, and teetotalism. In the meantfflt the three prisoners had been taken before a magistrate, and committed to take their trial at Chester Assizes, on a charge d manslaughter. Half-past eight having arrived, and the jury still showing no sign" of agreement, they were sent for by th| Coroner, who expressed his surprise ana disgust at their conduct. He told theffl he had the power to keep them locked "P all night, or to fine them ; but as the prisoners had already been committed to the assizes, where they would be dealt ww properly, he would not detain the jutf further. No dozen men in their sense* could have hesitated as to what verdict should be returned ; and he would sho* his disapprobation of their conduct by n» allowing them fees.—The jury were thej discharged.—"Glasgow Weekly Herald.