A STEAM JURYMAN.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 119, 5 February 1879, Page 3

A STEAM JURYMAN.

. The other day a simimous commanding 1 Thatcher Magoin to present hinself for service in the jury box, was returned to the Commissioner of Jurors with the information that it had been served upon the wrong party. The commissioner said to the bearer : "That settles it as far as you are conconcerned, but Magoin must come here and show cause why he should not be a juror." He can't," was the reply, "he's too busy. If he did come he w ould make things hot for you. Besides, you would i have to send a derrick and a truck to I bring him. He turns the scales at 5,000 lbs.'"' The commissioner was incredulous, and made remarks not complimentary to tiie speaker's condition with respect to sobreity. then the summoned man explained, i "lam telling you facts, Mr. Commissioner," he said. " Thatcher Magoin is a • steam engine, and is located at the foot of Fletcher street. lam Nicholas Morris, stevedore. Years ago I was employed by a man named Thatcher Majoin. I named my engine on pier 19, East River, after him. When the Directory man came to the dock to get names he saw the name of Thatcher Magoin on the engine, and thinking that he was the boss, put it in book. You'll see it on page 949." This, we heleive, is the first time that a steam engine has been called to do politicial duty. There appears to be no reason, however, why a weli conducted or well constructed piece of machinery, with a phonographic metric attachment, should not be able to hear and weigh evidence quite as efnidently as the average jury.—'Scientific American.'