80

THE HARDSHIPS OF A JURY.

The Sheedy trial, which is set for May 4th, will be likely to engage the attention of the district court for two or three weeks. The county attorney has endorsed the names of about seventy-five witnesses on the information. The defense will doubtless have a large number of witnesses.

The taking of testimony will occupy probably a week. The arguments of counsel will doubtless be full, and lengthy, and will likely occupy two or three days.

The names of one hundred and fifty jurors have been drawn, and it is thought by members of the bar that there will have to be three or four hundred jurors examined before a jury is obtained. The empanelling of the jury will be a long and wearisome task. The jurors first accepted will have a long term of what might becall imprisonment, for doubtless when a juror is once called in the box, he will not be allowed to separate from his fellow jurors, until excused for cause, or peremptorily challenged. And if he is not excused he will be held in the custody of a bailiff until the verdict is returned into court.

After twelve jurors have been secured against whom there can be no challenge for cause, each defendant on trial, has sixteen, and the state six peremptory challenges. The empanelling of the jury may occupy a week's time.

It is not to be wondered at, that business men, men who can not leave their homes and business for two or three weeks, and be held like prisoners, seek to avoid such jury service.