The jury had the Last Say S0 continuance after continuance was agreed upon until a dozen or so more were reeled ofi. Sometimes there were intervals of several weeks, or a month, at other times longer. The jury was told not to appear again until specifi
cally called.
Occasionally a juryman
would appear to find out when "that case" was going to be tried, if ever. It was an unfinished job that got on the nerves. The matter ran along. Some of the jurymen wanted to go away for a
long period or indefinitely, and were permanently excused.
It had come to
be a béte noir to everybody who had
215
coming to a climax. Or was it an anti climax? The jury panel was again completed. The judge and the rehabilitated jury again "viewed the premises.” The numer
ous lawyers were on hand.
There was
an array of witnesses. The court room was filled to overflowing. While wait
ing to get started, the judge, to impress the multitude, ordered about the dapper clerk whose dandified appearance be trayed his French origin. The real “oldest inhabitants," of prominence, too,
were present to tell about the time honored use of the “alley.”
either interestedly or disinterestedly any connection with the case. In the meantime, the real contesting parties—the Kicker block people, and
There was Uncle Jonathan Mason, tall, powerful, unwrinkled, clear eyed,
the
and
ninety, though apparently hardly in the
Councilmen for the city-were presum ably, and no doubt really, in a desultory
three-score-and-ten class. And Deacon Franklin Leisure, not far
bargain-and-sale way, trying to get together. After a couple of years or so every body had practically come to a common agreement as to terms. Then one of the presumably little interested property owners got a new lawyer, who kicked
behind Uncle Jonathan in years, sturdy
corporation
counsel,
mayor
over the whole business. So there were more continuances until this lawyer could thoroughly investigate the case for his client. But he finally found his client had nothing to contest.
Then the old "practical agreement" of the parties was resumed, and after a
few more continuances for good measure, a day was actually fixed for the real final conclusion of the trial.
The long
sufiering jury-what was left of them—
who had been a leading citizen for sixty five years and was now bordering on
and hale, living up to his name since his retirement, though “of counsel" in the
case at bar in which he was also a party as an abutting owner. Colonel Ezekiel Strong, also in the
four-score class, vigorous and keen appar ently as when a gladiator and rival of the commonwealth’s foremost statesmen who crossed the river a generation ago. And Elder David Kent, another re
tired barrister, who left his home city for a score of years to accumulate that wherewithal which he now so liberally distributes as public benefactions. With him was Judge Harmon Lucas, yet lack ing a few months of eighty but still in the harness.
Last but not least, except in age,
they were seven-were summoned, to
was General D. D. Growem. Though a
gether with five talesmen to complete the panel. To be exact, it was the twenty-seventh
veteran of the Civil War, years sat lightly
continuance. And the trial!
Well, the case was
on him, no doubt because of his medicinal
interests, which perhaps contributed also to the longevity of his compatriots. All these were leading citizens since
