Show TEMPTED BY TELEGRAPH how Bood lore lors tried to bribe fr abo a member ot the jury viewing crime as a high art it can truly bo said that bribing has reached an ideal state in all the many attempts which have been made to fix juries there is one which arises above the commonplace says the chicago times in reprinting the following story of the famous case referred to all names and dates have been omitted early in the spring of 18 the newspapers began to hint that everything was not right with a certain county board that contractors commissioners and county officers were leagued together gether to rob the county the first publications of these rumors were laughed at by the parties implicated they had grown bold in their crime and covered their trades tracks well suppose the charges are arc true what are you going to do about it laughingly queried one oh were nil all right they cant touch us said another as le he poured out a glass of champagne however the press and people were thoroughly aroused A fund to prosecute the bood lers was raised and the best detectives in the country were set to work from vague hints the papers got to definite statements then the bood lers began to feel uneasy they were not yet alarmed because they were sure their money and influence would secure them immunity it was not so with the outsiders however the contractors merchants affa others who lio were only indirectly implicated in in the affair they f feared eared that their reputations would suffer even if their liberty was not abridged they began to 0 talk in order to clear themselves and in in this evidence was accumulated that was unimpeachable then the bood lers began to be alarmed lar med one made a confession another pleaded guilty everyone implicated was taking the easiest method of protecting himself the day of trial finally came came the prisoners realized that nothing remained for them but conviction and imprisonment if an honest jury was obtained the prosecution realized this fact too and made every effort to obtain tal esmen who were above suspicion As last fast as a juror was accepted he was placed under surveillance and every attempt to get at him was frustrated when the twelve men filed into court the morning the opening arguments were made the prisoners were hopeless every possible effort to fix a member of the jury had been tried and proved unavailing from that time on the jurors would bo be more closely guarded than ever tho the bailiffs and ourt court officers were incorruptible they had been tried and found true to their trust Nto nothing thing but a lucky fluke would save the prisoners from the penitentiary however the friends of the bood lers did not despair among their number were some of the cleverest schemers in the country men used to evading the law men always suspected but never convicted of crime it was v as strange they thought if with unlimited money at gieir their they could not save their friends A motive too urged them to effort because they feared that if convicted some of the bood lers might make statements which would drag them with them to prison finally the alie longed for lucky fluke turned up tip in reading the examination of one of the jurors it was noticed that he said he be was formerly a telegraph operator here was a way to get at him now if lie he could be bribed they were all right T the he next day the friends of the prisoners took fronts seats cats in the courtroom and scrutinized the jurors j brors closely the telegraph operator call him smith though his name was longer and more euphonious than that sat where tho the rays of the sun shone full upon him A big an owls head bead with rubies lor for eyes was the most noticeable feature of his apparel this searf pin played an important part in the subsequent proceedings if you accept this offer dinned dinnee the instrument into smiths ears do not wear your when you come into court tomorrow to morrow tile next morning the bood lers nerves were keyed to the highest tension slon would smith accept this offer would the be missing or would they have to make a higher bid the thought that they could not buy him at any price had never entered their minds the first man to appear as M the bailiff escorted the jurors into court was smith the conspirators craned their necks to get a good look at him but their countenances soon fell for the first thing they saw was the gaudy pin glistening and sparkling like the koh i noor notwithstanding this setback bo however bolever wever the conspirators by no means lost hope all that was necessary they thought w waa a st to 0 r raise a i s e their acl r b bid I 1 d that t night n i g h t smith mith w was as on the alert not a sound as heard from the adjoining room however until nearly midnight then the telegraph instrument began to click at a furious rate all the guests gues ts of 0 the hotel had retired and there was absolutely no noise but that made by the every dot anil and dash was borne borna to smiths hs ear like the detonation of an aa exploding hercul percussion cap I will vill give you fifteen thousand dol lars was w a s the oft repeated message if you will either cither hang the jury or bring brics iu in a verdict of acquittal if you consent conse ut will place the llo money in the hands of your wife and will arrange signals between you so BO that you will be assured that she has the money for in an hour or more this message was repeated until it seemed to smith smi t 11 that the boutil of it would w uld drive I 1 him im crazym arguments were then bi baing bog mado made sn iii flue 1 iu i iw isu and it wms wc s ne decesary cesary sary for bim tu to nau up tip his mindola mindo igind aoa oa apparently parent ly however konci ur the offer made no impression on him for the next morning the scarf pin appeared in his cravatt cravat as usual at sight of 0 the pin ohp conspirators for the first time became alarmed judging the juror perhaps by their own peculiar standards they had reckoned that fifteen thousand thou iana dollars was enough to buy him body and soul time was now precious the next adny the case was to go to the jury arrangements range ments would have to be made that night or not at all another consultation sul tation was held that evening and it was decided to offer smith thirty thousand dollars this was thought to be so large a sum that lie ho could not possibly refuse accordingly According Iv the operator was again sent to the hotel and again a ain the instrument ticked out its tempting offers to the jury juryman inan but again the offers were useless for smith appeared appe a red the tb c next morning wearing his is as usual that morning the case was given to the jury who retired to deliberate upon the verdict leavin leaving the prisoners with very little hope their friends however did not give up the battle yet by dint of hard work they raised fifty thousand dollars and sent the telegraph operator to make a final appeal to the juror before his arrival however one of the bailiffs was nosing around the corridor off which was the room which was used by the jury by a lucky mistake he opened the wrong doo and went into the room where the tee telegraph instrument was placed his suspicions were at once aroused he had heard beard a faint clicking sound the night before but could not make out what it was who occupies room he be asked of the clerk in the office A traveling man was the reply the telegraph instrument there for know it was there without telling the clerk his bis 1 chions the bailiff went to the room and removed the instrument A few moments afterward the operas tor for appeared on the scene it was too lato late the game was up the instrument was gone and there was not time to procure another it was not only too late for the conspirators to make another offer but smith could not then accept the offer already made as he be had no assurance that the money promised would be forthcoming the jury took hours to decide upon a verdict which it was said at the time was not readied reached without considerable trouble the faces of the prisoners blanched its as the jury filed into courts court as the they Y too knew the game was up how the verdict was rendered how the sentence was passed and how the prisoners after a long delay were sent to prison to serve three years and how bow since their release from durance some of whom have waxed fat and rich and haughty the whole world knows but would smith have accepted the offer of fifty thousand dollars had the operator bean bc n able abla to make it the conspirators to this day declare that lie he would one thing however is certain smith is still comparatively a poor man and bears a good reputation chicago times |