verdict of
Guilty. One of these impartial guardians of English liberty had stated,
in a public-house, his intention to "make it hot for the Freethinkers."
How many more had uttered similar sentiments it is impossible to say,
but it is reasonable to suppose that, if four were discovered by my
friends, there were others who had escaped their detection. One of
the four, a Mr. Thomas Jackson, was called on the jury list. I at once
challenged him. He was then put into the witness-box, and on examination
he admitted that he "had expressed an opinion adverse to the defendants
in this case."

Then ensued a bit of comedy between Judge North and Sir Hardinge
Giffard, who both assumed a wonderful air of impartiality.

"Judge North: Sir Hardinge, is it not better to withdraw this
juryman at once? Whatever the verdict of the jury, I should be
sorry to have a man among them who had expressed himself as
prejudiced.

Sir Hardinge Giffard: Oh yes, my lord; I withdraw him. It will
be much more satisfactory to the Crown and everybody else concerned."

"I withdraw him," says Sir Hardinge; "I should be sorry to have him,"
says the Judge; both evidently feeling that they were making a generous
concession in the interests of justice. But as a matter of fact they had
no choice. Mr. Thomas Jackson could no more sit on that jury after my
challenge than he could fly over the moon. I smiled at the pretended
generosity of these legal cronies, and said to myself, "Thank you for
nothing."

Mr. Thomas Jackson's exit made no practical difference. I felt, I will
not say that the jury was packed, but that it was admirably adapted to
the end in view. Ours being the only case for trial that day, it was not
difficult to accomplish this result. A friend of mine said to one of the
officers of the court before I entered the dock, "Well, how is the case
going to-day?" "Oh," was the prompt reply, "they are sure to convict."
He knew the character of the jury.

Some of the "twelve men and true" had not even the decency to attend
to the proceedings. One was timed by a friend in court--dead asleep for
sixty minutes. When that juryman awoke his mind was made up on the case.
At the conclusion of a trial that lasted over six hours they did not
even retire for consultation. They stood up, faced each other, muttered
together for about a minute, nodded their heads affirmatively, and then
sat down and gave a verdict of guilty.

Sev