Prisoner for BlasphemyFoote, G. W. (George William)
Religion
Prisoner for Blasphemy
Foote, G. W. (George William)
Blasphemy; Trials (Blasphemy) -- Great Britain
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.
Several of the jury, however, I am bound to admit, had no idea that
Judge North would inflict upon us such infamous sentences, and they
were quite shocked at the consequences of their verdict. Four of them
subsequently signed the memorial for our release. A fifth juryman
vehemently declined to do so. "No," he said, "not I. I'm a man of
principle! They got off too easy. Two years' hard labor wouldn't have
been a bit too much." This pious gentleman is a publican in Soho, and
bears the name of a famous murderer, Wainwright.
But to return. Mr. Ramsey and I were represented this time on all legal
points by counsel. Mr. Cluer watched our interests vigilantly, and
performed a difficult task with great courage and judgment. He bore
Judge North's insults with wonderful patience. "Don't mind what you
think about, it, Mr. Cluer," "I don't want you to tell me what you
think;" such were the flowers of courtesy strewed from the bench upon
Mr. Cluer's path. Our counsel's colleague in the case was Mr. Horace
Avory, who represented Mr. Kemp. He also had a somewhat onerous duty to
perform.
There is no need to deal with the technical evidence against us. It was
of the usual character, and we merely cross-examined the witnesses as
a matter of form. One thing was brought out clearly. Sir Henry Tyler's
solicitors were aiding Sir Thomas Nelson, and their clerks were produced
as witnesses against us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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