The Juror Who Held Out for a Payday

In the case of A. Orth against N. Stein, recently tried in the District Court, the jury retired at 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon and did not agree upon a verdict until 8 o'clock the following morning. There were whispers abroad that the jury had agreed upon a verdict long before, but stood 'hung' for hours. Yesterday morning, eleven of the jurors—James W. Eaton, R. Dillon, O. G. Hinman, C. K. Carleton, Otto Smith, Jake Bolman, H. Landwort, Dan Kelly, L. W. Wilson, G. W. Scott, and O. W. Wall—presented a complaint to Chief Justice Jones. They stated that one of their brother jurors, W. W. Kaster, had stood out against the other eleven and refused to reason with them. From the taking of the second or third ballot, Kaster told them that the ballot he had cast would be the same through the night, and they believed his reason was to receive an extra day's pay. At the break of day, just prior to being informed that breakfast would be ready in twenty minutes, he then stated of his own accord that he would then cast a ballot with them. Eleven jurors signed the complaint. Chief Justice Jones issued a warrant for the arrest of W. W. Kaster for contempt of court, charging misbehavior and willful neglect of duty. Kaster was brought into court, where he was allowed to give his own recognizance in the sum of $250 to appear to answer the charge himself.