Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-06-20
LOCAL NEWS.

CRIMINAL CoURT.-The June term OF the
Criminal Court of this District commenced
this morning, Chief Justice Cartier on the
bench. Judge Fisher was expected to open
the court, but owing to indisposition he was
not able to do so, but is expected to assume his
place upon the bench in a few days
The following grand jurors ans wered to their
names, and Were sworn in, VIZ: Il. M. p. King,
foreman; w. McClane, H. G. Wilson, A. J.
]. b: Davis, Henry Barron, W Warder, Ira
Coombs, Taylor Hunt, o. E. p Hazard, W.
Lnkins; W, G. Harper, B. T.Swardt, and Jas.
Judge Cartier then delivered a brief charge
to the jury, stating that the shorthess OF the
notice to him Of Judge Fishers sickness had
precluded the possibility Of very lengthy
charge. II the jury, however, would carefully
study the oath just administered to them, they
would there have all their duties defined in q
condensed form. The Grand Jury were the
conservators and guardians Of the moral health
of the country, and ii was their duty to inq uire
carefully into all crimes or ,misdemeanors, and
to fearlessly make present against all such as
were guilty Of violations OF the law. Many
crimes would come before them. and they
would have to deal with criminals from almost
every State in the Union, on account of the
worthless characters in the army around here
having here been thrown of. But there were
two subjects to which the Judge would spe-
cially call the attention of the jury, and these
were prostitution and gambling.
The Jury, he said, owed it to themselves, their
wives and daughters and sons to use all their
power to put down this crying evil of prosti-
tuition. Public women, devoid OF all charac-
ter, stalked abroad through our public places,
thus driving honest and good women away;
and every effort should be made to put down
this vice. The nymphs of prostitution, with
painted effrontery, occupied the public haunts
Of business, and insulted honest women. This
should not be SO. Whether the jury could al
together extiAguish the vice or not was to be
tried; but they could at least drive it into re-
tirement.
Judge Cartier concluded by saying that this
was about the most glaring crime that stalked
abroad in this city. Other grand juries had
done much in this matter, but there was much
yet remaining to be done, and with untiring
exertions success would eventually crown the
efforts at the suppression OF this vice.
The jury TIT a retired to their room to attend
to such business as should be presented to
them.
answered to their names Pierce Shoemaker,
John =. Clokey, F. M. Jarboe, II. &. Divine,
J. B. Bird, w. g. Yost, g.. Powell, James
Larcum, H. b. McElfresh, Jacob Frey, James
Richard Roberts, E. H. King, B. II. Duvall,
]. b. Wilson, Isaac Beers, G. H. Gaddis, W.
T. Dixon were excused. --
In consequence Of the indisposition Of Judge
Fisher the petit jury were discharged until
Monday next.
THE ARSENAL DIsAsrRR.-There seems to be
no doubt, shat the depl0rable disasts8 At the
W Washington Arsenal on Friday was du, to the
ignorance or rseklsssness OF one man, Thomas
B. Brown, the pyrotechnist at the arsenal h
is an upletteTed mAn., we near, but the catss
trophe can hardly be attributed to his iso or
ance, as 1t seems that this Is by no meaWj the
first time that spontaneous comhustio n of the
red star fireworks has occurred viva him
though, fortunately, no loss OF life was In
But that he should spread these fireworks u
dry In the immedlrte vicinity OF Die open win
| yer. ct wort handling deadly 80 WIDER, sho "