Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-09

The August term of the Criminal Court lor ILLS
county, his Honor, Judge Meares' presiding, con-
yened in the Court House yesterday morning. a
large number of persons OF all classes were In az
tendance most of them having business in some
form or other is evinced by the crowded DOCKET
awaiting the action of the Court.
After the opening of the Court Grand Jury
were selected and empanneled from the NUMBER
of nersous sworn, with Solomon j. Fason, Esq.
as Foreman. His Honor then proceeded to DE-
liver the charge to this body. He stated that he
considered il unnecessary to detail d. length
their duties-an of them doubtless were or should
he from, frequent attendance on courts. familiar
with them. An explanation of the oatfnHas' nov"
ever. entered into and the fact declared that the
nerfnrmance of their duties in an ordinary man
,ar wonld not sutfice The word . d:tlgenuy was
not Dlaced before senqure in the form OF oath,
but for purpose and if the jury did not dligenty
enquire into all offences brought to their notce'
they would commit perjury. The high oDllga-
ton which they are under to society as ie-
CARDS an efficient discharge OF their duties WIS
alluded to. 1t has been said that no man, now
ever learned, could improve the form or oash
which they had subscribed to. It Is brief, con-
| tanning no superduity Of words, but comprising
| their whole duties. Tue object Of punishment,
and in inficting punishment upon offenders, 15 to
deter other evil doors from the commission OF
crinoe-tbe great object of the law being to pre-
vent crime. We are living III troublesome times,
consequent upon political persecution. La"iess-
ness pervades the public mind to great extent IN
this county-oticers Of the law in the discharge OF
| their duties are assaulted even upon the streets
of this city. Where will al this end F.? 1t will end
in blood but for the intervention OF the law. The
law must intervene and preserve its dignity, and
secure order throughout the land, CIR society Will
suffer.
| The community is prosecuted and suffering from
vagrancy-the cause of the numerous cases OF lar
cenv which have cost the county so many thou
sands of dollars for Jail fees during the past
| twelve m3nths-and wilhcOntinue to suffer unless
Magistrates discharge their duty and present these
cases to the Courts. There are, it was stated, q
large number of men loafng and lounglng about
the streets of this city, when the Military Com
mandant at Raleigh offers them opportunities to
obtain labor, and farmers require their Services
The crime Of vagrancy is punished III every state
in the United States and in ell civilized countries
and there will be no relief from this lawlessness
which exists until the vagrant laws are fully en-
forced In view of this spirit of awlessness, shall
officers of the law sleep upon their posts and moi
act until we are thrown into state of anar
or come forward, exercise their functions ant
break mp this vagrancy in its incipiency 1t II
} better that we should so down the side of thu
: law than to sleep the sleep of inactivity unit
2 DEATH making no effort for eX3Etlon
His Honor then proceeded to onumerato the vari
GUS offences, which wol probably be brought t.
the notice of the Grand Jury at the present term
3 with brief explanation of the nature Of each
Their attention was first called to the most helm
2 ous of all offences thatof homicide consisting o
four grades--murder, granddaughter, justifable an
excusable homicide. Then rape high way robber
and burglary-the latter of which, by the laws O
N Carolina, is capital offence, the penalty ben
L death but which, like that of highway robbery
f has been changed by military order 10 ten years
= Imprisonment. Arson was then called to the at
: tention of the jury, and characterized as mos
devlish crime, and the fact stated that the mlhtar
. authorities have not taken away the death penal
5 ty which still exists Larceny, the great sourc
: of annoyance nowadays, 1t was stated, needs bu
q little comment. This crime would, in the oplnlo
of the Court never be diminished to any great eS
tent until the crime Of vagrancy, out OF which ]
grows, is suppressed. Forging and counterfeit
ing-crimes near akin to each other-perjury an
e subornation, and bribery of public officers, forL
cation and adul cry and the offence Of keeping dis
l. orderly houses gaming tables and al the mlnc
=, misdemeanors were also briefly called to the a
tention of the jury, after which they We're directe
to retire.
81 The afternoon was occupied in the trial of seN
6 eral cases of misdemeanors which are OF snc
e minor Importance not to warrant publication
10 The most important feature in these proceeding
; was the appointment Of the trial of the case
Parker indicted for murder, for Thursday
writ of cenlre facias has been issued to the oher
upon which he is directed to summon sevent
five good men, from which jury will be chose
:; Daily Journal, 9Th.