Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-08

Judge waIdran and the Me-
tropoIitan Police Com
uiissioners.
The Latter Threaten 10 Make
Certain Revelations.
What may be
Expected.

GARSNst1s
"a decent respect for the opinions Of
ones neighbors" prompts us to publicly
notice the recent remarkable charge "
Of the Judge Of the Municipal Court to
his Grand jerry.
Judge Waldran's unprecedented course
Of pronounciug a verdict OF guilty, and
calling upon the Grand Jury to pass
sentence upon the assumed criminals,
needs no comment from US TO impress
a candid man with the conviction that
His Honor has overstepped the bounds
Of judicial perogatiye and we're not the
published reports Of twenty-six good
and true men" at hand TO furnish a re-
ply, our well known modesly might
cause US TO shrink from the Notifying
duty Of uubosoming ourselves, even
though EVERY good citizen demands it"
The following report Of the Grand
Jury of the Criminal Court Of Memphis,
made to the Court April 9th, 1867, and
the subsequent report of the Grand Jury
of the Municipal Court, made March 23d,
1868, we republish to show what the
jurymen, whose names are signed to the
reports, then thought of the charge "of
misappropriating the public funds by
the Chiefand Financial Commissioners
These gentlemen-al well known in this
community may not have been can
did men," but we leave that question for
them to settle with the Judge, and for
those who know them to decide:
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY OF THE
CRIMINAL ooURT-H9E. WILLIAM HUN
TER, JUDGE, ETC.
- fts
The action Of the Police Commits
sioners, and the force under their control,
in the matter of levying black mail upon
keepers of gambling houses and houses
of ill.fsme, received long, patient and
thorough investigation; but there was
not found ground sufficient to sustain
presentment for anything prejudicial to
public safety, or to afford suspicion that
the Commissioners or their subordinates
have received money from these sources,
save on regular process OF arrest; and
from diligent comparison of their records
and amounts we, cannot find that moneys
have been corruptly obtained or put to
individual advantage of any person con-
nected with the fierce.
The report is signed:
c. J.sELDES. Foreman;WM. B: GREENLAw.
TH +. p GRIpsgs 4. B. M HcEEKIS:
p. NJ. DICKINSON, JANEs ID. RUFFIS,
BERNARD MYERS, John p. ToBIs,
IsAIDoR RosEsBAoH, GEORGE M. GREKLEY;
j. X. STEBBINS, Clerk.
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY OF THE NUM-
oIPAL COURT.
1t has been intimated to US that the
police force has been in the habit of
levying fines upon individuals for of
lenses, or receiving moneys from offend
ers, to prevent arrests, which moneys
have not been paid into any general
police fund, but taken and used for pri
vate and individual purposes. Several
witnesses have testified to having paid
money as fines or forfeitures to police
officers, but never in any case when they
had any reason to believe such moneys
to be taken for private or individual
benefit of the officer or officers of the
force nor have they ever had any assn
rance from an officer of the department
when paying forfeit, in case of arrest !
for keeping a gambling house, that they
would not be arrested again the next day |
for similar offense.
When forfeits have been paid, receipts |
have been given for the money, specify |
ing the amount and the purpose for
which it was paid The police records,
however, show payments of money in
several instances where the parties,
having paid, have no receipts; or having |
taken vouchers when payments were
made, have lost them
In pursuance to instructions, we have
visited the upper and lower station
houses of the Metropolitan Police, ex-
amined carefully the official records,
which we found carefully, fully and we'll
kept the purposes intended. We also
examined the cells and various apart
ments for persons under arrest, and
found a commendable degree of care
exercised for the safe keeping and COM
fort of the prisoners, more especially
was this the case at the upper station
house.
II. HoUeH, GEORGE HAYWOOD,
A. s. RASKIN, SHELDON LEWIS,
Jos. Il. RUSSELL, j. HARPM,N, :
J. .. WHIRLPOOL. J. P. FOSTER.
S. w. Mari s. JAMES DuMARs,
j. @. REAKERT. MASON HYDE.
Here for the present we leave the ques-
ton of "back mail" misappropriatiou
of public funds, and other official cor
ruption to the Grand Jury, with the
earnest request that they make careful
Investigation of all our official acts, and
promising when the proper time arrives,
we will lay before them and the Grand
Jury Of the Criminal Court, facts in re-
gard to the official and private conduct
of one who discraces the judicial ermine
in this city, that will siokeu the commu-
nifty, and ifjustice is not dead, will hurl
him from power.
S. B. BEAUMONT,
S. c. Metropolitan Police.
A. P. BuRDITT,
f. C. Metropolitan Police.