The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1872-02-21
JUDGE TOURGEES CHARGE Az
GRAHAM.
Reported for the Recorder.

citizen can be called upon to hold in rcla-
ton to himself and his fellows. In and
through your action alone can the criminal
law Of the State be executed. BY fulfll-
ing the requirements Of your oath criminals
are brought to justice and the rights and
persons Of your fellow citizens and your
selves protected'.from rapacity and violence.
BY violating that oath you prevent efectu-
ally the punishment Of crime, and expose
your fellows and yourselves to every posi-
BILE phase Of wickedness. Thoroughness,
efficiency and diligence in the highest de-
gree with absolute freedom from prejudice,
fear, favor and affection, reward or the hope
of reward, are the prime requisites of the
Grand Juror.
! The first requirement Of your oath is that
Of diligence-you shall diligently enquire
and true presentment make Of all such mat
tiers and things as may be given you ID
charge And the court gives it you in
charge that you are to make this diligent
enquiry in regard to all crimes which may
have been committed in the county Of Ala
nance with one or two trivial exceptions Of
crimes which do not fall within the juris-
diction Of this court. This diligent enqui-
ry must be Of an active nature. Il is not
enough that you should investigate such
crimes as may be presented to you for con-
sideration but you are to seek out all crimes
which have been committed and make due
presentment thereof Your FIRST means OF
information lies within your own body. Ii
is the duty of every Grand Juror to give
information with regard to all crimes COM
ing to bis knowledge either By observation
or report. This duty is one not unfrequent-
" neglected by Grand Jurors. especially in
the county Of Alamance. Upon at least
three Of the Grand Juries empannelled in
this county during the past three years the
facts developed upon preliminary examina-
tions justify me in saying there have been
jurors cognizant of the most serious offences
and in one case Of the highest crime who
came before the court and answered upon
their solemn oaths that they bad presented
all crimes coming to their knowledge. IL
is your duty to disclose all knowledge that
you may have of crime in order That your
fellows may find presentments thereon, and
this disclosure should be made Al an,early
period in the term.
! do not propose at this time to give you
detailed rehearsal Of The various offences Of
the criminal category, but simply to call
your attention to some particular crimes
which demand your most serious considera-
ton, first: the crime Of murder, Ineed not
define it to you. You are all aware Of its
nature and Of that peculiar element Of de-
liberatiOn-maliee prepense in the words
Of the law-whereby il is distinguished
from its kindred offence manslaughter. Ii
, il unnecessary to inform you that three,
, probably four crimes Of this character have
! boon committed in the county which have
been as yet entirely unnoticed or but par
. tally investigated BY our Grand Juries.
{ One Of these peculiarly noted for delibera-
ton, atrosity and high handed mockery Of
law was committed in The very confines Of
: the Temples Of Justice, upon the Cou.
House square. AT this tragic scene we're
I present nearly q hundred Of the citizens Of
5 Alamance. II is useless 70 say TO you gem
e tleuien that every one present-eyeryone
accompanying that murderous band is g
qually guilty Of the crime they wrought
with him who slipped the fatal moose over
. the neck Of Wyatt Outlaw. But this crime
: touches not only those who we're present at
its consummation. but reaches.also to those
men who assembled in darkness and sccre-
ey deliberately planned lis execution and
, 70 those who instigatsd and devised this
: crime; every person at that meeting who
: voted for this assassination or who by bis
; silence and failure to reveal and defeat this
conspiracy is guilty as an accessory TO this
: murder. Asd even il il shall appear to
4 you that il was BY them intended only TO
4 make an unlawful assault upon their nnfor-
!, tunate victim they arestill IS conspirators
accessory 70 bis murder. SO in all crime.
thus concrete. II committed. the origina.
n tors become guilty as accessories before the
: fact. ifnot committed or attempted they
are guilty as conspirators. For months and
: ! years. these crimes have been hidden from
the eye Of jusiice--Time--the great ayen.
ger--and that conscience which doth make