Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-08-10
LIST of Letters remaining in the Sunbury Pc:
Office. AupuSt 2 1872.
COURT PROCEEDINGS.
[Rcported by y. n. Brice.l

SUNBURY, August 5, 1872.
Court met at 10 O'Clock a. m. Hon. VIM. NJ.
Rockefeller, Welker and Nicely, present. After
the usual business had been attended to in the
opening, the grand jury was sworn, and the
court delivered the following excellent charge.
1t will commend itself to the people for lis point
edness, and its direct and forcible hits at grow
ing evils. 1t is better than most OF the modern
sermons Of our clergy of this day and generation.
Judge Rockefeller Is showing good sense and re-
markablc pluck. He refers plainly, rs did Judge
Jordan, in other days, to existing crime.
The oath of grand juror ought to be well un-
derstood and profoundly studied by every citizen
important public office. You have just been
sworn diligently to inquire, and true present
ment make, as well of all such matters as shall
be given you in charge, as of those things which
you may know of your own knowledge the
Commonwealth's counsel, your fellows, aud
your own, to keep secret TO present no man for
hatred, envy, or malice and to leave no man
unpresented, for love, fear, favor, reward or any
hope thereof; but 10 present all things truly, as
they come to your knowledge, according to your
understanding.
Firstly, you are "diligenty 10 inquire" You
should exhaust all the means at your command
to ferret out crime, and bring the guilty to JUS
tice examine the witnesses whose names are
written by the district attorney on each bill OF
Indictment, until you are satisfied that the de-
fendant Is probably guilty of the offence with
which he Is charged. Your "presentments are
to be true" This however, does not eujoin upon
you the duty of ascertaiulng the guilt or inno-
cence of the accused. 1t must be true in this
that you have reasonable evidence of his guilt,
and when the Commonwealth evidence satisfies
you of probable guilt, it is your duty to return q
true bill, aud the question of guilt or innocence
will then be tried by another jury, under the d.
rection and instructions of the Court. You must
not screen any person accused of crime, whose
conduct reasonably appears to demand public
examination, nor by rash charge draw on any
| innocent man an unmerited imputation of guilt,
or unnecessary apprehension of punishment.
The "matters" which, whether given in charge
or Of your own knowledge, are to be presented by
the grand jury, are all Offences within the coun
| ty.
To grand juries are committed the preservation
| OF the peace of the county, the care of bringing
| to light, for examination, trial, aud punishment
ali violence, outrage, indecency and terror. every
| thing that may occasion danger, disturbance, OF
| dsmay to the citizens Grand jurles are watch
men, stationed by the laws to survey the conduct
of their fellow citizens, and inquire where and by
whom public authority has been violated.
! The duty of the grand jurors "to keep secre
| the Commemorative counsel, their fellows, anC
| their own" plainly means this that each juro
| will keep secret the accusations made To tn,
! grand jury of the officers of the Commonwealth
| by any of his fellows, or by himself, and all the
proceedings thereon, lest the persons accused
| should receive notice of their accusation and he'
| from justice and lest juror, or other informer
' should be under restraint in making an accuse