The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-09-18
A REMARKABLE CHARGE TO A
GRAND JURY.
LOUISVILLE. KY. September :

The ToUTisT-jDHTHGi tomorrow will
publish tie. following address of Judge
McMananra 10 the Grand Jury opening
courr :i- .by.-ntown, Owen county. YES
r+r,iuv. .pr rie prosecution Of persons
engaged ia recent disturbances in that
county:
GENTLEMES OF THE GRAND JURY:
| Ir i. perhaps, the first time in the his
| tory of Owen county when citizens have
ever set in court when there was not a
single man that had concealed deadly
weapons upon his person. You have
been summoned here to-day ON import
! ant business which affects the people of
! the whole State, and particularly your
own country. Ii has been heralded
! throughout this and other common
wealrhs in the Union that Owen county
| i in "a state of inSurrectiOn: that law i'll
| your midst is diSregarded; that human
| life iS insecure and the courts and their
officers set at defiance and held in utter
| contempt Now, sirS, may | ask you.
! as the grand inquest of the country, is it
| true: and if it be, how long will you al
| low this state of affairs 10 remain: May
! ! venture to express the hope that you,
a. one of the coordinate branches of
court, will do what is expected OF you
by the good people of Owen county!
That you rise above all personal cOnsid-
erations and manfully discharge that
high trlIs, thn laws of your State impose
upon you. No sixteen gentlemen ever
had higl and more exalted position
than you Oc:upy this day as the grand
inquest of Y, " county. The good peO-
pie everywhc,e, with hope and high ex-
pectation are looking at your conduct in
the discharge of your duty with feelings
of pleasure and delight 1t is a fact of
which need not remind offenders
can only be brought to punishment
through the actions of this grand jury.
You are the prOpelling power. You are
the source from which people can only
expect protection; and now warn you
that unless you have come for the pur-
pose of faithfully, diligently and Impair
TALLY discharging your duty, better by
far you had remained at home.
| have been a member of this bar six
teen years, and never have seen grand
jury empanneled in your county when
hotel and saloon keepers did not send
them whisky and cigars. (Applause.)
This is indeed humiliating; yet there is
no purer truth than this recorded in the
book of books. Not intending wantonly
TO wound the feelings of any of your
predecessors. il is To them Il burning
shame, and TO say the least of it. disre-
putabIe to the fair name of Kentucky
courts. am but one man. and can do
ONLY the work with which you furnish
me. but if any gentleman expects favOrs
or consideration apart from the faithful,
honest discharge of my duties. let him
or them. during my official life, be at
once undeceiN ed. Law breakers and
malefactors are no associates of mine,
and will never receive an official smile.
While | do not propose to step aside
from the line of duty, | do intend to
catch and hold to the utmost rigor of
the law every one who does not respect
as the chief rule of human conduct that
law in all its truth, and without which
we have no society, no protection.
| am informed. and being so informed
| deem it my duty TO state to you that
nearly ii year ago a poor defenseiess boy
was shot and killed on the streets of
Monterey, in this county, and for which
killing the party was duly and regularly
indicted for murder by a grand jury of
your county The party so charged at
once fled the country, and remained in
exile till but two days since, when he
returned to the town i'll which we now
are, armed with deadly weapons, and
remained hours within a stones throw
of this temple of justice, and was per-
mitted by the Sheriff of your county,
who had in his possession Il bench war
rant for the murderer, issued on that
Indictment against linn to walk or ride
out of town free aS the man against
whom the breath of suspicion had never
rested. That while said offender was so
in your county seat. he (the Sheriff. was
shown the man and told he was the man
for whom he had Il bench warrant for
murder To which yOUr Sheriff replied.
Il don't want to see him, or. Il have
no business with him. or words of sim
liar import. and to day the offender l.
running az large free a. any "l You.
Now, sirS. ] invite your attention To
the Sheriif'S conduct. and If tlre Facts he
as stated. and nn Owen county griud
jury won't iudict bin | will bring here
from another county grand jury thar
Will, for ! say to you III all Strlousnes>
and caudur this state of things shall no
longer exist in Owen county. Precept
after precept iSSHin- from this court are
by the Sheriff and his deputies and
other ministerial officers returned. Not
found. Such conduct will not be toler-
Hted by this court. | intend that all
ministerial officers OF this country shall |
do duty. and if they don't bear arms |
they shall bear the consequences result
ing from their own derelictiOn OF duty. |
| know that all the calamities with |
which you are now contending are the |
legitimate results of inefficient officers |
| will seek the favor OF 40 community |
at the sacrifice of my official position.
Ii Is an honorable one, and shall never |
be diSregarded or neglected while am
its pOSsesSer If have the ability 10 pre-
vent it.
Gentlemen, you owe it to yourselves.
yOur wives and children, your homes, |
and the lives and homes Of your people, |
and more still are you abjured by the
very solemn obligation that each OF you
this day have taken, to bring TO justice
every offender and viOlator of the law.
Proud as the people of Owen are, II Is
burning shame that you are afraid TO eX-
press your condemnation of the outraSes
perpetTated III your county during the
past twelve months Humcn life has
been taken i'll the streets of Owenton
and in other parts of your county, and
the people are too apprehensive OF dan
ger to condemn or applaud 1t. Both
State and Federal troops have been sent
in upon you TO preserve order and give
security 10 the lives of citizens, and so
far as | am appraised, their conduct has
met the approval of good people. They
have behaved well and are entitled 10
your best favOrs.
/ will not instruct you IN detail but
will defer that till you meet together on
the oath inst; but, gentlemen, as one
WHO has an interest in you. as one who
is determined so far as he has power to
enforce the law fairly, impartially, yet
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