The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-09-08
Address Of Judge McManama.

| ~ w eho OpouluB VI COuE
o. Amenton, Owen county, yesterday
Tor the prosecution Of persons engaged 1
the recent disturbances In that county:
Gentlemen Of Tie Grand Jury:
It is perhaps the first time in the hIsto
~ ol Owen county when the citizen
have ever sat In court that there wa
not q single man that had concealed dead
ly weaponS upon his person. : Yon nav
been summoned here today OF, importan
business-6uSinesa that effects the people
Of the whole State, and particularly thiI
county. 1t has been heralded throuRhou
this and other Commonwealths Of The
Union that Owen county Ia In state OF in
surrection; law In your midst Ia dlsre-
gsrded; human life insecure, and thI
courts and their officers set at defiance
and held In utter contempt. Now, sirs
may ask you, as the grand inquest o
the county, Is this true, and II 1t 10, how
long will you allow this state Of affairs "a
remaing May l venture to express thC
hope that you, as one Of the coordinate
branches Of tho court, will do what Ia ex,
pected OF you BY tho good people O
Owen county; that you rise above All
personal considerations and discharge thai
trust which the laws Of your State impose
on you. No sixteen gentlemen ever held
a higher or more exalted position than
you occupy today as the grand inquest Of
your county. The good people every.
where are with hope and high expecta.
tions looking toIyou and your conduct
In the discharge Of your duty with feel.
ings OF pleasure and delight. 1t is a lac,
Of which need not remind you that Of
lenders can only be brought to punish.
ment through the action OF this grand
Jury. You are the propelling mower,
You arc the source from which the peonle
can only expect protection, and now
warn you that unless you have come
here for the purpose Of faithfully, diligently
and impartially discharging your duty,
better by far II you had remained at home
IhsVe been . member OF this bar ior six.
teen years, and never seen grand jury
impanneled In your county that hotel
and saloon keepers did not send them
whisky and cigars. Applause This ia
indeed humiliating. Yet there Is no purer
truth recorded in the Book of books. Not
intending wantonly to wound the feelings
OF any OF your predecessors, 1t Is to them
q burning shame, and to say the least Of
1t, disreputsble to the fair name Of Ken.
lucky Courts. l am but one man, and
can do only the work which you
furnish me; but II any gentleman expects
iavors or considerations apart from the
faithful, honest discharge OF nv duties.
let him or them be at once undeceiyed' ;
Law.breakers and maleiactors are no as
sociates OF mine, and will never receive
my official smile. While do not pro.
pose to step aside from the line of duty,
| do intend to catch and hold to the nj.
most rigor OF the law every one who does
not respect, as the chief rule Of human
conduct, the law In all its truth,
without which you have no society, no
protection. l sm,informed, and being 80
informed, l deem 1t my duty to state that
nearly year ago a poor defenseless how
was shot and killed on the. streets Of
Monterey in this county, and for which
killing tho party was duly and regularly
indicted for murder by the grand Iury q
your county. The party so charged al
once fed from the country and remained
in exile till but two days since when he re-,
turned 10 the town, in which we now are
armed with deadly weapons, and remain.
ed hours within stones throw OF this
temple Of Justice, and was permitted BY
the Sheriff ofyour county who had in hil
possession bench warrant for murder
issued on that indictment against him
to ride out OF town free as suy
man against whom the breath Of suspic-
ion had never rested, that while the said
offender was in your county scat, he, the
Sheriff was shown the man and
told that he was the man fol
whom he had bench warrant for muir
der, to which your sheriff replied, ~ dom
want to see him." or II hav emo business
with him." or.words Of similar import
and to-day the offender is running at
large as free as any Of you. Now, sirs
invite your attention to tho oheril's
conduct, and II the facts be as stated and
an Owen county grand jury won't lndicl
him, I Will bring here from another coun
" a grand jury that will, for say 10 you
in all seriousness and candor that thil
state of things shall not longer exist II
Owen county. Precept after precepI
issuing from this court have by the sheriff
and his deputies and other ministeria
officers been returned mot found" Suct
conduct will not be tolerated by thil
court. I intend that all ministerial off.
GERS Of this county shall hereafter dt
their duty, and ii they de not, let then
bear rs they shall tho consequences re
sulting from their own derelictlops O
duty. l know that all the calamities will
which you are now contending are thl
legitimate results Of inefficient officers.
seek the favor Of no community at the sac
rifice Of my official position. 1t is an hon
orable one and 1t shall never be disre
garded or neglected while am It's DOS
SCISSOR II | have the ability to prevent II
Gentlemen, you owe It to yourselves, you
wives and your children, your home
and the lives and homes OF you
people, and more still you ar
adjured by q very solemn obligation
that each OF you have this day taken, Il
bring to justice every offender and vi.
olat0r Of the law. Proud as the people Q
Owen are, It Is q burning shame tina
lyou arc afraid to express your condemna
ton Of the ourages perpetrated In you
county during the past twelve months
Human lie has been taken in the street
ol Owenton, and In other parts OF you
county, and the people are too appreheu
sive Of danger 10 condemn or applaud Il
Both State and Federal troops have, bee
sent In upon you TO preserve order an
give security to the lives Of your citizenI
and 20 far as ! am apprised oil their COZ
duct, II has met the approval of a
good people. They have behaved we
and are entitled TO your best favors.
will not instruct you In detail, but wi
defer that till you meet together on th
24th inst. But, gentlemen, as one VIII
has an iniereat In VIM. m nm ,urhn n a,