Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-09
10. REEDS GHOST.
Significant TenaciOusness OF the Grand
Jury.
How the Question Of Corpus Deficit
Affects the Jail-breaking Case.

Contrary to expectation the Criminal
Court did not adjourn yesterday till court
in couIse. On Tuesday Judge Frazier ad-
JpurLed Till yesterday, when 1t was thought
be would sign the minutes and close the
term. The Grand jury is, however, still
in session, and the inference is that the
Judge is awaiting some important action
from their secret cOunsels. A great deal of
plausiblity is attached TO this superstition.
when it is remembered that it is a very un-
usual thing for that body to continue in
session so long, and that The responsibility
still rests upon them Of ferreting out
and bringing to Justice the parties who en-
gagged in the lynching of 10 Reed. They
certainly would not make application to be
discharged until they had done their part
toward avenging so great violation Of law
and contempt Of cOuu; and, with reason
able efforts, it is clearly in their power to
indict some Of the guilty ones in so notori-
Gus and fragrant case as this. Judge
Frazier, too, charged them specially with
tbs work on the first day Of the term.
While, therefore, it is not for an outsider
TO know the subject of their deliberations,
the belief that they are engaged on the 10
Reed case is strongly supported by circum-
staDtial evidence. Moreover, it is probable
that the close of their labOrs in regard 10
this affair is not far of, and the report on
the streets yesterday to the effect that true
bills had been found, by the wholesale,
may not far miss the mark. 1t is certainly
to be hoped that such is the case.
The principal counts in the indictments
would obviously be jail breaking and MUIR
der. In regard to the latter charge there is
a popularity in the Reed case. In order to
convict Of murder, the corpus deficit must
be clearly shown, i. c. that somebody lcGS
killed. T public is familiar with the
question as to whether Reed was killed or
made his escape, and how it has been con-
tended by some that he was killed, by
Others that he was not, and by
Others still, including this journal, that it
was very probable, though not absolutely
certain, that the mob carried out their
dread intention to the letter. But the law
requires undoubted proof either by the dis
cOVeTy OF the body, or other equally un-
mistakable signs; for, if the parties who
participated in the lynching should lie
punished for the murder Of their victim, he
might subsequently turn UP alive, reveal
log horrible mistake, the very possibility
Of which the law viii not subject itself 10.
During the Reed controversy we sug-
gested that the grand jury summon the city
editor Of the Banner and DR.. Hogle as Wit
nesses. We are not aware whether this
was done, but il was with an eve TO this
very point Of the corpus deficit, that we
thought their testimony ought to be taken.
They asserted most positively that there
was no corpus deficit; We only wished
them TO have fair chance at the bar of the
grand jury, as they were encoUBtering a
great deal Of iucredulity in the outside
world, and We sincerely trust that they have
been allowed TO testify.