Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-18
A Few Facts Concerning the Grand
~InqusItiOn and Its WOrk-A
Remedy Badly Nee ded.

following:
Neither Attorney General Wright nor
his assistant, Captain Cannon, had sny-
thing to do with summoning Of LEDGER
and Appeal reporters before the grand
jury, and iuueudoes cast furtively at
them are out Of order. The grand jury
OF its " accord summoned them, and
it is understood for the purpose OF ex.
aiming them on their charges against
the police, which the grand jury should
have known were mere jokes.
The Ledgerian reporter did not charge
in his expose Of the grand jury system
published on Tuesday last that either
gentlemen above mentioned had any
thing to do with summoning a LEDGER
or an Appeal reporter before the grand
jury, aud no inuendoes were cast at
either the attorney general or his assist.
ant, furtively or otherwise. The LEDGER
merely showed up the present system OF
the grand jury in %summoniug business
men before that tribunal and inquiriug
Of them concerning the business habits
of their neighbors, whether they sell
liquor on Sunday. keep gaming houses
or brothels, etc, and if possible to make
these witnesses summoaed prosecuting
witnesses on indictments to be tried BE-.
fore the Criminal Court. The Avalanch-
ian joker asserts that the charges made
against the police by the LEDGER and
Appeal we're merely made as jokes.
COSTLY JOKES.
They are serious jokes, which too Of
ten prove that the present police force is
badly handled and is too inefficient. The
men and officers Of the force we'll know
that but few Of the rules and regulations
set down as imperative duty in the book
presented to each peeler are observed.
They are not observed by either the
chief officers or the pstrolmen, and these
gentlemen well know that fact. By read
ing this work on what not to do, any
citizen can see the point. Our reporter,
when cross.sxamined by Mr.. Woody
Hall and DR.. Dickerson, members of the
grand jury, on police matters, informed
them that he knew Of no corruption in
office committed by the " peelers," but
he knew they were very inefficient anC
every citizen knew it. He informed the
grand jury that ineficiency on the par
OF the police was q question for the po
lice commissioners to settle and that the
grand jury could not take coguizanct
of it. These we're the jokes referred t
by the Avalanche, but the people who
pay the police do not consider inefi
cheney in Office a pleasant joke.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.
Before the grand jury are summoned
citizens of all classes and grades. They
are forced to indict their neighbors I'm
der the misdemeanor law. Every tern
Of court a certain or uncertain number
Of indictments are usually found sgsinsI
each gaming. house, brothel, and eact
saloon where liquors are sold on Sunday
1t is usual when these cases are called
in court for the defendants to agree t
plead guilty to 80 many of them and the
cases are submitted on pleas of guilty
The fines are RENTED in many cases, but
the costs are always taxed, which costs
have 10 be paid. What is the effect Of
all tbis2 The costs in each case ranges
from ten to twenty dollars. The fines
are generally small, if not RENTED. The
gentlemen who hold the r~emunerativt
court Offices get the costs, they being lie
gally entitled to them, but what advau.
tlge is it to the public or society,"
The saloons keep open as usual on
Sundays; the gambling houses run as
openly as ever; the brothels high and
low are not closed for one moment to
either a~ristooratie or plebeian visitors OF
the male sex. The saloon keeper has to
sell more whisky in order to pay the
costs taxed against him on indictm ;nts
found.
The gambling.house keeper has to
work harder in order to get away with
more money from the gambling public sc
that he can pay bis costs. The poor, un,
fortunate prostitute has still further to
sink herself into the depths of infamy
and disgrace in order to get more money
by which she can replace that paid out
in costs on indictments,
This is putting the case fairly and
plainly. Did ~indicting, Gning aud cost
paying each tenn of the Criminal Court
prevent or stop selling liquor on Sunday,
prevent gambling or lewdness, then the
great question of morality would cut a
big figure, and would be duly recognized
as a great factor in grand jury affairs
The evils Of the grand jury system, as
carried out, are plainly seen, but the
remedy is what is needed. 1t is to be
hoped hat some sage will discover this
remedy, ever if it is discovered by way
of q jok, as our Avalsnchian friend
puts it.