The daily gazette., 1879-05-12
FIFTH EDITION.
The County Courts.
THE OPENING AT NEW CASTLE
THIS MORNING.


JURY-LIQUoR CASES SETTLED.
Especially Reported for the Gazette.]
New CASTLE, May IL, 1879.
The court train left Wilmington with |
quite large crowd this morning-three
cars full. This number was augmented
at New Castle by arrivals from other
parts of the county, and when the Court
House doors opened at 10 o'clock several
hundred persons were waiting for admis-
sion. Part of this unusual attendance
was due to the heavy criminal business,
which necessitated the summoning of a
large number of persons, principally
from Wilmington, as witnesses before
the Grand Jury.
Before the opening, the usual crowds
assembled upon the Court House portico,
and discussed the crops, weather, poll
tics, and the various cases in which they
were respectively interested. A dull
mist hung over the town, and helped to
obscure the bright sunshine that anon
peeped through the struggling cloud.
the air was close and damp. The old
Court House smelled musty and disa-
greeable, and caused the occupants to re-
fleet upon what kind of accommodations
would be provided for them when the
proposed new county buildings are erect
ed in Wilmington. With this one ex-
ception, the the thoughts, speculations
and general surroundings were the same
l that hava affanIaI g. L.
| forty years or more.
| AT / O'Clock, the Court of Oyer and
Terminer, and Court of General Ses-
sions of the Peace and Jail Delivery
opened in due form, Chief Justice Come
gys and Judges Wootten and Houston
on the bench.
| The Grand Jury was called, and all
the members answered to their names
excepting Henry Grant. Barney Rey-
bold was excused. VIM. Herbert is
foreman of the jury. After being sworn
or affirmed, the jury was briefly address,
ed by Chief Justice Comegys. He said
it was unnecessary for him to give to
the members of the jury any general
charge, as they were well aware of the
nature of their duties, and nothing was
likely to come before them requiring
any special charge. There was one
case of alleged murder, but if when this
case came up, the jury desired any spe-
cial instructions, it would be given by
the Court.
In relation to the liquor question, the
Chief Justice said: 1t is made by law
the duty of the Court to call your atten-
tion to the law in relation to the sale o1
intoxicating liquors. This law, wher
enacted by the Legislature, was consid
cred Of such importance, that there wa.
Incorporated in it provision making il
the duty of the Court to impress thi!
law upon the attention of the Crane
Jury when the regular charge was deliv
cred to that body. will read the sec
tions Of this law, and ask you to give
your special attention. 1t is generall
considered that much crime grows out @
the excessive use of liquor, and if thi
law was properly executed, crime woul
materially decrease.
1t is an excellent law and works well
and if the public officers whose duty It i
to see its provisions executed would lool
after it, there would no doubt be yer,
perceptible diminution of crime.
The Chief Justice then read the law
and told the members Of the jury tha
they were bound to call to the attention
of the Attorney General to any case O
the violation of this law coming to thei
knowledge from responsible authority
and to investigate it.
The Grand Jury then retired, and th
General and additional juries were cal
ed.
The case of Jesse Hyatt, of Odessa, ,iv
indictments, for selling liquor without |
cense at the request OF the Attorney Ger
cral.
In a similar case against Ernest New
man, of Odessa, nolle pros, was entere
in two indictments, on payments of cos
and upon the other he was fined $50 O
pleading guilty.
In the case of James Jarman, indicte
ona charge of obstructing the publ
road, noble pros. was entered upon IL
defendant paying costs.
In the case of the Board of Health
Wilmington, ps. Joseph Bancroft & Son
for emptying dye stuffs into the Brand
wine, MIR. Spruance, for the defence, o
jected to the trial going on, on the grour
of lack of sufficient time for 0efen
! This is the case brought against IL
J Bancrofts by an indictment three yea
ago, which has been continued from ter
to term, and which the Board of Heal
at its last meeting, requested the ATTIC
ney-General to bring to trial at The pr
sent term.
Mr.. Spruance said he was under t
impression that the indictments h
been retired, as the defendants h
been endeavoring to remove the caus
of complaint. They were also will
to do all in their power to abate the
legged nuisance.
y He also said this suit was not broue
= by the City Council of Wilmington,
" by new broom in q new Board
Health, invested with new power, a
it was upon his demand that this act
was taken. Mr.. Spruance theref
asked for a continuance of the case
r til the September term.
The Attorney-General said this Il
sance was represented to him as a c
tinued one, and that no steps for
abatement had been taken.
(Ml. Spruance replied that the t
had expended $2800 in endeavorinI
remedy the evil complained Of.
- The Court said that if there vi
nuisance, and it was a continuous one
= should be abated or the case tried.
4 was therefore disposed to make a
- emptory order for the trial of the cas-
the September term, unless the nuisa
was sooner abated by the defendants
In the cases of Stafa ,e naop