The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-25
CHARGE TO THE GRAND JURY.

your investigation Is OF more tnan usuA.
interest and importance. Homicides,
aggravated assaults, robbery. burglary.
and other heinous offenses are here.
Evidently grand jurors are needed Just
now. and ; oar Office has at this term .
special consequence. Use all diligence,
therefore. gentlemen. TO magnify your
Office. Permit nothing that is given
you in charge 70 escape faithful, impair
tial, unsparing investigation. Return
into Court o true bill against every
criminal you discover.
After speaking of the cases Of homi-
eide that will come before the Grand
Jury and defining the different grades
Of murder. the Judge continued:
Hold all cases involving attacks on
human life - worthy of your highest
consideration. for jus, in proportion as
tue life Of any human being. of what
ever rank or race. is held cheap 10 the
courts. in that proportion will 1t be held
cheap among the people. Try. gentle
men, 10 reach and indict every case in
which any person of discreet age and
sound mind has within your jurisdic =.
tion unlswfully offered personal violence
to any other human being. Our Grim
inal code provides for the punishment
of any person who shall exhibit in q
rude or angry manner deadly weapon
in Q crowd Of two or more persons
Such exhibitions are likely to be at
tendsd by loss Of human life. and should
be found by the exhibitor to be not only
likely bat certain To put him where he
will be bereavsd for time both of bi
weapon and the crowd
Examine into every case Of larceny
or burglary within your Jurisdiction.
Enticing young women to their ruin
under promise of marriage would seem
from the returns of our justices of the
peace TO have lately been sought as Q
pleasurable pastime by one or two young
men Of your counties. DO what you
can to prevent amusements 50 shameful
and desolating. By the punishment
prescribed in section 125 of our GRIM
inal code you will see in what detesta-
ton our people hold such acts, and how
fully impressed they are that the con-
sequences should be severe upon him
whose guilt under that section is salts
fsctorily proven.
Unusual feeling has recently been
aroused among the inhabitants Of Seat.
tie and vicinity by learning that a case
Of malignant smallpox has been con-
veyed along some OF their frequented
thoroughfares without due precaution
for the safety ofpassengers against con-
tagion. The in,2nity ef snch q thing
needs no comment to make it plain. I
am of opinion that the act is misde.
meanor. punishable at common law and
indictable by you. The act, if done.
involves probably also breach of one
or more sections of the quarantine law
Of 1869. which breach. however, is now
by the repeating clause Of the criminal
code of 1878 rendered unpunishable. I
charge you to look diligently into this
matter. and. if you shall find criminal
liability in any person, to bring in such
bill or bills of indictment as the facts
in your possession may warrant.
Since this Court convened two pris-
oners held to answer for crime have, as
learn. broken Jail. On you lay the
duty of inquiring whether they have
done so. and of indicting them il guilty.
Something like year ago a COM
plant was presented to this Court, and
by the Judge laid for action before the
Grand Jury. then sitting. against Cap.
Geo ID Hill, prominent and influen-
tisl citizen of this county, accusing him
Of officiating in a place of authority,
namely. the Office of County Treasurer
of King county. without being legally
authorized 80 TO do. On that occasion
we were on the eve of general cleo
ton, in which Capt Hill was conspicu-
Gus candidate; partisan feeling ran
high; the time was not then 30 aus
picious as now for calm. dispassiopate
action on his case 1t was publicly cir
culated and widely believed that the
complaint was campaign device to
defeat the accused in his aspirations for
Office; he himself, as / have since teen
informed. went personally before the
Grand Jury and was heard upon his
own case, presumably ct their invita-
ton and In answer to their questions.
bat certainly without leave of the
Judge and contrary TO the course and
practice of this Court; and it has been
q subject of public and general remark
aud criticism, 10 connection with these
things, that the Grand Jury. as is we'll
known, found no bill against him. Very
sharply drawn. an uohappy dividing
line has run through the population Of
the counties from which you come, sep
arating them into two portions. each
respectable in numbsrs-those on the one
hand who believe that this case should
10 prosecuted, and those on the other
who believe it should not. Each por-
ton finds fault with things as they are
Regarding Capt Hill as the victim of
vexations and dishonorsble persecution.
one portion Insists that he be let alone.
The other portion contends that he Is a
violator OF law, that nothing but his
extraordinary social and political inta-
enos prevents him from being dealt
with as any ordinary violator Of law,
and that the course of the Law officers Of
the government Is, in his casa. timid.
hesitating aud disgraceful. Heartily
can sympathizs with the feelings Of
both factions. but i cannot hope en-.
tirely to please either. Reverens Of
the Law. which sanctiies the individual
against ell unjust attacks. bat at the
same time sancsiies the public against
any usurpation by the individual. no
matter how considerable his station,
am boand. 81 far as / may. to act with
out indiscretion and without fsltering,
according TO THAT my own clear con-
-. II Al. n.