The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-06

The Hustings-Court room was crowded
Yesterday morning with lawyers, witness
es, jurors, and people who came simply to
see Judge Thomas :. Atkins enter upon the
bench. AT quarter past III he came in and
took his seat with as little ado as II he had
been q Judge Of a dozen years experience.
MFR. w. =. Lawton- then called over the
grand iurymen and handed the list OF those
present to Judge Atkins, who designated
Mr.. Francis NJ. Boykin as foreman. lie
was then sworn, and after him in due or
der the other jurors, which having been
done, Judge Atkins delivered the following
Charge:
Gentlemen of the Grand Juru:
You have been selected from the various
parts OF this city as in all respects qualified
TO discharge the duty upon which you are
about to enter. That duty is to diligently
inquire Of and present all felonies, misde-
meanors. and violations OF penal laws
which may be given you In charge or come
TO your knowledge, committed within the
corporate limits OF the city OF Richmond
and for the space OF one mile on the north
side OF James river without and around
said city, and every part thereof, including
so much OF said river to low-water mark
on the shore of the county OF Chesterfield
as shall be between two lines drawn due
south from the eastern and western terml-
nations OF the one mile aforesaid.
Your body, to be competent to act, must
consist Of sixteen or more OF your number,
and at least twelve thereof must cODcuri in
fiuding or making an indictment or pre-
sentiment. You may make a presentment
upon the information OF two or more OF
YOUR own body, or on the testimony ofwit-
nesses called on by yourselves or sent to
you BIZ the court. In either case the names
of the jurors or witnesses giving the infor-
nation or testimony must be written at the
| foot OF the presentment or indictment, as
must also the name and residence OF the
prosecutor (if there be one) in case OF
| misdemeanor. You can signify your iudg-
ment upon anv bills OF indictment that may
be presented to you by endorsing them "A
trle billv or Not true BILL" rs you find
them true or unfounded, signed by your
foreman.
In making your investigations, gentle
men. while generally you hear only the
| Commonwealth witnesses, it is your duty
TO receive all the evidence presented by the
Commonwealth which may throw light
upon the matter under consideration,
whether il tend TO establish the innocence
or the guilt Of the accused, and II
IN THE COURSE OF YOUR INQUIRIES
YOU have reason to believe that there is
other evidence not presented TO you with
i'm vour reach which would qualify or eX-
plain away the charge under investigation,
| IL wuf DC your uuty 10 oruer sucn evidence
| to be produced. You must remember that
your duty is not only to the Common
wealth. You are as much bound to pro-
feet the innocent citizen from annoyance
and disgrace resulting from groundless
charges rs to present or indict the guilty:
and hence. to Justify the finding OF an in-
dictment YOU must be convinced, so far as
the evidence before you goes, that the ac-
cused is guilty.
With this brief statement OF the law gov
erning your action, which will be supple
mented from time to time at your request,
| call your attention to the following laws
OF this Commonwealth, which it is incum-
bent upon YOU to consider, should any ylo-
latons OF them be known to you or he
brought to your notice. And in dong
this | am satisfied that mere mention III
most instances will suffice 4 grand Jury OF
your experience and intelligence, ana
| therefore more extended statement VIII
not be made in any case except for the pur-
pose Of more strongly impreSSing that par
ticular subject upon your minds. Here
follows an enumeration OF offences; IN
cmded among which are the sale OF elo-
margeriue as butter and cruelty To am
mals-the aforementioned with particular
emphasis
Continuing, Judge Atkins said:
Gentlemen Of the jury, in addition to
the laws which | have given you in charge
there are several acts OF the Legislature
which it is my duty andNdeSire to bring
prominently to your notice. One OF them
is the act Of March u, 1874, against the sale
of liquor to minors. 1t is rs follows:
"If any person shall sell or barter OF
cause to be sold or bartored. or being a
merchant. or tradesman, or the keeper OF
nm eating-house or ordinary shall directly
or indirectly give or furnish or dispose OF,
or cause to be given or furnished or dis
posed OF. or shall permit to be sold or bar
tered or disposed Of by his clerk or agent
or salesman to any minor
WITHOUT THE CONSENT or HIS PARENT
or Guardian, any wine, ardent spirits, ol
anv mixture thereof. or any kindof spiritu'
ous or fermented liquors, he shall be deemed
FL
with this law | will read another, Whicl
| deem fit companion:
"If a person carry about his person, hit
from common observation, any pistol. dirk
Rowie-kniie, or any weapon OF the lik'
Kind. he shall be fined" &c.
These two offences, gentlemen ofthe jury
I consider are the cause. directly or indi
rectlv. Of most Of the crime of this country
A rand iury i'm New York city last yea
renorted to the court that not far iron
three fourths of the complaints returned ..
tbe nollce justices to the district attor
nev,s office were against boys ranging
, i'm arc from twelve to eighteen years
and that in nearly every ease the luyenll
delinauent asserted that liquor was tn
first and real cause OF his DOWNFALL; and i
, Chicago \ committee to whom was entrusl
! cd thr duty OF inpIiring into the causes 10
: the increased prevalence OF crime IN tina
citv reported that in their opinion the us
of Iiouor was responsible to greater eS
u tent than all other causes for the spread G
, crime. That this may not appear to yo
j 90 ho tbe cause OF crime here Is easily eN
= claimed. The young man who becomes
!, erin,inoI rarely ever remains in the plac
\ ! Of his downfall, where he is known.
He SEEKS TIE sLUMs AND DENs
., sucb nlaces as New York and Chieag'
d o,yov from the family and friends whom /
: has diseraced, and hence criminals al
/ m generally strangers to the place OF the
\ \ operations: :. 30 o,sovhsre
Y NOV those from other cities cone mere
o and Tins we are interested in tue suppre
;. ~" 80, -, cr;me everywhere, and must do o,
Is part for the public welfare.
,. Another act which IT. Is made my du1y
D. call to your attention Is one passed. Sat, ssl,