The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-03-29
"THE LATE COURT"
THE BATTLE-AxE DEMOLISHED
by '3Law md Order'' who Es-
pouses the Ca use of the
People

comments were handed us by gen
tleman Of this place with request
to publish. The object of the writer
will be apparent to our readers:
The Late Court.
Surely there's something rotten in
Denmark" AS we said in our first
issue there are three hotels in Nor
gantown constantly selling whiskey
and other liquors. At the late court
grand jury was duly sworn to per-
form their duties fully and properly.
These duties as we understand them
are:
l, To report any and all violations
of the law, or breaches Of the peace
within the preceding year, Of which
they have knowledge, and
2, To examine duly and thoroughly
ali witnesses sent before them by the
Prosecuting Attorney.
At the February court about fifty
witnesses were summoned before the
grand jury to testify as to violations
ofthe liquor law, and but seren indict-
ments were found, and Of those seven
there was one against each of our
liquor selling hotel keepers, one
against another party in town and
the other three against party in the
country. IT, instead of seven, there
had been seren thousand indictments
found, the number would still have
been far below the number Of illegal
sales. Other crimes were likewise
permitted to pass unnoticed. Now,
as we stated at the outset there is
something radically wrong in either
the witnesses or the jury, or both.
"Thcre was more corruption in this
court than ever known in Morgan
town before" said one Of our lawyers
last week.
Grand jurors were button -holed as
soon as they entered town
The whole criminal court proceed
ings became farce under such cir
cumstances.
Good citizens, Of Monongalia, can
we afford this? Will we permit it?
Let us bestir ourselves ere evil gain
entire control !-Batue-Are.
The above is taken from the Battle
Are, sheet published by the Ten
perance and Law and Order Associ-
alton, to which feel it my duty to
respond, in behalf of the good and
worthy citizens of our county. / be-
lieve it to be, not only an insult, but
an outrage against those Of our citi
zens who haze been compelled under
the law to sit as grand jurors in our
court. Since the present Prosecuting
Attorney entered upon the solemn
duties of his office the same grave
charge is made against the witnesses
whom the Prosecuting Attorney has
forced, under the law, to testify be-
fore said jury. 1t is very apparent
that these charges were made for the
purpose Of covering up and conceal
ing the weakness and defects Of the
present administration.
Why do the temperance people or
ganize such an order and declare the
present administration failure, and
at the same time advocate contin
uation of the same for the next four
years? Is it temperance they are
after, or is it political scheme sail
ing under the aforesaid name? "Sure-
ly there is something rotten in Den
mark"
If at the February term Of court
there were summoned before the
grand jury fifty persons to testify as
to violations of the liquor law and
only seven indictments found and
eff instead of seven there had been
seven thousand indictments found
the number would still he below the
number of Illegal sales" Now where
were the remaining six thousand nine
hundred and fifty that the Prosecut-
ing Attorney did not summon?
Were forty-three all the witnesses
out of seven thousand that could
clear the whiskey dealers of any vio-
lations Of law? Let me ask, frankly,
could not the Prosecuting Attorney,
out of seven thousand cases select
the right kind of material to make
efficient witnesses to enforce the
liquor law? Let me inquire what
has become of all the cases of indict-
ments found against the liquor deal
ers? Who is to blame for their not
having been sustained? Does this
bring the petit jurors into disrepute
before the public?
What was the reason there were no
more witnesses summoned before the
grand jury last term il the violations
were over seven thousand? Was it
to secure the liquor dealers influence
and whatever remuneration they
might agree upon; or what does it
mean that the liquor dealers are reg
ular visitors of the Prosecuting At
torney before each term of court and
before he issues his summonses for
witnesses? Now seeing the Prose
cutting Attorney so sbutton- holed' is
it any wonder that out of seven thou
sand violations of the liquor law only
seven indictments were found?
Is it any wonder that by such mis-
takes and neglect of duty we are
compelled to organize Temperance
and Law and Order Association dur
ing such an administration? "But
there is something radically wrong