Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-05-10
JUDGE FITZGERALD'S
Charge To ghe Grnnd Jury Called to I'm vestigate the New school House
 Matter. .tc

thAfse To She Grand Jury Called to Jn-
 vestigate the New school House
 Matter. 1to.
 We give below the Judges charge which is attracting a good deal os a;ten- ton.
 0ENTLEAEN OF THE JURY:-The last Grand Jury on the supposed completion oi ther iabors, submii ted to the Court a rePo5t containing charges of a grave and highly reprehensIble character. agalnst prominent officials of this city aud county. If these sweeping and dam. aslng charges are founded on facts. and the evidences of them are in existence and attalnable, then indeed have wa a condition of things here, demanding the prompt and energetic action Of an honest lHlth.u ul and conscientious Grand JUry. Before making the order directing inc Sheriff to summon another Grand Jurv. gave to the subject matter above refer red to. my most thouGhtful and serlous c0nslderatlOB, and the conclusion forced upon my mind, and upon which l acted was that the public interests as we'll as the rights of the parties involved. ne cessltatei a rigid and searching invest lgGuon into the management by the Public School Trustees, of the public schuol house business. And if auv per son, however prominent and exalted bls oinclal and sncial position may be. has Wluiully committed or omitted any duty ln violation of the law in any particular m connection herewith. he should be promptly indicted and made to suffer if convicted, the condign penalty of the law. Then and not til then will the majesty of the law be fully and com pleJely vlndicated, and the people pro- tected, by the strong arm of the law, in ther rights aud property, against the speCulaaons of dishonest officials. On tue other hand. gentlemen of the grand Jury, If the evidence brought before vou does not sustain the said report, and is Insufficient to justify you in finding ollls ot indictments, then you should say so m such plain and unmistaknble language IS will relieve these suspected and traduced parties of the aspersions and criminal accusations under which they are labOrIng and suffering. Give these parties full, fair and impartial investigation, and in order to do so 1t VIII De necessary to brace yourselves against public clgmor, and the idea and reckiess yGporings os prejudiced aad perhaps ln many instances irresponsible persons. You should enter on your high and solemn duties unmhuenced and un- trammei u oy any other consideration thau such as the evidence n the case wlH cunduct you to, and with tho deter mination solely of mesingout equal and exact just ce to all persons irrespective .atff.s- T public officials of the county are re- ferred to il the report of the former grand jury h terms not at all com pilmentary, or calculated to impress the people favolubly with the manner in which these public servants have ad mnlsteCed the sacred public trust con ided Co their keeping.
 Their acts n connection with the dis charge Of their official duties you will investigate and determine as tbe evI- deUc7 in the case warrants ana requires, aud If during your investigation any public officer Is shown by such evidence tO have been false to the public trust, then le. justice, swift and terrible, be visited up0n the miserable miscreant who thus dares to ablse the peoples confidence and at the same time vi0lat tha puul.c law. There Is something so sigEel!ng and revOlgiug m a corrupt and diScraced pU1lio official that the most degraded of our criminal classes, aye, the very scum of society. even from their own low standard of morality, grow dizzy in lgo6inG down with contempt upon hIm. He I5 av ided and summed a7 .I h. was icpeT, aud ls deservedly ;.a miS r-hie p1ssessar Of tLe ugmitl- gated seeru. execra.ioE and loaihlns u' H's felswnaH.
 Wer.-f.: that we are not able 10 give a u.s report of 1.e charge livered by
 j13se The portion above vas de- l.ve--s rom manuscript. Dat the most .-.l5s..s, effective apd impre tive portion os taa charge Eas orally given to the iu-e and ven+ deep into their hearts ar5 lhess oi a very large aFssmblage of citizens present. Even those who felt that his remarks might possibly direc' tbe attention of tLe grand jury 10 some act 5f omission or commission by them in violation os iustica and the statute, could mt but admire the frankness and earuestuess with which they were giver. During the delivery silence was deep and profound. and we hope this grand jury. may act with all the research and iuparti ] ty requested in that charge. There may be thoze who except on the principle. that
 .No rogue e'er felt the halter draw
 With good opinion of the law
 or those ELo are never satisfied with the administration of just ce, provided that the same points to their errors or short csmlngs, but the great mass of the con- munity we know will approve and aP- plaud the same.