Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-15

OpealnR Of the April Term-Judge
Greene's Charge tn the Grand jury.

The April term of the District Court
opened in this city yesterday, Chief JUS
tice Roger S. Greene presiding. The
following officials and attorneys were in
attendance: Assistsn. United States
District Attorney Hanford District Pro-
scouting Attorney Bradshaw, Sheriff
John II. McGraw, of King county Sheriff
Joseph Comstock, Of Kitsap county,
Deputy District Clerk James r. Lud-
low. and Attorneys Jacobs, Lewis Nc
Nauaht, Ferry, Mitchell, Haines, Nc
Micken. Burke. Humes, Ronald. Ebsn
Smith, Emery, Nunday. Wood, Hall.
Cam, Purdy. Metcalfe, Il. V. Smith,
Murphy and others. of Seattle. and Rob
insOn. Of toe firm Robinson. Porter aud
Robinson, Of Olympic.
Nj. V. Mills Was ssprn IN a. crisr,
and W. p. Smith. Gilbert Smith and II.
q. Chapman az baIliiis. Tie Grand
Jury. as finally empanue!ed. IL As fol-
lows: ID. L. Wheeler, Amos Burgert,
Louisa Benny, Patrick c. Hay s. u. II.
Hawley, Laura r. Hall, Lucinda ID.
Jacobs. John Laagton, Moses Morris.
J. X. Miller, J. ". Mapel, James II.
Murray. J. NJ Marryot, Caroline Mao
docks. A. :. Neeiv. Margaret J. Pontius,
and Emma w. Wood.
Before the Jurors were sworn. j 4.
Haines, AS attorney for Henry ". Hall,
X. Howard and William Stafford. chal-
lenQed Louisa Denny, Lucinda ID. ia
eobs, Caroline Maddocks and Emma ".
Wood. on the ground that thew were not
| COMPETENT jurors. not being household
ers. He cited Judge Greene's former
Interpretation OF the law. 1. e., that
| householder, as contemplated by the
statute, is the head of a family. He
| urged that the four Jurors challenged,
| being married women living with their
! husbands. could not be considered heas 8
| of families He further challenged
| Louisa Denny, Lucinda ID. Jacobs, Car
| oline Maddocks, Emma W. Wood.
Laura T.. Hall, and Margaret }. Pom
| thus. This challenge WAS based on the
ground that the Constitution. IN provid-
| ing that mo person shall be held to
answer for a capital, or otherwise III
| famous crime, unless on a presentmeut
or indictment of a grand jury" etc,
contem plated n grand jury COMPOSED OF
citizens, or rather of men. as being the
only citizens known to the trainers of
the Constitution. MIR. Haines claimed
that the Legislature of Washington Ter
ritory had no right to pass laws extend
ing citizenship III violation of the or
gaBic law; and further, that wenen are
not citizens within the scope OF tie
fourteenth amendment.
| Mr.. Mcknight, ~ attorney for Mo
Gee, Lester, and Pritchard, made the
| same objections to the lHyorS named
| The challenges we're instantly dieallow-
ed by Judge Greene. and exception &
were taken by the attorneys.
| The Judge then delivered the follow
ing charge t. the jury:
| Lddies and Gentlemen oI The Grdnd
Jury Our political character as a peo-
pie, like all human character, Is do
olared and judged rather by what we
do than by what We say. Reading our
statates, a stranger would gather that
we q people very Intelligent of right
and wrong, and very determined to put
an end to every evil work. DO we. in
our political actions, bear out our politl-
| cal utterances
Legislatures are the tongues. and
Courts, to certain extent, are the
hands of States. 1t IS proof of the in
telhgsnce of people for 1t to say Just
and wise things III its laws: but the
best and only conclusive demonstration
of its wisdom IL It's impartIallty and
faithfulness, Its mercy and flrmness. in
the administration of public affairs.
For any one TO have part In such ad
ihiHistration Is AT once high personal
privilege and a severe test of Individual
integrity. To each of you is this
privilege given, and To this test is each
Of you brought.
The Grand Jiry's duty III a young
and growing community, on whom Is
opening out large prosp. CT "t busy,
inf lential, prolific future, is especially
momentous. How can the performanc.
of it he adequately valued, either ~ t.
| intrinsic worth or AS u Results Oar
deeds are seeds. Unnotictd. they may
fall our hurryiup footst.p5 may press
them into forgeifulnCsS ana death, but
where the lost seed dies thsre springs 1,
plant 10 poison or t. bless posterlty.
Upon you. at this term, will fall an
unusually large amount of labor,
Probably there will be between thirty
and forty criminal cts . for you to IN
vestigate. Two cases If robbery. four
of murderous assault, SIX Of grand and
two of petit larceny, one OF forgery
ten of keeping diSrepu'aule houses Of
one sort or another, one of extortion
and four Of minor misdem.anors, and
twenty eight cases, all told. are seut W
to YOU from the Justices of your couu-
ties. How many more, on tie part of
the Territory, may Vet be brought t.
light in the course of your inquiries,
and how many the United States may
have to present to you. cannot say.
Every case will demand its proper
share of faithful attention, and all of
them together will consume consider
able time and involve no small amount
of real work.
Let all merely personal considerations
| stand aside while you devote yourselves
for few days unreservedly To tue ser
vice of the commonwealth. Ii this be
at some sacrifice { private affairs. re-
member what W all know ~ well
that the success and frultiou of our rri
vate enterprises are made possible 10y
that sooia' serenity and stability which
government undertakes to maintain 10y
rigorous enforcement of criminal law
Greater, far greater. and most insidious
and widely destructive mischief must
follow the REIMBURSEMENT of public du
ty. He who cares not for the State Is
careless. not only of his neighbors and
| tuelI tuiIlS-, Out VI MS OWL poSScsSitIis,
of his family and of his life. The neg
lect 10 use governmental franchise
suoh As those privileged To do jury duty
possess, Is tue same crime and stu AS
that of the sovereign who heedlessly
let's his realm run into riot and anarchy
On today's work depends tomorrow s
rest. For little while only will you be
detained and all You have to do will DE
facilitated to the utmost by the officer.
OF the court.
The quick dispatch OF your business
canno, be had without organization anC
method. Hon. ID. L. Wheeler. who is
one Of your number. l appoint 10 bt
your foreman. Your sessions will be
presided over, yoar written comtsunI
cations TO the court signed. your ora
ones uttered. and all witnesses before
you sworn or affirmed. by him. Choose
from among yourselves a clerk, who
shall keep minutes Of all your proceed
ings, taking the minutes of each case OF
paper separate from every other. and
who shall turn over to the prosecuting
attorney all memoranda of testimony il
cases " here You fird true bills.
OF the fcrmalities proper 10 be ob
served In your procedure. you will fine
full statement in Chapters LNNX aud