Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-30
FINAL R.epoRr OF TIE GRAND JURY.
Some Matters Recommendations That are
Still conundrums.

stll ConunorumS.
SACRAMENTO, January %, 1884.
To the Honorable Superior Court of the
County OF Sacramento. State of California:
Your Grand Jury. consisting OF Wiilism +.
Yubre, William Wilcox. L. Dierssen. G. c.
George Schroth, George w. Locke, l.. NJ.
Lincoln, r. Devliu, I. NJ Lindley, q. w.
Clark, P. Wager, John Chatterton, S. W.
Butler. Addison Sage. John Williams, S. b.
Smith and William Johnston, impaneled by
the Honorable j. w. Armstrong, Superior
Judge, on the 81 day of December, 1888.
met the same date, and organized By electing
S. B. Smith Secretary. The amount of bust
ness brought to our notice has been volumiuous
and important. We have given every sub.
ject, so fsr as our judgment gees, proper and
due consideration, and our conclusions and
decisions have been based, not alone upon
| our construction Of the Law and instructions
of the Court, but upon what we consider JUS
| tice to all snd the best interests OF the COM
munity at large.
We have made Investigations into twenty
| three criminal cases, Gnd taken the testimony
of one hundred and fourteen witnesses in re-
lation thereto, which resulted in the finding
of fourteen true bills, as follows: -Four for
murder, one assault to murder, one taking
money on agreement to conceal crime, one
ceive bribe, three asking and agreeing
to receive a bride, two asking and
receiving bride, and two for riot; and the
| ignoring of nine bills, as follows -Four for
murder, three for burning insured property,
and two for gaming.
GAMING.
In our investigation of the subject of faro
gaming there was abundance of testimony
elected to show that corruption and bribery
| had long seated the lips, and unneryed the
arms OF those whose bounden duty it was to
| bring offenders to justice and enforce the
lava. 1t was clearly shown that for a num-
Der of years the gaming fraternity of this city
had monthly contributed to q fund, as sort
of shield or protection from arrest. At first
the tax was S25 per month for esch game, then
an advance was ordered 20 $50, and finally
| before the State Fair of 1882 the fraternity
was notified that it would take fifty $500
| per month for each faro game to still paraiyze
| the arm and quiet the conscience of the So
called protectors Of the laws.
The number of faro games in operation
during all these years has varied from six to
| twelve. Whenever any of these games re-
| fused to pay the monthly tax they were st
once notified to pay up shut up. It YVES
established that one of the fraternity was
| annually selected to collect this fund, and
after all had been collected it was shown that
the amount thus collected was made up into
| package and laid on table or chair 8; and
| in one instance laid on the stairway leading
| to gambling room. The collector would turn
away while the party for whom it was IT,
tended would secure it. All the witnesses
swore positively they never saw any one pick
up these packages, but as was sworn to, no
one could have got the fund but the one for
whom it was intended. But strange as it
L.. 4
| positively who tbs money was intended for,
or for what purpose it was collected. We
have not lost sight of the fact that under the
law they 1.-THE gsmblers). In giving, were
| equally guilty with those who sc jepted the
bride. The witnesses. nearly all of them,
were reluctant to testify although they were
| informed by the District Attorney that under
the law any evidence they gave would not
now nor hereafter be used against them. as
they could not be compelled to criminate
themselves, and even under this assurance we
could not obtain sufficient evidence to
show the final disposition Of the
money thus collected, but the conc usons
were irresistible that brides had been received
and lawlessness had been protected by those
whose duty it was to execute the laws and
bring to justice offenders, rather than shield
and protect them in their lawless acts.
We had reasonable hope by pushing this
investigation we could with certainty point
to ali the guilty ones, and thus strike at the
fountain head Of this gross Outrage, but ow-
ing to the indirectness Of the testimony, and
the startling ignorance Of the witresE as to
who finally received the money, or for what
purpose it as raised. We were convinced the
evidence was insufficient to secure convictions
before trial jury.
INDICTMENTS.
mitted by the honorable Superior Court,
additional investigation was had, taking the
testimony Of twenty-three witnesses, re-
sulting in the finding of six true bills, as
follows
Three, asking and agreeing to receive 3
bride, being then aud there executive officer.
Two, asking and receiving bride, being
then and there an executive officer,
One, asking, receiving and agreeing to re.
csive bride, then and there being an execu-
tive officer.
COUNTY SCHOOL MATTERS.
We were called upon to make an inve-tiga-
ton into the workings of the County Board
oi Education and County Superintendent of
Public Schools. The examination We made
satisfied Us that no cause OF complaint ex-
ists, either as to the Board or Superintend-
ent, but, on the contrary, we believe that
both are working in harmony for the public
good, and Jealous in promoting the school
interests Of this county. the Office of County
Superintendent is an arduous one. requiring
the undivided attention of that officer. We
are satisfied the present incumbent is devot-
ing his whole time to the office, ond that
many radical and beneficial changes have
been effected during the term Ct his incum.
bency. We would recommend to the Board
of Supervisors that they provide for the
County Superintendent either a suitable
bookcase or iron safe for the better protec.
ton of the books, blanks and other papers of
the office.
SHORT HAND REPORTERS.
Our attention was directed to the matter
Of stenogr0phic or shorthand reporters as EN-.
ployed by the Superior Court of this county
We made some investigations in the matter
sad were furnished rome figures By the
County Auditor in relation thereto, which
we here insert
From January l, 1883, to December 10,
loS3, shorthand reporting aud writing
out testimony in the Troai case ......... $3.50 30
All other cases ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 99l 80
Total eq