Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1889-12-19

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GRAND JURY SYSTEM MUST GO.
Members Of both houses are IN receipt
of communications urging upon them
the a2lvissbility of aholishing practically
or in toto the grand jury system All
the state district judges are said to ia.
vor this. At jamestown, Judge Rose
before meeting Of the Taxpayers union
offered resolution requesting the Suits
man county members to work Cor this
end. The entire bar there concurs there
in, as do most of the attorneys through
out the state. Senator John HaRgart is
IN receipt of the following letter from
Judge Mcconnell of Fargo, on the sub.
jest:
FARGO, N. d., Dec. Z.
I desire to call your attention TO a
matter OF needed Legislative action: Six
teen to twenty-three grand jurons are toe
many in number, entailing unnecessary
expense. I think this number saould be
reduced say to six, with power to find
indictments. This M the law in Indiana
and has worked we'll, reduced to this
nua,ber from II to to Is years ago. In
Michigan the grand jury was abolished
many years ago. In Wisconsin it has
been in a large measure abolished, only
being called in at the discretion OF the
court. II is very expensive in its opera
ton, the per Diem and mileage Of mem
bers, as we'll as that of large number Of
witnesses, as we'll rs that Of the court
officers. The same witnesses have to be
recalled tor the trial in the district court
when an indictment is found. The law
that grand jurors shall keep their pro-
ceedines secret has become almost adead
letter, not only here but in every juris-
diction where I have had occasion to
observe its workings Anyhow, some Law
could be enacted to allow the district
attorney to prosecute by information,
based upon affidavit as we'll as by indict-
ment, il the grand jury system Is retain
ed.
INCIDENTALs.
There is a little taxidernist shack on
one of the leading streets of Bismarck,
which is doing good business during
the legislature. Sunderland'sis is the place
and the old gentlemen is kept busy
mounting his specimens, and telling all
about them. He puts up all the native
animals and birds, selling them at reason
able prices. Here the visitor can see
foxes, swifts, cayotes, owls in all grotes-
aueness of their wings, small birds, etc.
He also keeps for sale handsomely mount
ed deer heads, fur robes and rugs. The
Grismer theatrical party happened in his
little store last week and were SO struck
with the western novelties there display
ed that they nearly cleaned the establish
ment out. The old gentleman has gone
rapidly to work to replenish his stock.
Anyone so unfortunate as to rashly
intimate that the house is a little more
inclined to daily labor than the senate,
can expect to be encompassed about and
convinced to stand still that such is
not the case, by the ever watchful chap
lain of the senate, Rev. Father Perrault.
In an unguarded moment a hastily writ
ten paragraph in one of the newspaper
reports said that more experience per-
vaded the house members, in the high
ways and by ways of legislation, than the
senators. This of courseis mistake, but
right here the chaplain takes up the
thread of the entertainment and pulls
biographies and arrays facts before the
doubter that have q sledge hammer
effect. If historical records are not suffi-
c1ent to convice, an exegesis follows that