Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-12-25

| tuoIeiH tudt only inc ueal5rb OF SAID
banking games or games of chance be
punished by fines and imprisonment.
Fifth. In the matter of men aud
minors shaking dice at and around ciga,
stands publicly and privately, q recon.
mendation that the Police Commission
of the city take official notice thereof and
endeavor to have the evil abated.
PUBLIC MORALS.
In accordance with what appears to be
a time-honored custom, the first fort.
nights service OF the session was princi-
pally occupied in the consideration and
dismissal of malicious prosecution. In
some cases charges were formally and
personally presented; in others this was
done anonymously, and in others state
ments were made publicly by individ
uals, or published as street rumors in
the newspapers. All were carefully con-
sidered. AS will be seen by reference to
table No. l Of this report. out OF fifty
seven cases presented, thirty-eight were
of the nature described above.
The present Grand Jury established at
an early date q certain rule for its own
government in all such cases, and al
though not obligatory, it would recon-
mend to it's successors that the rule be
followed; that is, ITO always hear both
sides where the presentment is
made by an individual or by
street rumor." In most instances the
grievance was individual, and the warp
ings OF anger, to some slight extent, ex-
cused the accuser. In one case, how
ever. it appeared to be pure "cussed-
ness" and demagogery, for the charge
was entirely without personal motive.
At public speaking in East Los Angeles
certain speaker states substantially
that members of the City Council had
been bought and paid for, and that he
knew all the facts. When confronted
with his statement and asked for the
facts, he declined to answer on the
ground that the case was barred by the
statute of limitations. When forced TO
answer, he knew nothing of his own
knowledge, but stated that man in San
Jose, whose name had slipped his mem
ory, had told him that certain con-
tractor had said that he had been com.
PEELED to buy certain members of the
Council to obtain contracts. The
contractor was confronted with this
evidence and asked for an ex.
plantation. He gave it briefly and
emphatically, The orator lied" This
story, without names, has been
given because it is only one Of many OF
similar purport against Councilnaen both
present and past, and because it is
against public policy as we'll IS morality,
and is not strictly business" that
Councilmen should bs bought. The
Grand Jury has carefully and thoroughly
investigated all such charges, and except
in the single instance of the exCouncil-
man against whom true bills have been
found, the explanation of the contractor
is the affirmation of the Grand Jury.
In the matter of public morals, how.
ever, the Grand Jury views with con-
Germ and the deepest regret the existing
condition of affairs. Its attention has
been called to number of cases wherein
the charges presented involved crimes
which are. or should be most repugnant
to the minds of honest men. Some OF
them, as in the instance of the "Ramsey
Rape Case" were matters Of
public notoriety before being pre-
sented; others, being equally
heinous, but surrounded with
even more uncertainty of Identification
of the criminal are unknown to the gen.
eral public, and it is the judgment of the
Grand Jury that although indictments
have not been presented in every case fol-
reasons hereafter given, public attention
should in general manner be directed
thereto. 1t has been charged that Dis
trict Messenger boys carry messages to
and from houses of prostitution, hsusea
of designation and other places equally
vile and corrupting to the young. 1t has
been charged that in certain class OF
saloons licensed to do business in
the city, young men are de-
bauched and women are de-
filed. Other charges equally revolt.
ing have been presented, and that all
these things are true has been clearly
demonstrated, but some of the acts COM
planned of are in the eyes of the law only
miedemeanors and cannot be considered
except in general way By Grand Juries.
In other cases, although the charge has
been proven, it has not been satisfactorily
shown which one OF the set of criminals
committed the specific act which the
law has determined to be of sufficient
magnitude to be classed as a felony aud
for which punishment has been pro.
vided.
To steal q purse and to kill in hoi
blood are violations of the moral and
civil law for which trial juries, as gen.
ersl rule, have no sympathy, but the
debauchery of the young and innocent,
the defilement of women, the vicious and
venal "slogging" of the prize fighter, and
all the pandering to those brutal instincts
which lie dormant in and are inherent to
the SONS of Adam, are apparently 30 sur.
rounded by technical and legal safe
guards against conviction, and appeal &c
strongly to that maudlin sentimentslity
which will do no wrong itself but will
suffer it to be done, that it becomes q
serious question whether the Draconian
Code, which knew no grade in crime,
and in which the lightest and the heavi
est punishment was death, was moi
builded wisely and we'll.
| The attention of the District Attorney
is called to the violation of the statute
relating to District Messenger boys
and that of the Police Commission of the
city of Los Angeles to the fact that there
are certain saloons transacting business
with it's permission where immortality
and vice are prevalent. The attention
of Hon. ]. W. Mckinley, of Department
No. 6 of the Superior Court, is called to
All Now and Charley All Him, two
Cinnamon who, with the assistance of
their attorney, r. A. Ling, Esq, i'm
posed upon his court by presenting
'straw bondsmen" and who have ap-
parently committed gross contempt.
In concluding this report, the Grand