The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-10-05

4 your procaediuss shall be made ~
Known except the findings and pre- 9,
which you may announce q
rom tlme to time officially aho 10 =
open court. g
You have also sworn that you WIZ !
present no one for envy or hatreo OF
malice, that you will not leave any one
for fear or favor or anec-
tioncqr hope Of reward, and teas you
will present all things truly AZ they
come to your knowledge accoSo'ns 70
your best understanding.
Ny object In these preiminary re-
marks is to bring more clearly to your
minds just sense Of the all importan.,
fhe solemn duties incumbent upon
Won. The matters falling within your
|cogutzauce as the grand inquest Ia ana
for the parish of Orleans involve the
life, the liberty, tie property, reputa.
ton Of your fellow-men, the peace anu
well being Of society, and the vinolca-
hooves you therefore, gentlemen, 10
the performances of your official duty to
be careful 60 act with deltberation anu
10 nave ever before your minds the
gravity of the obligations resting upon
you. ~
since your last adjournment, gem
i tlemep, the columns Of the daily press
i have ieemed with the charge that GER
tain bonds and pecuniary obligations
of the state of Louisiana, which were
4 declared by the constitution OF 1879 to
be tnull and void after the 1st day OF
i January, 1902 and which were re-
|uulred to be destroyed, have gotten
upon the market unlawfully and frau
, dnlently. and are now outstanding 10
q the hands Of divers persons holding
. and claiming them az valid legal ooli-
: eations of the state; and that interest
!, coupons detached from such bonds
!, have been collected aud paid out OF
money belonging to the state.
!. This startling announcement has now
become Q matter of public notortety,
4 not only In the city OF New Orleans
- and throughout the state OF Louisiana
but also at all the great commercial
centers Of the civilized world, greatly
to the injury of the credit OF the stat
I. and the market value Of It's securities
y. and to the prejudice of its good nam
- and reputation.
1T Matters of 80 grave character can
I'd net. be ignored by judges or by gran
re Jurors; and I charge you, gentleme
te grand Jurors, that 1t Is your sworn an
solemn duty diligently to inquire an
K true presentment make touching tn
~ alleged illegal and fraudulent dealin
ey with the money and the obligations
the state. You are to enter upon tn
Inquiry without allowing your mine
ip to be preoccupfed by publications
ht newspaper comment or street talks an
rumors. You are officially to kno
'er nothing beyond that which you sha
learn from the lips Of sworn Witness
and such competent testimony as ma
AN be adduced in your presence and hea
ing. -"
,ry II the proofs adduced satisfy yo'
minds that there has been any iileg
nd and fraudulent dealing with the MON
and the obligations Of The state, 1t W
he your duty to ascertain who are Il
lex guilty parties aud to present them
be put upon trial for such o6ent
alta crime or misdemeanor as the pre-
may warrant and require you to lay
inc to their charge.
You will remember, gentlemen, tt
Hip you are nota trial jury; that you ha
no power to pass, finally, upon t
ian, question of guilt or Innocence, and tt
you are merely the official accusers
ker. those against whom you may me
lam presentments, in any and every C.
brought before you. You hear OF
auss the testimony which is offered by
state, and If that satisfies your mil
l.. that there is such prima facie G
bert made as authorizes you to subject
.ity. person accused before you to trial
fore a petit jury, it is the plain duty
,,on the grand jury to make the proE
III a.s;. formulated presentment and accu
90. ton; and it Is equally inn perative VI
u .r;S. the grand jury, in each and every
80. ~ stance where such prima facie cas-
not made by the proof, to ignore
III ~. charge, whatever 1t may be.
In your Investigations, In all
. 20 matters which are brought before y
II you will have the benefit of the adj
aud assistance of the attorney gen
~. and the district attorney, one or b.
pe -. more particularly, in the examinat
ue of witnesses. But when you b
'''n heard the testimony and are DELHI
:, ting upon your findings, all pers
not members Of the grand jury II
Tue be excluded from the jury-room.
n a,oAnx nd a thnsr,