The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-06


sponsibiIity for The Prevalence of
Crime-Tho City Ought 10 be Bottc-
Lighted and iIavo u Larger Police
Force-The Massis Cnse.
The January term OF the corporation
court of this jursdic lion was inaugu-
rated yesterday. Much interest was
manifested in tho event, since matters
of absorbing local interest, it is sup
posed, will bo considered by the grand
and petit jurors of .his term.
Promptly as 10 4. M, tho roster OF the
grand jury was called, and each ros-
ponaed to his name.
Judge Robertson thereupsn delivered
charge Of unusual strength and inn
portanco to the jury, AZ follows:
"GRNTLgHKS: You have boon selected
as being nos of honesty, Intelligence
aud good doAeanor so inquire into
and present for trial all offenses against
the criminal law Of this State that may
have been committed within tho juris-
diotion OF this court.
''The grand jury is an institution
which has boon handed down TO us from
the earliest times, and amidst all
changes in the administration OF courts
has been preserved because tho expert
cnce Of ages has shown that it is one OF
tho bost means Of preventing the limo
oont from boing punished and the guilty
from escaping punishment. Whothor
it serves tho ond had in view or not de-
ponds entirely on tho mon who compose
the grand jury and tho faithfulncss with
which they discharge thoir duty.
"Upon your investigation and tho re-
suit you roach depend grave issues.
Until you have acted no man can be
tried fuc felony. Though tho examin-
ing magistrate may have decided that u
person should DO tried, though ooro-
ncr's jury may have given y verdict OF
guilty, noshin. can be done until you
say the eTidenoe is I'll ri eient to put tho
accused upon his tri2l. In this, az in
all the proceedings OF our cri ninr RI tribu-
nails, which We inherit from our Anglo
Saxon aHcostors, no SEQ embodied one
of the Distinguishing tr.itc Of our race.
There is no pc, pie who have shown
suoh "a high regard for tho airsenance
and preaervation Of thu pe2oc and good
ordsr Of society, who AT the came timo
have hold in such reverence tho rights
OF the individual, and havo thrown so
may safeguards around Kim whom ae-
enAed OF crime. Tho old ksckIeyed say
ing hat 1t i'd bsster foe niEoty and ninc
guilty mon 10 escape than for one inno-
sont nsan TO go punished ID NOT @ mere
rhetoric&l expression used to influence
juries by advoOsses in weak cause, but
ii expresses truly and briefly our Aaglo-
Saxon reverence foc the righss al the
individual As'coEtr2s tod with tao rights
Of societJ ~ whole, and is founded
upon principleu which have for many
genera lions been Sac foundations OF our
criminal law.
I'm YoHr isvestig ations those prin-
eples should always BIO borne in nind.
No far as you Dan, yeu should eco to it
that 10 eriI'e against society, from tho
lowest to the highest, shSll 60 'un-
whipped OF justice Every offence
which escapes punish mont 10 an enoour-
agement to other offences. Some small
breach OF Tao law unnoticod may lead,
after n while, to some serious crime
Society cannot o5ist without Law. The
law which is not executed is worse than
no law 1T sill. Security for life and
property is the condition precedent
upon which AL the other blessings of
civilized life depend
''At the Same time, however, you
should always remember that the indi-
yiduals who compose society have rights
which must be rcspec ted if we DO not
wish our government with its courts
and its officers to become an Instrument
OF injustice and tyranny.
mo PUNISHMENT WITHOUT PROOF
is tho cardinal principle which should
never be forgotten. As long as our laws
and institutions arc what they arc we
cannot doom a man to death or impris-
6nment simply because We suspect him
/, OF crime, rs was done in the wild Night
Of Terror III France
Much Of the grumbling amongst tho
people al The failure of tho courts to
punish those charged with crimo is 10
doubt. caused by incompetence OF judges
as well IS juries, but most OF ii, | bs-
lievc. is duo TO the fact that people for
got the principles Of which / have been
4 speaking. They forget that no jury has
thelAght TO find d verdict of guilty an
less thcro is
'spRooF BEYOND 4 RsABoNADI.is DOUBT
4 OF the guilt OF tho accused and that.
4 sometl:nes, duo to the natural impor-
4 fections cf all human tribunals such
proof cannot DO obtained.
AID permit mo to say, in this con-
4 ncction, that such talk as this, OF which
there hos been moro or less on our
streets and elsewhere, so far rs IL il
applicable to tho officers OF tho law
q in Roanoke and tho juries which sit in
4 this court, is the talk OF tho ignorant
n and the unthinling and is an injustice
II both to them and to our people gen