Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-06
THELAW'S SUPREMACY
Judge Stowe in His Charge Cautions
the Grand Jury Not TO Be
INFLUENCED BY PUBLIC CLAMOR.
lhe Civil Government Threatened by
AnarehiStic Ideas.
! HINT FOR A COUNTRY CONSTABLE

The December term of the Criminal Court
opened yesterday with Judge Stowe pre-
siding. The first business was the swearing
in and charging Of the grand jury. George
L. Holiday was appointed its foreman.
The charge delivered by Judge Stowe was
apartment one and is considered especially
important from its bearing on the Home
stead affair In his charge the Court re-
ferred to the defense of Critchlow made by
Attorney Erwin, of ST. Paul, but without
mentioning the gentleman's name. Judge
Stowe said:
There never was q time in the history of
Allegheny county when it became the duty
OF courts and Juries to steadily and strictly
seek TO enforce the law for the punishment
o. oHenaers and the preservation of the
public peace more than now. The many
acts of personal violence resulting in blood
shed and often in murder; the hume rous
roDDeries of bold ana apparently reckless
character committed upon our most public
highways; the burglaries and housebreaking
bF DAY and by night, and worst and most
alarming of all, the riots and resistance to
public authority which have lately occurred
within the limits Of our county, and the
apparent indifference with which the public
seems to look upon such offenses, particu-
larly the latter, are calculated to impress
une with the idea that our boasted liberty is
last passing into anarchy.
An Arraignment of Existing Laws.
1t also conveys the idea that there is some
thing radically wrong somewhere, either in
our system of government and the laws
under which we profess to live or in the
means provided for the protection to life
and property and their enforcement for the
detection and punishment OF crime. Indeed,
principles have been lately proclaimed in
open court of the mostviolent and anarchistic
character in direct opposition to well settled
law, and which, if allowed to prevail, would
be subversive Of all civil government.
1t obviously becomes your duty, as well MS
mine, SO far as lies within our power, strictly |
and impartially under the law to perform |
the duties imposed upon US in our present |
relation OF Court and grand jury. Upon the |
Court devolves the duty of directing you on |
all questions of law, whenever the same |
may be necessary, and upon you to deter /
mine all questions of fact arising on matters /
coming before you, and then to apply the |
law as coming from the Court when espe-
cially called upon by the Assistant District |
Attorney, acting in other cases in place OF
the Court, TO the facts established before
you by proper evidence, and find or ignore /
the indictments accordingly,
You must distinctly understand that you
yourselves. You are here to assist in enforc-
ing the law of the land, not to alter or
make 1t. 1t IS the duty OF the Court |
and the proper law officers OF the Common
wealth to give you proper instructions when |
il may be necessary. Neither Court nor jury |
has any right to prevent or ignore the law |
or special emergency, or IN answer to the
ciamor of actual or supposed public opin-
ion. Whenever, either from fear or favor, |
the Court or the jury do one or the other, |
whether to acquit or punish, they have
failed to be fit to occupy the position the |
law has given them and are worthy only of
dam RI
their duty both to their country
and to God.
A Roast for a Constable.
When the grand jury had retired, the bal
Rnce of the forenoon was occupied in re-
eeiving constables' returns. The number of
vioIators reported to court was as few as
usual. When Constable Thomas Maxwell,
Of Grafton borough, made his return, Bepu-
ty District Attorney Goehring, having evil
IDENTIFY received some outside information,
asked him if there was not a club in
Grafton at which liquor was sold. Maxwell
replied that there was club but no liquor
was sold at it
Judge Stowe-Is there no beer drank
there?
Maxwell-No, sir; there is some whisky,
though.
Judge stowe-I guess that don't count.
nave you setu al yOue OEluhInS LISTe.
Maxwell-Yes, sir
Judge Stowe-Are you a member of this
club?
MaKvell-I have KEY.
Judge Stowe-You had better take this
-eport with you, investigate this club, and
make a correct return Saturday.
The grand jury returned the following
pills:
Ignored-Jacob Goldstrine, larceny; Harry
Berger, assault and battery: John Ashowas
leeping disorderly house; Howard Lawson
True biIls-F. NJ. Snyder, embezzlement 4
August SchmeZer. George W. Lyock feloni- | Z
,us assault and battery; Heinrich Schneider, :
II. Cleget, assault and battery; !
frank Davis, Julius Dover. B. j. Day George | v
Harris, Amelia Makowsky, Domenicio Ri 6
,otta, larceny: Robert lawson. Thos. Welsh,
horse stealing; John BoSsinger. aggravated | c
assault and battery: Mary A. Derry, illegal o
liquor selling; Thomas MurIy. Carrying con- 3
;ealed Eea pons; Annie McCulIough keepfnR '
disorderly house, 5