The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-05-11
THE GRAND JURY ADJOURHS.
1t Finds Three Indictments for
Illegal Liquor Selling.
Nearly One Hundred Witnesses Exam
ined-Rcv. w. f. Hammers Charge
Proven True in One Instance-The
Police Themselves Bring In Two In
divlduai Charges Which the Gran
jury Passes Upon.

The special grand jury summoned to
investigate the charges made from the
pulpit OF Greene Memorial Church last
Sunday night in regard to the violation
of the Sunday liquor and other laws in
this city, which mas been in session for
two days, has completed the examina
ton OF the one hundred witnesses sum
moned and have returned three indict.
ments for selling liquor on Sunday viz.
the following parties: c. G. Smith,
Ponce de Leon Hotel;J E Kidd and
Mike Foley. The jury will meet at 10
O'Clock this morning to sign the bills Of
indictment and TO be formally dis
charged.
Directly after the jury had reported
the indictments made yesterday even.
ing TIMES reporter met Rev. w. F.
Hammer, who said: II regard this as a
have sold liquor on the Sabbath have
been indicted, and in regard to the
charges against the police force the
grand jury is not the proper tribunal be.
fore which to try them. / have the list
OF witnesses and at the proper time
will lay the n after before Mayor Trout.
There can be no doubs that the charges
can be sustained if the men who in
formed me do not back down entirely. -
Mayor Trout was seen by the reporter,
and he is still anxious that the whole
affairlshall be sifted to the bottom.
Personally, ne is of the opinion that the
police force OF Roanoke is above the
average and that there have been no
violations OF the temperance regula-
ttons except those that have been dealt
with heretofore.
Captain Foard, one of the Jurors, was
called on by reporter, and asked the
result o! the investig ation. Captain
Foard said: The charges concerning a
certain city official obtaining liquor on
Sunday could have been dealt with by
the jury IL there had been any evidence,
but we did not find any. 50 far as the
investigation OF the charges of intem
perance in the police force is con.
cerned, the grand jury has no jurisdic.
ton over that matter, yet, IN considera
tion of the popular demand, we
did make full and complete investiga A.
ton and found no evidence whatever OF
1ntemperance among the police officers
that mad not heretofore been acted on
by the proper authorities.
"The investigation was exhaustive and
the allegations of intenperance against
the police force could not be substantial
ted. The whole trend OF tho investlgat ton
shows that the morals of the CITY have
greatly improved within the last twelve
months. Another point brought out by
this Investigation is the fact that where
evil doing and immortality exists in the
city it is more often the fault of tho
statute law than of the administration
of the same
Capt. Foard was asked: 'sFrom the
evidence that came before the Jury, who
was the certain city eff :ial referred to
in the charges?''
He replied: "There was no. enough
evidence produced for mo TO answer tn !
question:
or the three indictments found By tho
grand jury, the first was one of a class
universally recognized as most difficult
of police detection and until proven
guilty entitled to the benefit of the
doubt. The second was discovered and
reported by the police and on the
strength Of the police report the license
was revoked. The third was also a
police discovery and the license will un-
doubtedly be taken away.
DIR. HeDrv's Iactura mn