Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-05-02
CIRCUIT COURT.
\ Strong Grand Jury and a
Strong Charge.
white Caps to Receive No Quar-
ter, Is the Order cf The
CuuTt.
10 which III Good G,,,.vnS
iIe,pond, .>m>n.
Tea Ot. thc Gang indicted the
Second DAY.

second Day.
The regular May term Of the bin
coin Circuit Court was called yc,trr-
day morning at $50 o'clock. Judge
Chrisman, District Attorney Hudson.
Circuit Clerk Chas McNair, and Sher-
if R.W McNair, with a full corps of
deputies were all on deck and seemed
anxious to enter upon the discharge Of
the responsible duties before them.
The following were drawn as grand
| jurors: John Walker, j. A. Algood, j.
E. Edwards, f. NJ. Reed, w. II. Reeves.
John NJ. May, G. Nj Boason. r. w. Ky
Ear, j. II. Griffin. King Davis. Chas.
/ Schnorrenberg, ID. ". Rollins. NJ. VI
Moak, j. d. Bailey, J. T. Bullock. p. 7.
Byrne, Jas. l.. Hart
1t was manifest at the start that the
court felt the weighty responsibility
| devOlving upon it touching the white
cap outrages in this county Before
beginning his charge. Judge Chrisman
polled the grand jury, requiring every
/ individual member to stand up and
answer, whether he belonged to the
white cap or any like secret organiza-
ton; whether he was in sympathy with
! this species of lawlessness; whether he
was related to any of the occused par
ties i'll Jail, or known TO be members of
the white caps: and whether or not
any juror was afraid or unwilling to
do his sworn duty in ferreting out and
Furnishing this species of crime.
The following we're excused for
cause: j. L. Edwards, w. II. Reeves.
G. NJ. Beason, r. ". Kyzar, NJ. NJ.
Moak, JAS. l.. Hart. For these. John
W. Boone, J. n. Cooke. S. p. Oliver. w.
II. Byrant, t. S. Hoggatt and \. NJ.
Summers were called by the Sheriff
from among the audience and suhsti-
tutcd.
j. N. Cooke was appointed foreman
and Frank Larkin bailiif.
During Judge Chrisman's charge to
the grand jury, all county and county
district officers were called inside the
bar, as the new Code provides, to give
it heed. The court room was packed
by other citizens of the county of both
colors.
The Judge stated that there are
about 800 crimes of which the new code
takes cognizance, and that it was i'm
possible to cite the jury to each scpa-
rately The first and foremost duty of
the jury was to investigate eases
persons now in jail, If they are inno-
cent they should bo released as soon
as possible in justice to them and to
save expense to the county. If guilty,
they ought to be promptly indicted
and brought before the bar and their
cases disposed of.
Whitecapism was denounced and
held up in its most hateful light, in
language that could not be misunder-
stood either by the jury or the audi
ence If there were any members of
the gang present, it is safe to say their
spirits were not raised by anything
they saw or heard.
The Judge cautioned the jury not be
hasty and indict if there was a reas-
enable doubt in their mind of guilt.
In justice to those charged or suspect
ed of crime, when practicable they
should investigate fully and hear both
sides before final action. Some of the
men in Jail charged with white cap
outrageS had hitherto borne good rep
utations. 1t WAS due to them that they
should have an opportunity to estab-
lish their innocence, if they could, but
the jury must not hesitate to indict if
convinced of their guilt. He referred
to certain rumOrs that white caps in
tended to work their men in on the
juries, resort to perjured testimony
and make justice farce, but said there
would be no packing of juries in this
court in the interest of criminals, and
all suspicious characters who tried to
work in in that way would be incon-
tently fired out by the court.
Perjury and perjurers received a
blistering denunciation, and the jury
was charged to make an example of
any case coming within its knowledge,
even to the wedding out of its own
members who might be detected ''leak
ing" and wing the secrets of the jury
room away.
Gamblers, whiskey sellers, drunken
officers were all touched up in
the Judges forceful rhetoric. The rev
enue system of the State was expound-
ed and the responsibility of officers
charged with it's carrying out fully ex-
planned.
Above all, the jury was exhorted to
diligence and prompt action, to save
the county all possible expense.
PETIT JURORS FOR WEEK,
No. I'D. G. Price, John Dunn, c.
C. Cole, L. III. Baggett, JAS Brown (col.),
Jack Curtis (col), Lewis Watkins, Sam
Dunn, 7. C. Crawford, w. j. Calender,
S. N. Storm, L. d. Posey, }. W. Case.
No. Nathan Black (col.l Frank
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