The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-19
GRAND JURORS SCORED.
Judge Lippincott Sends
Them Back to Work
With a Severe Lecture.
POLICY DEALERS ARE NUIsANcEs.
Enough Evidence Before the Grand
Inquest 10 Indlct, and it
Must be Done.
POLICY DEALERS ARE NUIsANCEs.

Judge Lippincott, yesterday. paid his
RESPECTS to the Grand Jury in a most Wig
Grand Jury had expected that they
would be dismissed for the term and
thanked by the Court for what they had
done. Instead of this they were given
more work to do. and strongly criticised
for not having one their duty as Grand
Jurors. Judge LippiDcott said:-
"GENTNEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY
There is : subject upon which wish TO
speak 10 You before the term ends. | do
not wish to be misunderstood about it.
Every lottery is q public nuisance and
indictable. 1t is SO declared by statute.
Everyone engaged In maintaining 1t Is
indictable. The person who prints the
tickets IS indictable as being engaged In
maintaining a lottery, as well as the per-
son engaged in the sale of the tickets in
the same. So is the telegraph company
over whose wires it knowingly permits
the cipher5 or drawings to be transmit
ted. II q telegraph company knowingly
engages in aiaing and assisting the eu-
terprise of a lottery. by the use
OF It's facilities for that pur-
pose, it is indictable for the
maintenance of a lottery, that is 4 pub
| ic nuisance. The officers, agents, man
ayers aud clerks SO knowingly engaged
are indictable. So is one who keeps an
Office for the general conduct of the bust
ness OF a lottery whether ne be called II
banker, broker or by whatever lame he
may designate his busfnesss
There appeared to exist at the time or
my general charge to you III April last a
necessity OF calling your attention to this
matter. and did so with all she force OF
Instruction and exhortation at my COM
maud.
Nov, the Grand Jury are 10 be strongly
commended for the indictments OF the
policy dealers of the City of Hoboken, and
tue Court cheerfully extends to you its
thanks for yonr action ia this behalf.
~ THEY DID NOT DO ENOUGH.
But this disgraceful and criminal
business fiourishes just as ceiantly in
Jersey City. and perhaps to a much
greater extent thar it did in Hoboken. |
speaK of what is notorious in this respect
ana what is known or can be known to
the police authorities, mud what upon an
Investigation would appear clearly to
you,
Now, the Court feels deeply upon this
matter. It feels that here in Jersey City
insre is All issue between lawlessness and
| tire enforcement of the law and the Court
mugt require you to enfUrce The law. The
Court is almost powerleSs without in
dictinent, and it now places itself in the
| position of demanding that you by your
| action, assist ed by the wnole power of
shfs Court and of the Stats, by Indictment
end his demoraliziug offence.
Now, how are yon 10 fiad out whether
q mans engaged in this policy business
engaged in it, nbetting il. eiding or assist
ing in 1t, for all are equally guilty? How
long would it take tnis Grand jury 10
| gather proof sufficient to convince
l IL tho t,sin1c .-
certain man in this commpu-
| ity? And yet it is said there are promi-
nent men in this city engaged in this
! policy business who scarcely make q
| retense of concealing it. 1t is said that
the offices of some of the leaders in the
| business are located here in Offices we'll
/ fitted up, and in which it is not discover
| able that any other business is carried on.
ALI you wish is such evideuce before
you, in order to indict, as O. nvinces you
that a person is engaged In that business,
and you cau draw Your conclusion as to
the business by the evidence of facts and
| circumstances Leading you naturally co
TO I'll at conclusion.
THE, JURY HAS EVIDENCE ENOUGH.
you do moi need the evidences of the
sale OF tickets or gigs, so called. in order
toindict. 1t may be one OF the facts of
the evidence, bu you can indict without
IL, it the facts and circumstances lead, to
the conclusion that the party accused is
engaged in this business. Have you not
such evidence? Have you had none OF it
before your Have you not now officially
formed a conclusion that there are many
persons engaged In this business 10 Jer.
sey City. whose names are within your
knowledge? Are you unable to set on
foot an Investigation which will speedily
develop the names Of nearly all those ia
Jersey City engaged in this unlawful
calling? 1t would appear to De within
your power.
II cannot at all altercate with the
Grad Jury upon this subject, but the
Court Will be very unwilling to discharge
you without the indictment OF these per-
sons who are thus uniawfullv engaged.
While we thus speak to each other in
courteous language, yet it must be dis.
tiuctly Understood that the Court can
never consent TO or acquiesce in any adj
ministration OF the criminal law which
discriminates between the different
classes OF offenders. Tt is openly charged
that this class of offenders have pro-
tectors; hat their political or other power
is sufficiently formidable to protect them
from indictment.
WHAT CRIMINALS THINK.
There IS an impression widely aiffused
in this county that the criminal law is
not iHpurtially administered By grand
juries, and It does seem as if the impress.
sion was Justified. You can see that this
may lead-if it has tot already led-to
the belief on the part Of all criminals
that Ia this county there exists such
ih3fty in the administration of the law
that they Gan ply their trade of force or
ffana with utter impunitY.
II cab conclude In the language OF
anether Judge, speaking upon a similar
subjeet:-T There is a gevernmeut of
law. ii We are all bound to a omnon rule.
who shall say one class OF men shall
violate The law and not aRotaer class?'
LIDO pot know where that mower arises,
aud l want to see whether it is true, as
as has been charged. that the criminal
law Is not administered by the Court and
Grand Jury as At shGutd be; whether
Grand Jprerg sland ready to protect
ccininals. II this be SO 1t had 6etter ba
known. The system OF The Grand jury.
like all other syste Hae. Is dasigned in The
interest Of The public, to prevent crime,
and jurors cannot protect criminals. II
this syateDi does not work OIL the proper
ends 1t il time some other system was
adopted. Your oath points your every
step III your work, than REQUIRES ycu to
diligently fhYfnirA and have presentment
made OF i'll violations of law without ak
caption: that leaves 70 ynn as TO me, no
Discrimination la The administration OF
the criminal law, bound by it as we are,
SO long rs it's npen the statute books.
GoURTwIIA ENFORCE H Law.