The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-03-05
THE DISTRICT COURT
The Grand Jury Charged by
JUDGE Scott.
Officers Must Enforce the Law Higher D.
lenses TO be Investigated.

The spring term of the Fifty
fourth judicial district court, Judge
S,ott presiding, met this morning
at 9 O'Clock. Following is list OF
the grand Jurors
j. H. Torbett, foreman; John
Pnnchard, Thomas Blair, Warren
Compton, F. B. Williams, l.. b.
Foster, Richard Jones, Pink
sparks, A. H. Johnson, Smith
Bird, John Collier, w. T. Robert
son
The grand jury, after being
sworn in, took their seats and Judge
Scott delivered brief but pointed
oral charge, in which he LAID much
stress ON the habit of juries often
consuming too much time and de-
voting too much attention to mis-
demeanors and minor off 9nses. He
did not think 1t necessary to remain
together consuming so much time
considering small criminal matters
which could be brought before the
attention of the officers by com
plants from parties who felt
aggrieved. The grand jury had
often been the instrument through
which people would tell their
troubles, fearing 10 make complaint
before the officers as the world
would know the prosecutor The
higher otfensas against the statutes
of the state should be investigated
carefully.
Referring to misdemeanors,
j udgs Scott added that there was
one class of offenses in which,
while it might be generally rumorei
that they were being committed, no
particular person would care to
make complaint. The class he
referred to was gaming. While an
ordinary citizen may know by
rumor that gaming is going on, still
he has not the authority to prose
cute and the grand j1ry should in.
vestigate this offense against the
statute and send for people who are
in position to know of such viola
tions. He then called attention to
the statute making it unlawful for
any person to rent a building for
gaming purposes.
The grand jury was probably
aware, he added, that there was a
statute providing the penalty of a
fine Of from $40 to 500 against
any peace or judicial officer or mag
istrate, who, when knowing the
laws are being broken, fails to take
measures for their enforcement.
While it was not his intention to
intimate that such was the case here,
it was worthy the consideration OF
the grand jury and naturally one of
its duties to consider it. Gaming
was by far the most prevalent OF
misdeameanors, and while it would
be almost impossible to totally
eradicate it, the proper ctfi ,ers
should do all in their power to STOP
ii and enforce the laws prohibit
ing it.
He called attention to the horri
BILE triple murder committed here
last January, and adding that facts
regarding the aft ,ir would likely be
submitted by the officers, and hi
trusted that the Jury would careful
ly and oonscien,iously investigate,
and use every means in its power te
bring to light the murderer of the
Lipshitz family.
Judge Scott's charge was deliver
ed in clear tone that was heard
plainly all over the court room
Court adj burned at IL O'Clock
and the grand jury is now in session,
but az lot of routine business is Il
be transacted, it will hardly buck,
down to finding indictments befor,
tomorrow.
This term of court will oontinu,
three or four months.