The Opelousas courier., 1894-10-06
JUDGE PERRAULT,S CHARGE TO
THE GRAND JURY.

We give below extracts from the admirable
charge agSsd delivered We e by Judge w. &C. G; Perrault to
We have not room to give 1t in full.
< Your Investigations are therefore
limited, LIST, to such matters as may be called to
your attention by the Court; I'd, to such as may
be called to your attention and consideration
by the District Attorney; Sd. to such as may
come to your knowledge in the course Of your
Investigations into the matters brought before
you or from your own OBJ ervations or personal
knowledge; 4th, that which may come to your
knowledge from the disclosures Of your asso-
ciates.
Your oath furthermore binds you to absolute
secrecy as to all matters occurring In the jury
room, and 1t Is very necessary that this injunc-
ton to be observed in order that offenders may
De brought to the bar OF justice, with lessened
chances OF escape. The source Of your inform
alton must likewise be kept secret, because it
is important to the public for the detection of
crime that those persons who are the channel
by means OF which that detection is made
should not be unnecessaril, disclosed
You have further obligated yourselves to
present no one from envy, hatred or malice. nor
leave any one unpresented for fear, favor. at.
lection. reward or the hope thereof, but that
you would present all things truly as they come
to your knowledge, according to the best Of
your understanding" Bear In mind that the
law makes no distinction between individuals
or classes; that the poor and lowly are on the
same legal plane with the rich and powerful,
and should be equally well protected in their
persons and property; and that all are amena-
BILE to, and that none can claim immunity from.
the law. Due observance of your oath in this
respect will rebound to the interest and welfare
c. tho public and bring about Il healthy condi.
ton of hfairs in our parish, with material ben.
servancs thereof will be disadvantageous to
and telt by the whole people, and the prostra-
ii9n q the law vii be- the c~onfmff,lence;
and the extent OF your power as grand Jurors. I
call your attention to the following special laws
which are contained In the Revised Statute s OF
1870 ana IN subsequent legislative proceedings,
viz:
Sec. $40 R. s and Act 50 of 1856 prohibit the
sale OF spirttuous liquors, or the keeping of a
gr t or tipping shop, without previously OBJ
Secs. e11-12-1s.14 prohibit gambling and the
keeping Of banking houses and games.
to the State.
Sec. s26 prohibits the destruction OF or injury
to the levees on any river or stream.
gable river, bay or lake.
Sec. s56 makes it a crime for any person hay
Ing knowledge OF the commission OF a crime
punishable by death or Imprisonment at hard
labor. to conceal and not disclose it.
Sec. 2l39 makes 1t the duty of every Grand
Jury to inspect the prison, and make report to
the Court of its condition as also OF the man
ner that the prisoners are treated.
Act SO of 1852 prohibits the selling or giving
OF intoxicating liquors to minors, and Act 40 OF
any dangerous weapon to minors, both of
which statutes should be rigidly enforced.
The purpose Of these statutes IS to assist pa
serving their morals, and experimenting a due
regard for and observance Of the laws of the
State, and I trust that you will regard the i'm
portance OF these laws and indict all offenders
sect's. 9t5 and 1872 prohibit the carrying of
f concealed aud weapons . s;tt, This law is openly vic,
for it that its v%iol iaipn'' is " gr SaSMg
and Should not be longer tolerated.. know Of
more frequent evils, and to this habit Is trace.
able q very large proportion Of the crimes COM
mitted In this parish. II you desire to lessen
your fellow-men, it viii be manifested by your
bringing. in indictments against offenders
irrespective of their standing or calling.
business in any store, saloon, or other place Of
business licensed under the laws OF the State or
a,y municipal corporation on Sunday, and
ployee thereof from giving, trading, bartering.
or selling any merchandise or thing therein
contained on Sunday, except in the cases
specially exempted. This Is not the least Inn
portant Of those laws specially brought to your
attention. and I regret to say that 1t is often
violated In a way which tends TO show an abso-
lutte disregard for 1t. 1t Is a police regulation
efficacy or policy, 1t should be enforced as long
as II remains 9 law OF the land, and no person
allowed to violate 1t " til inpunity and go I'm.
punished. Obedience to the law lis necessary
to the existence OF our social and civil organI-
zaitons" III d 1t Is the duty of Grand Jurtes to
to the bar Of justice.
now refer you to matters Of great gravity
ana import, and request your earnest attention
BY the constable Of the 7th ward.
that two prisoners who had been ARE it d by |
him under affidavit charging them with the
who were in his official and legal custody, were
in the night time forcibly and violently taken
from his custody by an armed and masked
also officially informed that several persons
living in the western portion Of the parish, had
been forcibly. taken by armed bodies Of men.
their homes under penalty OF death. These
matters, because Of their gravity and far
reaching effects, demand the most rigid and
your hands. Mob law and lawlessness must
ind no foothold in this parish during my adj
ministration, and l trust during none other,
respect for the law to bring ali these oden sDrs
to the bar of justice.
In the case first mentioned, there was
law and this summary vengeance The prisoners
We're in the custody of an officer Of the law,
we're on the eve Of being incarcerated in the
exsdsnips e, was C Wlen NO en IA ess,s OF ru escape the
Little time was needed t" put them on their
trial. and award the prescribed punishment;
ha = THIS b been done Justice would have been
vlndicated, and tho members of the mob would
have been spared the commission Of q helnous
crime. In the other cases referred to-, it is
that those persons we're beaten be-
cause they were suspected of having com
mitted the crime of larceny. This is no justih.
cation, nor Can it even palliate these outrages,
If 1t be true that they committed the
crime of larceny. 1t is the duty of every good
citizen to assist the officers OF the Court in the
detection of crime and the apprehension of
criminals, not to take the law into their hands
and mete out supposedly deserved punishment,
thereby committing a crime himself. I there
fore charge you, that II these nefarious crimes
are tolerated, and the malefactors permitted to
unwhipped of justice, labor will be demon
allzed, trade, commerce. and every industry in
the parish paralyZed, the law desecrated, and
something worse than anarchy will prevail.
Law and order must prevail: I rely on you to
do your duty, you can rely ON me to do mine.