Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-06-01
Court Proceedings

The Nav teri. Of i1s Circuit coufi CON
tnusd On Friday Of last week the rrir1inal
docket occupying ,hr time OF ths ppurt Toe
FIRST ease called was that If State vs. Vernon
Blair charged with taking the cart and horse
Of Walter Swami. Col Wilmer The counsel
for The traverser, demurred tc the Indictment
and the demrrrer was sustained The next
case tried was that Of State vs. John Z But
Ter and Banty Butler, charged aiih breaking
mo the store house OF Fowler & PAYNE, Al
Bel Alton, and stealing boxes Of cake and y
box Of cigars Tried by court Edward
Matthews, colored boy, and an sccomplice,
turned states evidence. aud upon his testimo-
ny, maialy the State relied for CONVICTION a.
Poses counsel for the prisoner, made the point
that conviction could not he had upon the
uncorrob0rated statement ef An compiler
The court thought there were sufficient cor
roboratng circumstances to Justify q convie-
ton, and they adjudged guilty and sentenced
each to the penitentiary for years Tie grand
jury reindicted Vernon Blair Cor taking the
morse ind cart of Walter Swami. tud the case
was continued Thad Brown vas tried for
the larceny Of watch by the court Ad-
Judged guilty and sentenced to he House Of
Correction for years. Col Wilmer defend
ed the prisoner, assigned Dy the court. This
concluded the criminal docket The contest
Cd election case OF Bruguuier Il Penn. was
ther called up. The decision of he Court OF
Appeals, sent down from Annapolis aud filed
in the case, was to the effect that the petition
Of Bragunier's was in proper form, aud that
further proceedings could be hnd hereunder
1t desolved therefore upon Mr. Bruguuier 20
proceed with the case, as the record shwed the
fact that he had not done so, Ne,sts. Mitchell 4
Wilmer, as counsel for Penn, filed notion to
dismiss the case, Unless cause 10 the contrary
ne shown on or before July term OF court,
next Anticipating that the Court Of Appeals
might hold his first petition not good, GU. OF
abundant caution, Mr.. Rrasunier filed sec
ond petition shortly after the Circuit Court for
this county dismissed his FIRST, and in that
case also motion was made % dismiss, I'M
ess cause is own by July court A. Il late
hour in the afternoon, the grand jsrY brought
in its report, and asked To he discharged,
which was granted. The court having con
cluded the work Of the term soon after ad'
journed The following is tue report OF the
grand jury:
We the members of the Grand Jlry of the
State of Maryland for the body Of Charles
county, have the honor to respectfully report
that we have been in session during the past
matters and things brought before US. We
have examined 46 witnesses we have found
presentments and true bills, and ] Case re-
manded to magistrate for trial We have ex-
smned the county jal, and, while its santa
ry condition is not Of the best it is evidently
not the fault of the Sheriff nor his jailor, but
due to its location and lack Of proper COVE
niences, and at present its crowded condition
We recommend that suitable metallic
buckets be Immediately provided for the use
Of prisoners We found confined in Jail Rich
ard Penny, an afflicted pauper of feeble mind
and unable to walk or in any manner provide
for himself, and recommend that the County
Commissioners take immediate steps towards
providing said pauper With siimele home,
other than the Jail We have further to re-
port that we have investigated tie burning OF
the court honse but found no evidence to IN
dict, but from the evidence before US it is the
belief Of the majority Of the Grand Jury that
the burning of the court house vas the act Of
an incendiar Having no further business
before US we respectfully ask to be discharged.
T. T OWEN, Foreman