The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-03

| liquor saloons on Sunday; they displayed Ior
a time their ability to prevent the onense;
! they made many arrests, and the evidence
of this violation of the law was presented to
the Grand Jury. 1t is said that the evidence
was so convincing that many indictments
were found, and other evidence was In readl-
| ness to find many more; but instead, 1t Is
said, those already found were speedily re-
considered, and no indictments were pre-
tented to the Court. AS to other parts OF
the county, outside of the city of Bayonne, l
| am not informed that any attempts at all
were made to enforce the law, either by the
police authorities or by the Grand Jury.
| The conclusion is one that is irresistible and
| need not be stated.
WILL BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
The Court again presents this matter to
| you to take the necessary steps to enforce
| the law, and not to avoid that duty. 1t is
not necessary to enlarge on this subject. but
| it is one upon which the Court is much
exercised. In many parts of this county the
law is not enforced at all, by the 'ocal police
authorities, whose duty it is, to arrezt for
its violation, and present the matter to the
Grand Jury. An indictment against such
local police authorities is q radical remedy
which this Court advises, but even with
that the tribunal where the substantial eff
| fective remedy is to be found is in the
Grand Jury by indictment of the violators
of the law, and this is more SO where the
| local police authorities perform their
duty in making arrests and endeavor
| to enforce the law. 1t then csr-
| tainly becomes, beyond question, the
! duty of the Grand Jury to aid the
| authorities to support and assist them, and
upon the evidence presented, If sufficient,
promptly to indict. 1t makes no difference
| to the Grand Jury what the motives which
| prompt the police authorities to enforce the
| law are. If the evidence is sufficient in
| dictment should follow, not censure of the
authorities endeavoring to enforce the law,
| because their endeavors have not become
effective for want of indictment The police
authorities cannot indict but the Grand
Jury can. Now, on this matter it is the duty
| of the police authorities to enforce the law
SO far as they are able to do so and to make
arrests and tos gather the evidence, and to
present it to the Grand Jury.
| 1t also is the duty of the Grand Jury, un-
der their oaths, ''to make diligent inquiry"
| to obtain evidence and to indict offenders.
/ In doing this the entire power of the State
| is at>your command You have the right to
| call to your aid the abilities and power of
| the Prosecutor of the Pleas the power and
authority of the Sheriff of this county, the
power and authority of all the police
| authorities down to a constable, and to call
| to your aid at your will the full process of
this court. Will any Grand Jury of this
county, with all this power at its command
answer this Court that it is not within their
power Oy 1nV0StlRdblOu anu luulcUfuSuU 10
fully stop this violation of law and appre-
hend the offenders?
The evidence to convince you of violation
of this law is of the same character as con-
vinces you of the violation of any other law.
1t may be direct or it may be circum-
stantial, and it is sufficient SO long as it con-
vinces your judgment, and the Court must
invoke your action in the matter; and this
Court cannot be satisfied with that action
unless the violation of the law ceases, and
the offenders be apprehended. And can
now only say that your attention will be
again called to this matter before the term
closes unless satisfactory results are pre-
sented to the Court, for the violation of the
law is so open and notorious that the diff
Guilty arises, not from the want of, but the
plethora OF proof.
HoBoKEN's SUNDAY SHOWS.
There are still other matters which know
it is only necessary to call to your attention
in order to insure your action. Theatrical
exhibitions decent and indecent have re-
sumed their old habitual sway III Hoboken.
The attention of this Court has been officially
called to this matter, and the matter must
not be ignored. Whether these theatrical
performances are decent or not, they are
illegal in this State on Sunday. Some time
ago the managers of these entertainments on
Sunday came in conflict with this Court. II
was long struggle, with the malefactors
and negligent Grand Juries, but the places
were finally closed and severe punish
ment inflicted on one of the Of
tenders. The old state of affairs has
been resumed, and this Court asks
you to promptly indict the offenders and
save this Court the embarrassment of a long
and unseemly struggle. Indecent or obscene
shows habitually maintained on any day of
the week render the managers or owners in
dictable as the keepers Of disorderly houses,
and this is more impsratively so if the shows
or theatricals are given on Sunday, and any
habitual exhibition or show on that day rem
ders the managers or owners thereof in
dictable as keepers of diSorderly houses, and,
therefore, it is quite immaterial whether
these theatricals exhibitions are decent or in
decent, if given on Sunday, they are alike
offenses against the law. The court is re-
quested to enforce the law, and it becomes
our duty to ask your aid in this matter and
the request now made to you is to act
promptly in this regard,
Your careful watchfulness over the SUBJ
jects of disorderly houses of any character
the lottery and policy business, and all
gambling operations, is earnestly invoked by
the Court. The courts and Grand JurieS Of
late have done much to break up these un-
lawful practices and punish the offenders.
A continued superintendent is necessary.
The policy business and green goods busi-
ness In Jersey City still continue in diminish
ed form.
All, THERE, CAPTAIN X!
There are other alleged gambling opera
tions under the eye of, and within the in
vestigation of the Court which, If the Court
finds facts sufficient for jurisdiction, will be
given you in charge later in the term.
KEARNY'S UNSAFE BRIDGES.
There Is one matter which here deserves
your special attention and investigation. 1t
Is the subject of the erection and mainten-
ance of bridges in the township of Kearny
over the railroad cuts of the New York, Lake
Erie and Western Railroad and the New
York and Greenwood Lake Railroad. In
addition to the presentment (of the last
Grand jury, information has come to the
Court that these bridges are inadequate for
public travel and that they are also in a
dangerous and unsafe condition, prin-
cipally by reason of lack of proper
repairs Now, think the laws of this State,
and am speaking generally on this subject
and from recollection, require that railroad
companies crossing public highways and
streets, already devoted to the public use, by
meant of cut shall build proper and safe
bridges to accommodate public travel, and
shall keep and maintain them in safe con-
dition for the use of the public, and neg
lect to perform this duty constitutes an in
dictable offense. If they become insufficient,
unsafe and dangerous to the public by rea-
son of the neglect of the railroad company
40 perform their duty in this respect, the
public nuisance.
investigation of this matter 1t is upon you
to enforce the law in this respect, in behalf
of the public. 1t is the duty of the Board
Of Cl,ocor, Erooho1daru to fol Hn r,rnopa6inoS