The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-03-30
District Court.

OBtxlCt OOQE6
The court seems to have labored
at a disadvantage this week, and
but few cases of importance have
been put at issue. The State and
the defense, in two or three in
stances, have needed important
witnesses and requested time to
get them. Tuesday afternoon his
honor and most of the attorneys
climbed into wagon and went
fishing, and the whole party had
the remarkable success of catching
nine small fish. On Wednesday
and Thursday there was only a
slight improvement in forwarding
public business, the drawing of
new jury on Thursday to servenext
week being the principal thing
done that day.
Judge Daigre, of Alexandria, was
among the attorneys this week.
The grand jury finished their
labors Thursday evening and hand
in the following report.
To the Hon. Geo. Wear. Judge Of the 9Th Judi
cial District Court. holding Session in and
Your grand jury, selected and sworn
to serve during this sitting OF your hon.
orable court, beg leave to report as fol-
lows: We have examined into all viola
tions Of the criminal laws within the
limits OF Grant, and the result OF our
investigations has been the examination
OF l33 cases, and We return herewith, in
GLIDING the bills returned in our partial
reports, 63 true bllla In this number,
we regret to Say, there are three bills for
murder, some six or seven for high felo-
MES, and q vast number for concealed
weapons. From our Investigations we
feel satisfied that crime is materially on
the increase in the parish of Grant, and
unless radical measures are taken to sup
press it, that the good citizens Of the par
ish OF Grant cannot have that security Of
lite and property which 10 guaranteed to
them under the constitution and laws OF
the State Of Louisiana. We think the
cause OF .. great many violations OF the
Law, such az assault with dangerous wea-
pons, disturbing peacable assemblies, ETC.,
IL the result Of the pernicious habit OF
carrying concealed weapons, which habit
seems to be unusually INDUCED in by q
certain element residing in the parish OF
Grant, and We heartily concur in your
honor's suggestion that heretofore you
have not been sufficiently severe in the
punishment imposed upon such offend
ers; and, while we are not able to state
that severe penalties would suppress the
habit, We feel that some other means
should be reeorted to other than the
light penalties heretofore imposed by
your honor, as it is fact apparent 70
every one that said offense has Increased
rapidly in said parish during the last
three years.
We further report that we have exam
iped into the condition Of the public
roads Of the parish, and find that some
Of them have been poorly worked, while
others have received no work at all, At
tributable to the fact that the hands have
not been appOrti0ned and the overseeri
have received no commissions.
We further report that on the road
running from Colfax to Boyce there are
several places that the road is entirely toe
narrow IRON the perpendicular bank OF The
river TO the fence, and is in dangeroui
condition to the travelling public, and thai
there are several lanes on the same roae
that are about one half the width re
ouired by law. We call the attention o.
the police jury and road overseers to THU