The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-04-07

Carlo. II ought With the others to Be
indicted.
ken indicsed BY the Grand Jury term Be-
fore last upon sufficient evidence. III
Wan reconsidered-unIa wfufIy recofssid-
cred, TX the facts N circumstances are
truly related To- the Court. The Court adj
vises YOU again to take up tina evidence
and find an Indictment. I undet stand
that evidence was also presented to the
last Grand Jury and 1t should have been
followed by Indictment. but was not. and
the failure to indict has been a source Of
complaint to this court and it is desired
that you shall take this matter up again,
] will lay before you a communicates
IN my hands on this subject from one of
the members Of the late Grand Jury. II
is said that evidence can be obtained that
the business has been conducted quite
openly. If the evidence is presented to you.
or you can obtain 1t, indict promptly the
Offenders 1t is also said that several
places were lately opened. in Jersey City
n that pools were sold openly. | do not
know whether the evidence is at hand
or not but II 1T is then you with the aid
OF the Prosecutor and the process of the
court ought to be able to have before
you such persons as will reveal the
truth of these charges.
All the Court has said on this subject
Of pool selling viii apply with equal
force to the policy business, and other
forms OF gambling. The Court has so
often referred to the policy business as
to render it unnecessary to go into de-
tails. This offence annot flourish to any
very great extent without laxfty on the
part Of the police AUTHORITIES. The Court
desires you to investigate and indict
whenever you can find proof of guilt.
There is another subject which will
s Season sG Is ap nofeae;Rh; It when Is sa{ ina fnaa q
q harvest will be reaped in his county
BY the sale Of Intoxicating liquors on
s 3 pnow, The he ST. strie - enforcement Of = what hat
city of New York, Brooklyn Il sur
rounding cities and towns, 1t is said. viii
induce vast numbers of the populations
pensity for INVESTIGATING LIQUORS On Sun.
disorder: This character Of emigration
is not only not desirable, but it will be
disastrous. 1t will swamp our police
courts, m Y prisons. and vastly IN
ment. and the administration of justice
and disgrace the county, disturb the pub
lie peace and lead to even worse results.
The only remedy apparent is to enforce
the law against the Illegal sale of liquor
on Sunday. In this matter there must be
no shrinking on the part of the officers
of the law. They must perform their
duty, and if the law be wilfully violated
you must indict upon the evidence in or
der to comply with your official oath.
Court is now speaking of this matter in
the sense of the enforcement of the Grim
inal statute against the sale OF liquors
has been kept and maintained upon the
statute book, ever since New Jersey be-
came a State. Not only has this statute
been maintained by Legislature after Lee
~gislature, but it has constantly increased
the severity Of the criminal penalties inn
posed. A reference to the different stat
the administration of both political part
les. 1t has. therefore, become the public
policy of the State. Whether it be the
not the question here. The law stands
out prominently and plainly in view.
Whether the penalty is fixed by ordin-
drinks. or BY indictment where II IN
dictment is proper for a single sale. or
by Indictment for the habitual sale. the
prohibition is strict and certain and the
penalties severe. Under the ordinances.
where ordinances exist, and a penalty of
say $40 is fixed for a single sale on Sum
day, a dealer who sold q thousand drinks
on . Sunday could be fined $40 for each
separate sale and held in custody until
the fines were paid. This Is only an illus
tration of the severity Of penalties inn
repealed or modified can never be a aues-
tion with a court or Grand Jury. The Lee
gislature has spoken, ard the laws en-
Which we = are sworn to enforce. There
fore the law is ample to prevent a state
Of affairs which threatens to disgrace and
Q6mOrailZe the Guilty, WiliCH LAW tliC
Court now requests you to enforce.
There is still another subject to which 1t
seems necessary to call your attention.,
and that is that the Grand Jury enforce
the law against public ~nuisances. Wher-
ever you find a public nuisance exists It
is your duty to indict. It goes without
saying that during certain seasons OF the
year some portions of the county suffer
terribly from thesa ~nuisances. The trades
from which they arise are useful and even
necessary. but when they become annoying
to the community, or perilous to comfort,
health or life, they become public NUS
ances and subject to indictment and abate-
ment. In the late spring, summer and
early autumn they become un~bearaple.
They depreciate the value OF property,
n work other results which should not
be mentioned by those having a proper
pride in their city and county, and who
earnestly seek the public welfare OF our
people and municipalities. If necessity
arises the Court will again advert TO this
matter during the term.
The Court has received a con1munica-
ton from several citizens of the town of
West Hoboken in relation to charges. of
bribery publicly made against one of the
ex-of7cials of that town whilst in the per-
formance of official duty, and in relation
to the discharge of such public duty ms
is a subject which the Court submits to
you for your Investigation. # the official
be innocent, that innocence should be es-
tablished by the failure of the Grand Jury
to indiet him. If the evidence be sufficient
to establish the fact of his acceptance OF
a bribe he should be promptly indicted.
/ nave no knowledge of the details. The
communication which contains the names
of the witnesses will be handed to your
foreman, and the matter will remain for
you to take action as justice requires.
You are entitled to Investigate the hon
esty Of the expenditure of public moneys
by the different municipalities Of the coun-
ty, and it's officers, and wherever Illegal
or corrupt expenditure is found take such
action either by presentment or indict-
ment as may be demanded. You are also
to examine into the conduct Of the peni-
tentiaries, iails, almshouses and public
hospitals of the county, to ascertain
whether they are conducted in accordance
n,stt, tho 10 we of This Stata and with prom