The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-03-02
COURT CoNVENES.
Synopsis Of the Charge OF the Court TO
the Grand Jury-An Able aud EKhaus-
tive Impromptu Presentation.


Philips. together with grand and
petit juries and a full array Of liti-
gants and witnesses.
Immediately after calling the court
the work of organizing the juries
was taken up and dispensed with,
the grand jury coming first in order.
II is composed of sixteen members,
as follows: John l.. Gait, foreman;
w. F. Sloane, Randolph Ross, NJ.
Wheeler, 90. -. Pennington, l. y
Russell, =. b. Corneilison, G.. w
Montgomery, f. II. Tanner, Edwar.
Noble, b. G. Martin, P. b. Arthur,
r. s. Bell, Ed. Dillingham;, t. b.
Boyd and 7. G. Price.
After being sworn the court pro-
ceeded to give to the jury his charge
which was an able and exhaustive
impromptu oral exposition of the
law and the duties incumbent upon
the grand jury. The ARDNoREITE
regrets its inability to give tie charge
in full but the main features were
substantially as follows.
The first point was to impress on
the members composing this impo--
tant body, that t1ey had beenschos-
en- by three cmmissioners with
especial reference to their fitness
for the work that would devolve up
on them. The court then defined
the duties of the grand jury. also its
jurisdiction and powers. Crimes and
the lsws cove ing them we're dwelt
cpon in detait. lie pointed out the
iact that this court had no jurisdic-
tion over murder, arson, rape, burg
larry and kindred offenses.
The jury was told that it was some
.imes expedient to leave to the com
missioners the investigation Of minor
o1enses but that where the evidence
was tefore them it would be their
duty to indict.
They were told to ave stigatc
rightly the management of the prison
snd tho conduct of all officials from
the judge down.
They were warned against finding
indictments on hearsay testimony
as nothing but legal evidence should
form the basis for a criminal prose
cutiou.
The Importance of secrecy Of pro-
ceedings vas duly emphasized, to
the extent that even the district at
torney shoulc not be present during
their deliberations as to whether
or not bill should oe found.
The court gave specific charge
covering the crimes of larceny, en-
bezzlement, false prelense, gaming,
violating the Sabbath and disturb
public worship. The practice of IN
dams carrying weapons was con
dnmned and tue grand jury instruct
to ind;ct wherever they could find
mat such offenses had been COM
mitted. A practice alleged to be
prevalent and to which the attention
of the jury was explicitly called was
that of the marshal of the eastern
district of Teas, commissioning
men as deputies but exemptjng them
from dutv. These commissions were
siinoly issued to clothe the parties
receiving them with authority to
carry weapons. The practice was
vigorously condemned and the jury
instructed to indict il they found
such conditions to exist.
Professional and prolific affidavit
men were given attention in no un-
certain language. Stress was laid
on the fact that larceny is the pre-
vailing c. ime, that out of 100 cases
on the criminal docket more than
one third were for larceny.
Said the cou . 1.-THE complete vim
dication oe tle law is found only
in its strict enforcement with whici
such scenes at that enacted at
Wichita Falls. Texas, would find no
excuse. The great papers, the Dal-
las News and Fort Worth Gazette OF
Texas, the latter more particularly
5ave made an attempt to shift the
csponsibility for that crime on the
Indian Territory, most unjust,
foolish and unwarranted charge.
Mob law has no excuse, instead %
suppressing it encourages crime.
One of the vic,.ms to that mob was
Texan the otheraa Missourian and
neither had any interests or connect
ion with the Indian Territory. And
if they had the fact Of them having
/ to 90 to Texas to rob bank only
emphasizes the vigilance OF our Ter
ritory officers the efficiency of oUf
courts in the dispensation of justice.
The effort of these papers to shift
the responsibility on the Indian Ter
ritory is shameful one to cover l