The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-30

to adjourn court. The court was aban-
doned by him while stil in session. The
legally constituted grand jury was not
curtailed of its powers, but was left to
grind cheeriy on in its murderous way as
though life were one grand holiday Of
indictments and there was no such thing
as a closed hunting season. The jury ac-
copied that view of 1t, and when the
judges absence was made know to its
members the foreman simply shot a vol
ley out Of his revolver and declared that
the powers and authority OF the inuqisito-
rial body could not be swindled away from
1t by the stampeding of any tenderfoot ju-
rist who ever ran TO catch a boat to get
out Of the society of perfect gentlemen.
The jury, therefore, kept right at It's
Job. Days passed into weeks, and indict-
ment followed indictment. There was no
court and no semblance to usual court
practices and customs but Hardesty, the
foreman, insisted that il was the tury's
duty, as American citizens, to maintain
| its unity. After awhile the body had in
| dicted everybody against whom complaint
| had been filed. and then IL began TO
I broaden its scope. It entered upon the
fashion of indctlng In a speculative way
just to see what there was in IT, "A man
would come to town with wagon loaded
with freight, and the jury would hear Of
1t and get together and indict him Tor
cruelty to animals or something and con-
complaint the foreman would sit down ana
reason with him and show him that he
ought to be glad that the body had not
indicted him for horse stealing or MUIR
der, or some other offense punishable by
painful and inconvenient DEATH Steam
boats were visited by videttes for the
jury and passengers were hauled into the
back room and expeditiousE indicted for
as much property as they possessed, and
II any objected, the foreman was at great
pains to inform him Of the perfect legality
OF the thing laying special stress on the
fact that the jury was by law in continu-
Gus session.
by and by, as members of the panel
were killed or died Off IL became evfdent
that some means must be taken to insure
the permanency Of the institution, so as
sociate members were elected and new
blood was infused, so that there was GER
tainty of the continuance Of the profitable
business of the jury. Everything was
done in a perfectly legal manner. how
ever, ana no man was allowed to take A
place on the panel without thorough ex-
animation by the foreman. After passing
he was allowed to appropriate and shoot
with the best of them, being protected by
his official position and by the laws gov
erning contempt of court
IT finally got so that HAYES county was
one entire grand jury Of unholiest sort
and many attempts were made to clean h
OF concealing their passengers in the huIls
or the boats 50 as to preserve them from
being served with citations togappear and
be fined for contempt. Vigilance commits
tees were formed in other counties and
were marched over against the HAYES
grand jury, but as the jury now numbered
225 persons. these intruders were success
fully beaten off, the foreman Of the Jury
insisting that their invasions were villain
Gus violations Of the rights of free people
and OF the forms of the law. The question
of how to stop the Halves county rapine
was most complex one, until one day
Judge Arlington had an idea. The next
week, accompanied by detail Of soldiers
from Fort Randall, he descended upon the
Halves county seat, and, proceeding up to
that rear room of the saloon with due for
mality he called upon the sheriff to ad-
Journ court.
1t may surprise you, but instantly this
was done that widespread and pillaginr
grand jury gathered together its members,
associate and active, and, surrounding
Judge Arlington. presented him with a
handsome gold watch, obtained at Yank-
ton, and thanked him for his uniform
courtesy during the long term Of the de-
alterations Of the body.
After that the grand jury being dis
banded, Hawes county was one of the
most peaceful communities in the terri
tory.