St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-07
GRAND JURY AGAIN.
5UDGE WILLIS DELIVERS THE
CHARGE TO THE JANUARY
BODY.
ne POINTS OUT THEIR DUTY.
FEELS THEM HOW THE HIGHEST
INTERESTS OF HUMANITY ARE
PR6MoTED.
VERY FEW CRIMINAL CASES
Other Matters That Came Up I'm the
Various Courts on the First
Day.

The grand jury convened yesterday
morning, and was charged by Judge
Willis, who presides in the criminal
department of the criminal court this
term. The names Of those summoned
for service on the jury are Berdsey
Rhodes. w. w. Pease, Ernest V. Put
nam, L. L. May, M. e. Murray, John
F. Broderick, Sylvester M. Carey, Rob
ert A. Kirk, j. A. Owens, George F.
Kuhles, Ed I. Metcalf, Joseph Jockey,
H. c. McNair, Joseph Minea, Phillip
Reilly, John Harrigan, Leo A. Gutter
man, e. w. Peet, Charles Michaud,
Robert Mannheimer and Charles L.
Miller. The five last named were re-
leased from duty on the presentation
of reasonable excuses. In his charge
to the jury Judge Willis, after going
through the statutory provisions re-
garding the charge, said:
Gentlemen, the scope of your public duty
Is very extensive, and, of course, very i'm
portant, the statutes declare it to be your
duty to inquire into all offenses committed
or triable within the county. 1t is your duty
also to supervise the accounts and transac-
tons of all public officers, and If such Of
fcers have been guilty of willful violation
Of office, it is your duty to return an indict-
ment or presentment. You will take into
consideration the entire criminal code of the
state; you will find it in the statutes which
In looking through the list of crimes which
are denounced under the penalty by the state
Legislature, you will discover the line of your
duty You will know what wrongs may be
committed; what acts constitute offenses and
then you may use your own personal knowl-
edge to bring before the attention of the
grand jury such offenses as you may have
learned about-ofenses Of which you have
Information.
The laws of the state must all be enforced.
There is no other course possible under the
oath Of a grand juror. The only question
that can possibly arise Is, whether 1t is prac-
ticable for you, within the time which you
have, to go through all of the offenses and
place all offenders upon trial. But your own
judgment will suggest the proper line of
ton, and you must remember that you have
dispensing power. 1t is not for the court or
grand jury to say that any particular class
of offenders shall go free, but the law is
sacred and it is binding upon all public Of
acials and all private citizens And while
1t might not seem to the practicable man to
be practical to punish all adult offenders to
blot out crime among adults, it is certainly
possible to destroy the sources of the crime
and to check its growth among the young
and inexperienced.
1t will be your duty to take such meas
ures as will conduce to the enforcement of
our excellent compulsory education act also
the excellent statute forbidding the employ
ment of children in factories in derogation of
their rights, both as individuals and as re-
CARDS then education. 1t will be your duty
to inquire whether pernicious literature is
spread publicly before children; whether 1t
is sold to them; whether means for corrupt
ing their morals exist in the community. If
1t be possible to reform or correct those who
nave reached mature age, it is certainly prac-
ucable and necessary to remove from the
young and from the inexperienced as far as
the action of the grand jury and all other
public officials may contribute to that end
every object or every condition which tends
to their decentralization.
II will be your duty also, gentlemen, to in
quire whether the public officials of this
county have justly, impartially and rightly
administered the law in regard to the as
sessment and collection of the public taxes.
If any portion of the property of the commun-
1ty is not taxed justly and rightly; if favor
itism is shown, such to impose an undue
burden upon certain portions of the commun-
ity, that fact should have the attention of
the grand jury. Various other points will
suggest themselves to you.
You will act always in the interests of HUI
mainly, and remember that he highest inter-
ests, of humanity are always promoted by
equal and exact justice, without the slightest
favoritism to anybody. giving all citizens and
all interests equal and exact, fair and honor
able consideration. In so doing you will
carry out the principles of government, and
you will also contribute to the morals of the
community and the peace and welfare of all
the commonwealth.
If you find it improper to render an indict-
ment, which is direct accusation, against
any individual, you may prepare statement
of the facts and in that statement declare that
such a person, designating him. is probably
guilty Of the offense. You may lay that be-
fore the court, and that Is presentment. 1t
does not accuse anybody, but it suggests the
probability of his guilt
Judge Willis named Joseph Jockey
as foreman of the jury. The jury i'm
mediately took a recess without trans
acting any business. County Attor-
ney Butler says there are very few
criminal cases to come before the
grand jury at this session. Charges to
be investigated are pending against
ten persons but they are all Of mi
nor nature Six are for larceny, one
for assault, one for forgery, one for
adultery and one for horse stealing.