The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-17
CHARGE TO A GRAND JURY.
Straight Language From Judge
Greene at Fort Worth.
FIRST INVESTIGATE THE OFFICIALS
The Judge Recommends this Indictment
Or at Least the Exposure OF Of
ncials Who Fail In Duty.
Fort Worth. Texas. February ia-Judge

Fort Worth. Texas. February fS.-Judge
Greene. after organizing the grand jury
of the Forty-eighth district court. de-
Iivered his charge. The particularly In
teresting features Of the charge follow:
"You, gentlemen OF the grand jury. are
particularly charged to keep secret the
proceedings OF your body. and want TO
especially impress upon you the Import
ance Of the necessity OF observing the law
on this point, for l have been Informed
that the proceedings OF some former
grand juries were the subject OF investiga-
ton. | was told that certain grand
jury witness had been approached by a
city official. whose conduct was under in
vcstigation by the grand jury. and that
the witness had been abused and cursed
on the street FOR tcstifying before the
grand jury when the investigation into
the acts OF city officials was being con-
Quoted by the grand Jury.
Witness was told by the city official
who abused him that two of the grand
jurymen were personal friends Of his, and
that he could find out anything that wit
ness said while before the grand jury. You
are Instructed to fully Investigate this
matter. and II you md that what have
heard Is true It will be your duty TO Indie,
tho parties who disclosed The grand JUN
room secrets
II want 10 say 20 you. gentlemen. tina,
I have been on this bench for over three
yars and l have crdeavored 10 do nay
fuu duty In enforcing the law
at has been tho practice az ali well
know That whore forty or nifty iudct-
rncnts have been made against viola. oSs
Of he gambling and Sunday laws TO asccr-
tain how much the party could reasonably
ray Ia settlement OF all the cases against
him. and upon payment Of tie amount
agreed upon 20 sinisS an the indie tmeHts
Now this. gentlemen. IL all wrong
u Instruct You 20 begin your lnvestiga-
ton In my office, investigate me first and
then 70 Oh down with eve.y official untli
you reacn the special policemen, ana
whenever you ind sufficient evidence
indlet nc guilty party.
HIDING irt OF Indictments against the
gamblers and Sunday saloon openers
Your attention is directed 70 the fact
that while you VIII be in session that a
primary election Will be held In this
you all well remember the Disgrace
foi scenes ht former primary elections
especially IA the city Ut Fort Worth,
whore Il has been said votes were openly
purchased for the cash,
we now have laws governing primary
elections uicre Tho Judge read the law
EUyefnng primaries md Then proccedcdD
Nov I want you 90 see " this law Is
violated. Let Us au know that each o.;
FtA itAFt hpAu tgth NANf fItNit ana IT
you can md my iulracuons OF THIS law
tndict the parties whom YOU think from
tho evidence to he guilty. II Is against
the law tor a candidates. or any other
person, eyon to give q voter "a cigar or
buy MIN a drink of whisky Tor the pug-
nose 81 influencing the voter
You II hnd 1t very easy to get evi-
dence against iufractiors Of the law such
as murder, robbery, assault and Ike Of
ftelse~ where individuals are directly
injured thereby. but where tho injury Is
10 the whole community. where he Of
fenae committed Is not such as to par
tlcnlSrly interest any one iNdi dual yuu
VIII hnd more trouble IN getting evidence.
but n is none the less your duty 20 mike
faithful cffort to secure evidence as I
have enumerated.
II. upon investigation YOU ma that
those officials who have used the c'im.uAl
laws 10 enrich themselves by illegally col
lccting fees have 70 cntrtsG, he'd them
calves behind the law that thny cnu upt
hc Indicted. I hope you WIN az least make
= complete report snpsins Tho practices
that have been indulead in, go that the
people may knoW the facts and have a
chance To elect officials hereafter who
viii enforce the laws without fear OF
hcneht.
ut has been said thu, tho laws ngains'
gambling. sunday saloon onoulpE and
rlmiar offences can not be enforced. thar
the people are not ~ favor OF their eu-
forccment. but tell YOU, gentlemen OF
tho grand Jury. that the goCd people of
Tarrant county are largely IN tho MAORI
they look TO you to zoe that they are en-
forced. You have the whole coustHhuiary
~ the county at your command and sou
need not fear to do your whole duty"