The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-08
THE GRAND JURY
Did Not Finish lis Work YsItsrday.
Scenes Around iths Comfy RRlldIng-A
Mock Jury Holds Great Session.

Did Not Finish lis Work YsIisrdHy.
Scenes Around the Comfy RulldIng-A
Mock Jury Holds Great session.
The Ohio county grand jury did not
complete its labors yesterday, and con-
sidering the heavy grist on hand, 1t VIII
have its hands full for a good part OF to-
day. An idle visitor to the county build
ing yesterday would have been amazed
10 see the interest manifested in the de-
alterations of that body OF men. The
corridors, the stairways, and all avail
able space We're packed with humanity
There were all classes and conditions
represented, and the Macedonia Bap-
list church dispute resulted in drawing
a crowd OF colored people Of both sexes,
The jury was In session from $3.50
o'clock In the morning until o'clock In
the evening, and during that time the
restless swarm outside the tribunal
moved hither and thither in an attempt
to vary the monotony OF the long wait
until their names would be called. but
though many had been subpoenaed, few
We're called, and woe to the latter II
they failed to respond, for instantly a
capiaa for appearance was issued, and
so it was that visions of impending
fines for contempt of court held in
check the disconnected and restless
mass, impatiently waiting to be freed
The remarks these angry persons
made We're not the oaths used In court,
There were men of high esteem In the
community there, and they didn't have
any time to spend loating around the
county building, for their business de-
manded their attention. They were
chiefly indignant, however, that because
they had slipped rock and rye over the
bar of man who did business with a
poetic license, they had been called to
testify thereof. They didn't for the life
OF them see why some one else hadn't
been called.
And then there was the man who
promised to take his wife to the fair,
and the man who was afraid he would
lose his job by being away from 1t, and
the dozen and one kind OF men and wo-
men who paced up and down and down
and up the long corridors all the day
long. 1t was not very pleasant II is
true, neither the temperature nor their
condition, and II rumor be true the
host of witnesses on the short" liquor
license scheme Will receive another ad-
ditlon to-day.
Bul dllllh ltlt ulbGuullOIl anu
patience suffered there FORMED a genial
coterle which enllvened the gloomy sur
roundings With mock grand jury. For
about two hours in the afternoon in the
sacred precincts OF a room not far from
where the genuine jury was In session,
this fun-lovlng crowd held sway, and so
well did they perform their functions
that the three colored men and one
white innocent, arraigned before them,
testified as II II was a case of life or
death to them. There were the twelve
requisite tried and true, and the fore
man, well known In secret society cir
cles, acted his part to perfection, The
deputy sheriff" was "peach," and the
jurors examined the witnesses like skill
ed disciples OF Blackstone.
Tho first to be called was George
Washington. He came willingly from
out the crowd in the hall at the COM
mand of Mr.. Deputy Escorted to the
room he removed his hat. and took the
stand He realized the solemnity of the
occasion, but staggered at the first
question.
George Washington" asked an intel
llgent Juror, have you got your little
Ratchet with you?"
mo, sah," he gasped, while his eyes
nearly bulged out of his head.
you haven't, EN- Well, then tell the
jury II you have any weapons or pre-
cious jewels concealed about your per-
son."
The rest of the jury at this question
turned their backs to straighten their
faces, while the witness stammered and
spluttered in confusion. Similar ques-
lions followed, and the namesake of the
NJ n Untt1HPit foil n 1in rlV
"tumbled" to the mock assembly, and
probably would have had he not been
dismissed with a caution to act on his
good behavior for the next year.
The next witness summoned was an
other member of the Macedonia church,
but Of the opposite faction. He was a
respectable, elderly old fellow, whom
they titled Brother Craig. He was
greatly in earnest, wanting to tell of the
church trouble from the ground up, but
the burlesque Jurors persisted in asking
him about crap games, Of which he
stoutly denied any knowledge. II don't
know muffin bout dem, case l never
done shot none," he finally answered.
Just to change the luck, white man
was next brought on the scene, a sturdy
German whose avocation Is dispensing
the liquid which caused his presence at
the building. Like the preceding wit
nesses he didn't know other than that he
was appearing before the regular grand
jury. He was questioned at long and
close range about all sorts OF drinks,
and when he showed hesltancy Of re-
ply he was threatened with long term
in Jail. He admitted putting water into
the whisky, and when asked whether
river or spring water, boastingiy said:
"Sphrlng water, shentlemen, vat else
you dlnk."
The climax was reached with the con-
Guiding witness, for the hllarity ensu-
ing caused an official to sum
marily dispense the jury. A colored
preacher, Rev, Nose E. Johnson, OF Ro-
anoke, Va, happened to be out In the
hall, where he was in consultation with
the Macedonia brethren, and he was
brought into the jury room. The real
fun came from the manner In which he
resented the imputation that he had
anything to do with the trouble In the
local church. He was here to solicit
funds for his own church, and produced
credentials from his vallSe. Then he
was asked what he was doing In the
room, and of course he said he didn't
know. This was the chance for an elab-
crate address by one Of the Jurors, who,
staring him full in the face, ratified off
about one-half of the dictionary, and so
unlntelligible was his harangue that the
preacher groaned In despair. To even
up he was given permission to pass the
hat around. but Juror objected, as ac-
cording to the bylaws 1t was illegal,
the witness coming from Virginia, and
not West Virginia This ended some