Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-08-05

Findings Arc an Insult to the Court and
tho Indictments tho Result of Igas-
rance.
Leadville, Colo. July 31.-Crowds Of
people thronged Harrison avenue,
Leadville's principal thoroughfare, to-
night. One and all are discussing pro
and con the sensational ending Of the
special session Of the special grand
jury empaneled by Judge Overs about
two weeks ago. The jury made it's
first report at 9 o'clock this afternoon,
was again called in session at and
met tonight at 8 O'Clock, when 1t was
discharged. The meeting was full of
sensational incidents, the greatest Of
which Is without doubt that OF the
finding of two indictments against
Frank W. Overs, the judge of the Dis
trlct Court, who empaneled the jury.
or course. at this time the men who
have been indicted have not yet been
molested, and therefore their names
have. not been made public. How
ever, from the report made by the jury
1t Is evident that the leading county
and city officials and some of the lead
ing citizens here who have figured
conspicuously in the political world
rested as soon as capias can be issued.
definitely as to the number OF indict-
ments returned, it is thought that
there are between thirty and forty,
and from the tone of the report of the
grand jury, several of the county COM
missioners, the mayor and other
prominent city and county officials are
included In the list of men indicted.
In Its report the grand jury says:
1--WE earnestly and diligently tried
In the limited time, and with the very
limited amount of unsatisfactory le-
gal assistance that could be placed at
our disposal to investigate all the vio-
latiOns of the law which have come to
our knowledge. While lawlessness is
unfortunately very prevalent, we fail,
after careful Investigation, to find that
1t Is more so than during the two pre-
vious years of your honor's admins
tratiOn. We cannot attribute the
present lawlessness to other causes
than such as have prevailed for a long
period OF our city's history. The most
potent Of these causes is the general
acceptance by the community of the
dangerous doctrine that the statutes
Of the state are to be enforced or not,
according to the judgment or consent
OF officials who have sworn to enforce
all the laws. This doctrine has been
pushed to such an extreme that for
many years the whole community has
been made to aid and abet crime, and
count on the filling of the public cof-
fers with money raised on the demor-
aliZation and debasement of human
beings.
I'VE regret that under your hon.
or's instructions the only way open
to us to arraign this dangerous doc
trine Is to bring Indictment again5t
men who individually are entirely op-
posed to 1t, and are victims of perni-
cious precedent.
with regard to gambling, the re-
cent vigorous action taken at the in
stigation Of the court lenves 1t rs our
main duty to make plain where the
responsibility of this crime ultimately
rests. We have endeavored to show
this In our indictments. As your
honor states in your charge, the find
ing Of gambling paraphcrnalia in
actual use Is sufficient evidence to
bring In an Indictment for gambling.
We believe that with regard to own
ers and agents Of houses knowingly
rented for this purpose, the court has
sufficient evidence to proceed against
them In the regular way.
'While we agree with your honor as
to the demoralizing effect of gambling,
we believe it to be our duty to exam
Inc into the legal rather than the
moral aspect. We note your instruc-
tions not to overlook any form of vio-
lation OF the law, and In this connec.
tion call your attention to the open
and fragrant defiance of the law with
~ IN IN <,In 80
We feel 1t our duty to exercise our con-
demnation by indicting those whom
we hold to be primarily responsible.
There are also certain places In the
county. not under the Jurisdiction of
city officials, where this law Is sys-
temntically Gefied. A short distance
outside of the city limits, at place
called Ellesmere, is not only the Sun
day law defied. but wine rooms and
other Objectionable features have
made the place known as the first
stepping stone for the downfall of
young women."
The report then gees on to state that
contrary to law they find that the coun-
ty commissioners have been trading in
county warrants. The warrant book
shows that this has been carried oa to
such an extent that from one fund
alone the amount of $4,000 has in one
year passed through the hands of COM
missloners, or their employees. or men,
bers Of their families. They also found
that considerable sums of county
money are voted for work and supplies
for which no steps are taken to secure
bids, and that the same has been a
heavy loss to the county.
They further find that the supplying
of provisions has been allowed to one
member of the Board of County Com
missioners without any contract, and
that this business alone in one year
has amounted to $4,000. They further
find that money has been voted to indi-
yiduals with recklessness, and in one
instance $500 was voted to regular
salaried official for extra services, the
jury being unable to find any itemized
bill for such services. or TO find that
the bill had passed the inspection Of
the finance committee.
The grand jury visited the county
and city jails. They found the county
Jail in fine condition, but that the city
Jail failed to reveal n single commend
able point. at is n badly constructed,
foul and mnlarious den. utterly unfit
for human occupancy, u disgrace to n
civilized community, constant
Il. a.