The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-05
INDICT THE POLICE.
Judge Lippincott Turns the
Tables on Republican
Crime Protectors.
CHARGE TO THE GRAND JURY
Nuisances Which ~Dopreciat0 Prop
erly-Gambling No Longer
Prevalent.
TO THE GRAND JURY

of lawyers in the Court House this morn
ing at the opening Of the April term.
There was also the usual beautiful dis
play of flowers. Three large floral bas-
kets. two for Justice Lippincott and one
for Judge Nevius, stood on the desk in
the Supreme Court room and a small but
very exquisite basket was or Judge
Blair's desk in the rear court room. The
floral offerings came from the court Off
GERS. A call of the calendar in the SUI
prene Court wasathe first thing in order,
and just after the list had been
the Grand Jury, headed by Foreman
Clarke, and escorted by Under Sheriff
Heavey, filed in. Justice Lippincott said
that unless other members of the jury
desired to be excused, the twenty-fourth
juror might retire. Foreman Clarke in
formed the court that Samuel Maggie de-
sired to be excused and Justice Lippincott
excused him. William Il. Burke, the tWen-
ty-fourth juror, therefore remains on
duty. After the jury had been sworn JUS
tice Lippincott charged them as follows
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury-The
last Grand Jury, whose term ended yes
terday, was charged by the Court upon
every subject which mad been Drogght
to the attention of the Court up to the
time of their adjournment. Besides those
matters they entered into Investigations
of various subjects of their own motion
and made presentrnents. This Court as
sunles that their entire duty was per-
formed in relation to all these matters,
and, therefore, the Court now has no new
| matter upon which to charge you at THIS
time. Later on in the term matters may
arise which will make it necessary TOR
the Court to. give you instruction. You
| will have the usual duties of Grand Jur-
OFFS to perform, he-PrDsecutoF will pre-
! sent you such matters as he deems nee
essary to bring to your attention, ana
you may also consider matters winch are
brought to your notice or come within
| your own knowledge. The Prosecutor
will be at your command, and you may
have the aid of the Court at any time
| you may require it.
Since the organization of the Grand
Jury in December last this county has
been much less subjected to the baneful
| effects of public n~uisances detrimental to
the health and comfort of the people and
depreciative of the value of property.
The Court instructed the jury upon that
subject and the warning was needed, and
we AVE been comparatively tree from
that annoyance and without now having
any particular nuisance in view the
Court invokes your Watcffulness and
whenever you find a public nuisance ex-
listing it is your duty to indict those who
create and continue it.
Again. We are to be congratulated. by
whatever force or meanssft has been ac-
complished it is a source of pleasure TO
know that notorious gambling on the
public gambling have ceased. This form
of offense fourished for years up to the
beginning of the last term, and it must
afford satisfaction to the public as It does
to the Court to know that this great evil
has been conquered. This condition,
however, reveals the fact that the police
authorities are able when they are will
ing and diligent, to suppress this class
of crime, and when you find It
existing in any community you may with
safety hold the police authorities re-
| sponsible by indictment. The proper adj
ministration of justice in the county cam
not be enforced, unless at great expense
to the county, without the faithful per-
forrrance of the police authorities OF the
different municipalities. If, whenever q
policy shop or q gambling place Pc found
fiourishing. the police authorities may be
indicted for wilful neglect of duty. and it
would be at once seen how quickly. the
offense will cease. Neither these crimes
nor others can continue very long in any
municipality without the indifference, ac-
quiescence, consent or ~connlvance OF the
police authorities. This neglect of duty
entails a relatively large expense upon
the county to perform the duties which
should be performed blythe officers of the
different municipalities. The administra-
ton of justice and the enforcement of
the laws must be maintained at whatever
cost, for without such faithful admins
tratiol and enforcement of the laws
neither health. reputation. personal Sc
curity, personal liberty, or life can long
be safe, and it may well be said that in a
1 4 n LIS III ~ i
dars of civil and criminal cases. that
if the same economy was practiced in
the other departments of the govern
nent as is practiced in the operation
of that part of the administration of JUS
tice over which the courts or Judges have
personal control then there would be but
little reason for the complaint of extraV-
agance. When desperadoes defy the law
successfully, every effort and necessary
expense must be put forth to end such
a condition, the continuance of which is
/ diSaSfrOl1S to anV form of D0O6 and decent
Government. 1t is this state of affairs
in a time not long past which has caused
an obstruction to justice, annoyance to
the courts and to the general law-abiding
public and has caused much expense to
the county. Why Grand Jurors have not
indicted the police authorities heretofore
for failure to perform their duties in these
respects after having their attention
called to them by the court term after
term, as the charges to the Grand Jury
will show, is a problem that is not easily
solved, and is not now the subject of So
luton. If you will read one Of the pre-
sentiments of the last Grand Jury, made
yesterday, you will perceive that what
the court is now saying to yeu Is IN the
line of its recommendation. .
AS to the practice of demanding struck
juries, the Court said It had become the
practice to a great extent to demand
struck juries when counsel thought it
was proper for some special reason.
These have been generally refused ex-
eept where it appeared to the Court it
was necessary to grant the application
when the nature and Importance of the
causes made it proper. The Court has
seldom granted the order ana never UNI
less it has been made to aDpea to the
Court that under the statute 1t was nee
essary tosdo so. The administration of
justice in this county is made expensive
by legislative enactments. Formerly
Grand Jurors served without pay; now
it costs about three Thousand dollars a
year for that branch Of the administra-
ton of justice. Formerly a small fee was
allowed for su~mmoning jurors now for
that service larger fees are allowed: this
is all by statute over which the courts
have no control, and the payment of
which is made mandatory by statute. +
have been -endeavorins to make an in
vestigation of these items Of expense and
also in relation to other departments of
the county government, and 1t may be
necessary later on for me to cali your
attention to some of these.
COURT CALENDARS.
Supreme and Circuit Court cases-Wed-
nesday. April 6, 1898: Nos. 2, 8. 4, 6, Z, -.
Thursday: Nos. Is. Il, i. Is, Is.
Circuit Court cases-Wednesday, April