The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-03-23
CIRCUIT COURT.
Ihe March Term In Session with Associat,
Judge Sloan Presiding.

Ihe March Term In Session with Associate
Judge Sloan Presiding.
On Monday, March Goth, the regu-
lar spring term of the Circuit Court
for this county convened at the court
house in Oakland with Associate
Judge David w. Sloan on the bench.
Judge Sloan appointed Austin
Brown, Esq, of Oakland, as foreman
| OF the grand jury, after which the
names of the following named gentle
1 men were drawn from the box to serve
as grand jurors for the term: David
Popp, Henry P. Weber, John w. Car
der Uriah NJ. Stanton, William R.
Drane, William M. Chadderton, Perry
Broadwater, J. G. Rodeheaver, Gilead
! BroadwRter. John w. Harvey, John
! II. Cuppett, Eli Mcmillan, william n.
Kitzmiller, William H. Michaels, Ed
ward H. Bartlett, Sylvester H. Ry-
land, jeremiah J. Ryland, Ralph
Engle, James Grant, George L. Mi
chaels, Charles w. Dewitt and George
w. Wilt.
Judge Sloan then delivered the
usual charge to the grand jury. He
said in part: Your powers are large
and your responsibility is great. You
are reminded that it takes twelve
affirmative votes to find Il present
ment. Under the old practice the
grand jury met and found present.
ments and these went over until
another term when the succeeding
grand jury found indictments. In
order to save time and expense the
practice has been changed, and now,
whenever possible, the States Attor-
ney prepares his indictments and
submits them to the same grand jury
/ which found the presentment, and in
this way every man charged with
crime may have a speedy trial if he
desires it.
You have inquisitional powers;
that is in addition to the cases which
come up to you from justices of the
peace, you have power to send for
witnesses and examine matters in
which there have been no preliminary
proceedings before a justice of the
peace. Our law is in this respect
unlike the law of Pennsylvania and
some other States, where all criminal
H. i
before they reach the grand jury
Coming, as you do, from all sections
OF the county, you are presumed to
know something of what occurs in
your respective neighborhoods, and
if you know of any violations of law
it will be your duty to lay your
knowledge before your associates that
proper action may be taken.
''All the constables of the county
are required by law to appear before
you to give information of all viola
tions of law of which they may have
knowledge. They are expected to
know what goes on in their respective
bailiwicks.
1.-The law makes it the duty of the
Court to call attention to the provis-
ions of Sections and of Article 81
of the Public General Laws, which
provides for furnishing the crime of
abortion. | also call your attention
to the law prohibiting carrying con-
cealed weapons. Many men who are
ordinarily harmless, or who would, if
unarmed, run away from an outbreak
will, when loaded down with pistols,
get into trouble and violate the law
by deadly assault or perhaps murder.
This practice of carrying fire arms
ought to be broken up.
'"There is a wholesome law which
prohibits the sale of cigarettes to
minors under fifteen years of age.
You should investigate this matter
thoroughly and ascertain whether
the law has been violated. 1t is your
duty also to ascertain whether all
persons doing business in the county
have taken out a proper license, in
order that the State shall receive it's
proper revenue. The local LIQUOR
law of Garrett county, by its sixteenth
section, requires every grand jury to
inquire whether that law has been
violated.
"The oath you have taken is very
comprehensive, and you have learned
from it that you are diligently to in
quire into all violations of law. 1t is
your duty to inspect the public build
ings and report their condition. At
last September term the grand jury
inspected the Jail and other public
buildings and made report to which
the attention of the county commits
sioners was called. 1t will be your
duty to see if the county commission
ers have done their duty in the prem
ises. If they have failed it will be
your duty to indict them. 1t is the
duty of the county commissioners to
provide Jail which will keep prison
ers safely and which will be in proper
sanitary condition. Because man