The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-25
A NOVEL CHARGE
TO A GRAND JURY
1t Was Amusing But Square
to the Point.
NTANE cuDEDIOD NAIIDT
WAKE SUPERIOR COURT
Judge Robinson Talks in Plain Lar
guage to Grand Jury.
DENoUNcEs CRIMES AND CRIMINALS
Virtue and Sobriety The Greatest Blessing Thai
Can Come to Any Community. Rule
of the Bar Room in Politics.
The Tax Dodger.

The September term of the Superior
Court of this county commenced yes
terday morning, Judge w. S. OBJ.
Robinson presiding. The court is en-
tirely devoted to- the disposition of
criminal cases. Mr.. James IL. Pou
prosecutes for his brother, Solicitor
r. w. Pou. who is i'll.
The grand jury chosen for the court
is as follows: f. A. Whitaker, fore
man; j. w. Unlerhill, l.. w. Little,
John Leach, c. c. Brown, w. c.
Bright, j. l.. Ramsey, w. b. Forrest,
w. A. Kelly, w. A. Garner, George f..
Daniel, A. j. Jackson, j. j. Edwards,
j. T.. Gill and II. IL. Pool.
Four cases were disposed of during
the day. The first case was against
Aaron Jeffries and S. l.. Montague, for
am ARRAY. The case was tried first
against Aaron Jeffries, and as the
jury found a verdict of not guilty,
a mol pros was entered against Mon
tague.
Walter Jordan pleaded guilty to "a
charge of larceny and sentence was
reserved.
Rodin Freeman. negro, pleaded
guilty to the charge of resisting an
officer. Constable Potter had tried
to arrest him, and he resisted
Judgment was suspended upon pay
ment of costs.
The entire afternoon was spent in
the prosecution of a case against Oil
yer Brown for feloniously filching
from the garden of one Furney Will
liams certain succulent edible vege-
tables, to-wit: cabbages. A number
of witnesses were introduced, and the
examinations and cross-examinations
were fast and furious, but the court
adjourned without deciding whether
the footprints in the cabbage patch
We're made by Oliver Browns Number
s Tribes or not.
JUDGE ROBINSON'E CHARGE.
Perhaps one of the best and certain
ly one Of the most entertaining charges
to q jury ever heard in Wake county
court house was that delivered yesterday
by Judge Robinson. 1t combined wit and
wisdom, hard horse-sense and intimate
knowledge of the criminal law In fact
it might be very properly called popu-
lar lecture on the Laws and Morals of
the Day. 1t held the attention of law
yer duu dytil6u dIlhS, anu NIllC IL dIi 10
ed immensely, it was throughout instruc-
tive to the jury, to whom it was ad-
dressed.
In the beginning Of his discourse Judge
Robinson reviewed the law of ancient
days and incidentally paid his respects
to those who are always comparing the
present with the past to the great dis
arrangement of the present.
"In those good old days there were
242 Offences punishable by death. Now
there are not 242 offences all told in our
law, including the offences that are in
tho jurisdiction of magistrates. And as
for crimes punishable by death, we have
only four-two against the person (mur-
der and rape) and two against property
larson and burglary); and both murder
and burglary are divided into two de-
grees. So you see since those good old
days we have made long advances in our
ability to govern ourselves. Notwlth-
standing this you'll find a smart Alex
one of these fellows that knows it all
Jumping up every now and then and sigh
ing for the days that are no more and
bemoaning his fate that he didn't live
back there. When we hear such as that
we are inclined to join with him in wish
ing that he had lived then, when they'd
hang q man for dreaming the death of
the king or missing church three times
in succession Well, now isn't it a pity
that such fellows hadn't lived then and
either been dreamers or non church
goers
1.-THE law does all it can for the protee-
ton of life and property. 1t begins it's
protection of the individual from the
time the babe is quickened in its mothers
womb and extends that protection all
through life, even unto its resting place
after death How people can find it in
their consciences to speak disparagingly
OF the law and the courts of justice
cannot see, unless it be that they know
no better"
JURIES AND THEIR VERDICTS.
Then he discussed the jury system and
thought it about the best method that
could possibly be devised for melting out
Justice
"The people, as a rule, are honest and
their verdicts in the courts are in the
main correct. You are each of you up-
der oath and responsible only to GOD
and your own conscience for your con-
duct. You are sovereigns 365 days in the
year. even though you don't get told OF
1t but about once or twice every two
years when somebody wants your votes
'As rule when man is convicted in
The courts the conviction is just. Juries
are generally honest in their presenta-
tions and verdicts. 1 don't think the
day will ever come in North Carolina
when you can put eighteen men together
and find more than twelve scoundrels
among them. Then the judge is supposed
to be learned in the law, however vio-
lent that presumption. But if he makes
a mistake he is corrected by our Supreme
Court, if it amounts to correction"
After discussing the crimes of MUIR
der and burglary, and the two degrees
into which they have been divided, Judge
Robinson came to the statute against
seduction.
This" he said, sis seldom called into
pse. but. like pistol in Texas, it's