The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-15
CITY COURT
 IN SESSION The Grand Jury Organ .+ ized Yesterday. CHARGE BY JUDGE THOMAS Duties of the Grand Jury
 Outlined. Valuable Data Regarding the Rate of Homicide in Many States
 in the Union and Other Countries

The grand jury for the October term or the City Court was formally organized al noon yesterday After the charge dehV- cred by Associate Judge w. H. Inomas' the jury retired and at once entered upon the discharge of its duties. Five mem bers of the jury had been excused ana three were returned mot found." This left thirteen and two of these rendered good excuses and were allowed to go. The Sheriff then empannelled eight more Ju- TOTS, four of whom were accepted, ana the jury was completed in full as foi- lows:
 H. l.. Stone, foreman; T. J. Booth, G. s. Morrison, G. M. Armstead, C. F. Moritz, J. c. Chestnut, M. Shackelford. s. F. Mel I,emores Jacques Loeb. Henry Ellis, Ed Moore. w. H. G. Rives, l.. Lasseter, James Mcintyre and J. w. Filler.
 Mir. William Whiting was appointed bailiff of the grand jury.
 Judge Thomas charged the jury for forty-fiye minutes. He carefully out lined to the jury its duties as prescribed by law Additional charges were then delivered to the jury. Judge Thomas had rOmDlleQ very NdiudDtS StdliSbNo iSS"iN ing the rate of homicide in Alabama and other States in the Union and other coun- tries, This information Judge Thomas secured by writing to different officials of the several States. The Prime Minis ter of England furnished him the data regarding England and Wales. The Judge laid emphasis on the concealed weapon crime. He also quoted from Judge Laps | ley's charge to the grand jury of Calhoun I hn rn new Constitution. Judge Thomas also dwelt at length on the reported violations of the Sunday law and urged the grand jury to take action in this matter The charge is a very able one and is herewith given in full:
 Gentlemen of the Grand Jury:
 The taking by you of the oath required by law, completed your organization into | a grand jury of our county.
 | At the outset, I may remind you that Tn all ages the importance of an oath was recognized and protected by punishment for it's violation. Among the Scytmans, | periury was a capital crime, and with the | Egyptians it was also punished by death.
 More than 400 years B. C., Pythagoras, to his first precept of honoring the lm- mortal Gods, subjoined that of paying
 veneration to an oath. Two hundred wears later in the Roman Commonwealth was an Incident, illustrating the sacred
 ness in which the oath was held at that time Several Roman soldiers, who had
 been taken prisoners by that Carthagen- ian military genius. were released upon loblgating themselves by an oath. to re-
 turn again to his camp. One Of these
 sought to elude the oath, but his conduct
 was so shocking to the Roman Senate.
 that they ordered him to be apprehended
 and delivered up to Hannibal. About the year 29 B. C., the Graeco-Roman his
 torian, D.odorus Siculus, observes, That
 the offender of his oath Is guilty of a
 double crime, CD a failing in respect to
 the Divinity and @ In his faith towards
 his fellowman." The virtue of the learn
 ed Atheians in this respect, is exemph-
 fled by the case of Euripides. This great
 tragic poet, though famous for the ele-
 vation of his thought and the morality of
 his plays, unfortunately introduced a
 character. who, being reminded of an
 oath he had taken, lightly replied: 1
 swore with my mouth but not with my heart" This improper sentiment set the
 audience into an uproar. drove his inti-
 mate friend, the learned Socrates. with
 indignation from the theatre. and such
 public offense was thereby given that he
 was accused and brought to public trial.
 as one who had suggested an evasion of what they regarded, the most holy bond
 of human society.
 If men who had no other guide than
 reason, to whose eager searchings re- vealed religion had not shone-if, in their
 uncertain search for truth, they had
 come to know an oath to be of such a
 solemn nature. and it's violation to be so
 great a crime. how much deeper impress
 sion it should make upon the minds of
 those who know that He. to whom we
 appeal in our oaths, is Truth itself re- Vealed, and who will not let falsehood go unpunished, or "hold him guitless who taketh His name in vain" It Is then with faith in your integrity
 and the belief that you feel and know
 that guilt may lie upon the conscience of a man where the penalty cannot take hold of him, that I remind you of the oath just taken by you all
 -, You have then sworn: CD To diligently
 inquire and true presentment make of al
 offenses against the law; @ Not to bt