The leader., 1901-11-06
CIRCUIT COURT.
The South Lincoln Law1essness
Denounced by the Court.
The Grand Jury Charged to Deal with
the Outlaws in that Part of the
County.

| Inc Lincoln circuit court convened
Monday morning, with Judge Powell
on the bench, and Sheriff Applewhite
and Circuit Clerk Oliver in their ap-
pointed places. District Attorney
Greaves was not present the first day
on account of illness.
The following grand jury was en-
paneled aud charged, with W. c. Price
as foreman and Thos. II. Lewis, bailiff
Josh Priebatsch, w. w. Fore, j. M.
Carlisle, John E. Decell Sam Abrams,
E. Nations, Ii. S. Cole, B. w. O'Neal,
Preston Smith, l.. l.. Summers, w. J.
Chandler, w. G. Price, w. T. Elan, A.
D. Alderman, E. III. Herring, Jacob
Ritchie, S. J. Holloway, S. ID. Chand-
ler.
| Though comparatively short, Judge
Powell's charge to the grand jury was
clear and forcible, and dealt with the
principal subjects the Court considered
worthy of attention at this time. Ad-
dressing himself to the jury, he said:
THE JUDGES CHARGE.
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY: l
am always glad to talk to the people of
Lincoln county, for while you have
some very tough characters in your
midst, you have also very large per
cent. of the very best people. Grand
Juries have existed for more than a
thousand years, and during all that
time, it has been the object of the pow
ers which selected them, to get good
men, men who had a stake in the
county, men who would naturally wish
to do something for the betterment of
the people among whom they lived. 1t
is in the firm belief that 1 am address
ing such body of men that l shall
speak to you to-day.
THE LAwLEsSNESS AROUND BoGUE CHITTo.
am reliably informed that in the
southern part of your county, in the
neighborhood of Bogue Chitto, per-
feet pandemonium of crime has been
raging for the last few months.
Churches and school houses have been
burned, men have been shot and the
good people of that community, white
and black, have been absolutely ter
rorized by band of hoodlums. l am
told that these gentry, banding them
selves together, have taken possession
of the town of Bogue Chitto, defied the
officials, wounded private citizens and
made night hideous with the firing of
pistols and drunken yells.
Now, gentlemen, it is to you, the
representatives of the sovereign law,
that the good people of that commu-
nifty look and have a right to look to
protect them in the quiet enjoyment
of their lives and property, and to
bring these red handed violators of
the law to justice. 1t would seem,
from all reports, that there is large
crop of candidates in that neighbor-
hood for the State Penitentiary. See
to it, gentlemen, that they are all
promptly elected. Demonstrate the
fact by your action that in Lincoln
county there is no man or set of men
so high or powerful that the long arm
of the law cannot reach them, or so
low that the broad shield of the law
cannot protect them.
After referring to the promiscuous
pistol shooting around Brookhaven
and charging the jury to give special
attention to pistol toters, who are a
standing menace to the peace and
good order of society, Judge Powell
continues:
Find out wrong -doers and present
them and it makes no difference
whether friends or enemies, you should
not discriminate. You're not put here
for that purpose. Any violator of the
law should be punished whether blood
kin or no relation.
We want you to look into this ques-
ton of blind tigers. We are burdened
with animals of this class every term.
/ believe this is the only part of the
State where women run blind tigers
We have two or three of them on hand
every term. Some of them have been
up before US repeatedly. They get off
on account of being sick or in bad
health The man or woman who is able
to sell whisky can do a little honest
work. Liquor-selling, when done in
accordance with law, is contemplate
sort of business; but it is villainous
when done without license.
The crime of perjury is committed
too. Before every grand jury some
| cine bu comm ittipn napinrv op6
when you know he is committing it
too. Some fellow will come up and
sell his conscience to protect some
man selling whisky. If you were
preachers you might try to persuade
the man of his guilt by moral
suasion. But when a man comes
before you and you know that he has
committed perjury, you should give
him the benefit of the law.
We need examples, gentlemen. We
need a straight hanging in this coun
ty. 1t would be for the good of the
county to get some man who is guilty
and give him the full penalty of the
law.
Look into the doings of the various
county officers and see that they bring
in the money that belongs to the
county.
think it would be a wise provision
if there could be appointed a com
petent book keeper to commence be
fore court opens and look over the
books of the officers. Such a proceed
ing would put good many mer
straight. There never was more true
thing than 'lead US not into tempta
ton" A man who thinks he is moi
going to be caught up with does things
be would not do otherwise.
Look into the working of the county
, farm, aud the poor house; also sec
that the inmates are properly treated
We think that this grand jury
is going to be an exception to othel
grand juries. We want no Whispering
outside of what occurs, and l am goine
to put this grand jury on their honor
as gentlemen not to tell anything tha