The leader., 1902-12-17
JUDGE ANDERsON's CHARGE
A Revival of Law Enforcement in
Vicksburg.

/
Vicksburg.
The following are few para
graphs from Judge George An
derson's vigorous charge to the
Warren county grand jury, as re-
ported by the Vicksburg Herald:
At 1920 Judge Anderson en-
tered upon the delivery of his
charge, which required one hour
and twenty minutes to COM
plete, twenty minutes of which
was given over to a minute defini-
tion of the meaning and solemnity
of the oath taken by the grand ju-
rors. In this connection Judge
Anderson took occasion to bitter
ly denounce the low ebb of public
sentiment. inundated public
sentiment, he declared, is respon-
|sible for existing lawlessness and
crime and the attempt to blame
the Judge is ill-timed and unfair.
The grand juries are responsible
and not the Judge, Numbered
the bench, and the newspaper
charge that the Judge is incompe-
tent because crime fourishes, is
absolutely uncalled for. Public
sentiment in this community, said
his honor, is lower than in any
other section or city in the State;
lawlessness has prevailed SO long
that the best sentiment is afraid
of saying anything about it for
fear of losing something. Most
of our men have backbones like
red worms they are cowardly.
What we need is a revolution in
public sentiment and courage.
He referred to his successful cam
paign against the slot machine
evil as an example of what can be
done if an earnest effort is made.
Grosser crimes, declared the
Judge, grow out of the minor
crimes and misdemeanors. Turn
boy aloose in Vicksburg and he
comes out a frst-class, no-account
individual and for this reason
many good citizens have refrained
from becoming residents of Vicks-
burg.
Gambling Taking up the ques-
tion of gambling, Judge Ander-
son remarked Now / strike
the tenderest spot in our commu-
nifty; the non-gamblers can be
counted on your fingers and every
body seems to have gone wild
on the subject. y He referred to
the good old days when boys were
satisfied to play marbles for fun
and cited the fact that now the
children were not satisfied unless
they played for keeps It's
a shame and a stencil in the nos
trils of all decent people that even
a game of base ball cannot be
played without gambling being
attached to it. It's against the
law and felony and must be
stopped. The Judge referred spe-
Officially to a gambling house at
the corner of South and Washing,
on streets, where the men in
charge send out solicitors to get
young boys at play in their games.
This business of eorrupting boys
lis nefarious practice and you
should indict these men and let
me send them to the penitentiary.
He told of an incident that had
come to his notice of a youth los
ing $40 Of his employers money.
and how the widowed mother had
been working night and day to re.
pay it and save her son from the
i penitentiary. How soon will your
boys be doing the same thing
4 You must break 1t up and unless
you do you are not worthy Of
your Office, declared the speak,
| er. There are others, said the
4 Judge, of whom / am told by par
], ties who seem to know and it i
Your duty to ferret out these an6
! indict them.
Intoxicating Liquors and tht
/ Sunday Law. The legal seller O.
whisky, Judge Anderson stated
is entitled III nr0tacti0n. hut i