The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-21
AFTER BEEF TRUST
JUDGE BARROW CALLS GRAND
JURY's ATTENTION TO ITS POWERS.
HAS THE RIGHT TO INDICT.
COURT WILL FURNISH ALL THE AS
sIsTANCE THAT is NEEDED.

View Expressed That Beef Trust Has
Violated State Laws rs to Fore
staIIing and Engrossing - The
SheriG's Force of Deputies Placed
mt Grand Jury's Service-RinG
Leaders of the Combination Have
Been Very ArtfuI-VioIntiOns OF
the Gaming Laws Also Called to
Grand Jury's AttentiOn-Indict-
ments for Murder and other Of
lenses Returned by Grand Inquest.
The attention of the Superior Court
grand jury was again called to it's
power to punish the beef trust for al
legged violations of the law yesterday
afternoon. Judge Barrow furnished
the renewed information and offered
the grand jury the entire power of the
court to render it effective.
Some added instructions as to the
scope and nature of the grand jury's
duties were also furnished by the
court. In dismissing the grand inquest
to its room, to enter upon the discharge
of its official functions. Judge Barrow
| said:
"At the opening of the term, 1 en-
| deavored to lay before you the law
relative to the powers of the different
departments of the court as to crimi-
nal matters. 1 endeavored to make it
clear that the power resided alone
with the grand jury to institute prose-
cutions for crimes. There is no other
department of the court that can die
tate to you, or can direct your course,
as to that. The constitution and laws
of this state confer upon you, and you
alone, the power to find bills of indict-
ment The other departments of the
court, the other officials of the court,
are powerless unless you put the ball
| in notion
II also told you that would furnish
you, cheerfully, with all the assistance
necessary and which was within my
power in order to enable you to make
inquiry and satisfy your minds wheth-
er or not indictments or presentments
ough to be found. You can call upon
the sheriff at your pleasure and re-
quire him to furnish you with a list
of his deputies. You will find that he
has an efficient corps of deputies, and
you can select any one or more of these
deputies and direct them to investi-
gate anything that you see proper
IldNc lllN6SIlSdIeu ana make report 10
you. You are supreme under the law
in that respect, and the sheriff will
furnish you with a list of the deputies,
and you can select such of those-one
or more-as YOU see proper, and direct
those deputies yourselves what inves-
LEGATION and what inquiry you wish
them to make. and have them make
their report to you of their investiga-
ton, and their report and their in
frCn on will Ho1 al foI
You can give them such instruc ions
as you see proper as to making in
qulry and making report to you, and
1t will be a matter that is a secret of
the grand jury as between you and
| them.
Il called your attention, especially,
| to two OffenSes against the criminal
laws of this state at the beginning of
the court-gambling and forestalling
| and engrossing, which latter 1 thought
was being violated by the beef trust
In dealing with these subjects, you can
employ the services of these deputies
one or more of them-as you please.
l took occasion to say to you that it was
not your duty to do detective work
The law does not require that of you.
| That function is one that you can di-
| rect somebody else to perform. 1t is
not expected that you should do it, but
| Whatever work of that kind you think
ought to be done in connection with
any crime, the sheriff will turn over
to you such deputies as you may call
for, and those deputies will be under
! your orders to make inquiry and in
vestigation and report back to you
Now, you will find, I think, when
| you look into this question of the beef
| trust that the leaders-the ring-lead-
ers-of this organization in the West
have been very artful. In Chicago, in
| New Orleans, in Atlanta, and in other
| places where the courts have undertake
| en- to deal with them, you will find
| that the local butchers have been i'm
posed upon by the packing houses.
/ They will tell you that the increased
| price of beef is due to tn. high price
| of corn. They will tell you that they do
not know. of any organization of men
| in the West created for the purpose of
| enhancing the price of beef No doubt
| that information has been furnished to
| Them and l am not criticising them
| because they have been furnished
with that information. You, gentle
| men, know, as well as any other well
| informed man, that beef that is bought
| up in the West for sale is raised on
| grazing land and ranches of Texas and
| Colorado and other states, and that
very small proportion of it is fed for
| market on corn.
'As to how you should proceed about
| these matters is a matter 1 do not
| think 1 should dictate or direct you.
l am discharging my duty when call
| ing your attention to matters which /
! think are violations of law, and l am
| offering you the assistance of all the
| forces of this court so as to ferret
them out, and 1 am telling you that l
will put them al your service, and that
you are not called upon to do the work.
but you are clothed. by the constitu-
ton and laws of this state with the
| power to direct it to be done without
| any coercion from any other depart
ment of the court or from any other
| person"
No presentment against any officer
or employe of the beef trust was re-
turned by the grand jury yesterday.
nor had any witnesses been summoned
to appear to give evidence on the SUBJ
| ject. A meeting of the grand jury will
| be held, however. on Friday of next
| week and the matter may be taken