Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-03-05

The Graphic has been very unjustly
criticised because it has printed i'm
partially the proceedings of the courts.
1t will be remembered that at the last
criminal term of the Jefferson circuit
court quite a number of indictments
were returned by the grand jury
against various persons for gaming.
Some of those indicted were staunch
friends of the Graphic, out in its policy
not to show favoritism in the matter
of printing the court news. but to treat
everybody alike, the cnly honorable
policy a newspaper can have, ii print
ed every Indictment as rapidly as tley
and process had on bench warrants
issued on the indictments Under the
law of the state the officers cannot
give out the indictments before pro-
cess is had on the bench warrants,
and if they do give them out in ad-
vance of process they are subject to
punishment for contempt of court,
and if newspaper prints in advance
OF process the fact that certain persons
are indicted, the editor and publishers
are subject to punishment for con-
tempt. all of which has heretofore been
ic, but it seems that some malevolent
individual has endeavored to create
a prejudice against the Graphic in
the matter by stating to members Of
the Bluff City club. the members OF
which are Jews, that the Graphic had
printed names of the Bluff City club
members who were indicted, but had
suppressed the mention of indictments
against members of the Valhalla CLUB.
tr~s xshionable Gentle club of the city.
Knowing that the charge was wholly
false the Graphic treated it with silent
to have so treated it. but when the
Graphic printed Monday the docket of
the coming March term of the Jeffer
son circuit court the charge was put in
circulation that the Graphic had even
suppressed the names of Gentiles on
the docket who were indicted for gam
ing, but had printed the name of every
Jew indicted. A good Jew friend OF
the Graphic called its attention to the
charge and said that had the names
of the Gentiles who were indicted been
printed along with the names Of the
Jews,not a Jew would have complain
ed. Knowing that it was innocent of any
such contemplate thing, the Graphic
was determined to learn if there had
really been any suppression of indict-
ments On the part of officials, and il
so to let the public know which official
had done it. and let him bear the cen
sure which the Graphic has been bear
ing for him. When an indictment is
returned by the grand jury it is turned
over to the circuit clerk who issues a
bench warrant on it and places it in
the hands of the sheriff. The sheriff
takes the bench warrant and serves
it by arresting the person indicted and
placing him under bond, if it is bail
able case, for appearance for trial on
Ethe charge named in the Indictment
Until the sheriff thus serves the war
.Rant the clerk and the sheriff are re
tuired to keep the indictment secret
nder penalty of punishment for fail
e to do so, ana no newspaper has &C
IS to the indictments prior to such
gice by the sheriff. and if there is
& suppression of indictments it must
Rfby the sheriff on representation
he has not yet secured service on
sbench warrants, in which case no
paper would be to blame AS soon
Y vice is had by the sheriff on the
warrant the Indictment becomes
ter of public record, and no Off
anv right to suppress it. The
" has printed every indictment
III it has had access, and as to