The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-30
JUDGE GILLETTE
INSTRUcTS JURY
Official Corruption the Charge
to Be investigated.
COUNTY OFFICIALS FIRST
Hopes the Jury viii Not Fail
in Its Duty.

Hobart. o. T.. Aug. 29-After district
court had convened here. Judge Gillette
instructed the grand jury as follows:
There have been called to the atten-
ton Of the eour some complaints of
official corruption which l desire and
instruct you TO investigate, and If a
crime is proven against the laws OF either
the territory or OF the United States. you
will return presentments accordingly,
The first of these complaints is in
reference to the official acts of the coun-
ty officials OF Kiawo county from its
organization up TO the present time. II
has been charged that both county and
city administrations of the law, there
have been certain acts Of Official cor
ruption and these VIII be brought before
you for investigation and presentment-
l you find there has been Official cor
ruption. l hope there Is not member
of this grand jury who viii stop in such
investigation to inquire what the politics
of any official is. or what the politics Of
each other may be. You Will take up a
matter Of this kind so important TO the
jurors sworn 10 discharge your duty.
juror that an official has discharged his
duty coruptiy. it IS your duty 70 present
that individual to this court in order
that he may be punished for violation Of
the law. It is important therefore, that
official misconduct may not be excused
or overlooked by tribunal whose duty
il is TO investigate it. The several Off
Gals OF the county, of the city and of
the townships discharge no official power
that is not governed by the law. and when
the ygo beyond the boundaries of the
law they are criminals and should be
brought to justice.
The court is further informed by COM
plant that there are charges of money
being used in the way of brides to pro-
cure favorable action of officials in Ger
tain matters I need not state TO you that
you have authority to investigate any
proposition of that kind l know of no
man who deserves persecution more than
the one who would seek 10 obtain from
officials their favorable action in a mat
ter the doing of which is a violation Of
the law and against the interests Of the
people. but whether they seek It in viola
ton of the law or in compliance with 1t
the man WHO taxes an OAii[lil bilbt SIAotAAA
be punished for that act. and that re-
CARELESS o what he seeks TO secure "a
himself or others The fact is that Off
Gals should act as the law requires them
to act, ard the fact further IS that the
la wimposes a duty upon the citizen which
must be carried out by the citizen in
equally good faith towards the official.
An attempt to bride is a crime. Any
matte rim this county of that character
that is brought before you, the court
charges you TO carefully investigate. and
if you find to your satisfaction that the
law has been violated by acts Of this
kind you will return by presentment all
of the persons implicated.
Complaints have also been made that
in certain instances the liquor and gam
bling laws have been violated openly
1t is my duty to say that ia the dis
charge of your duty as grand jurors
you ordinarily investigate only those
crimes dominated as felonies. OF the high
er grades Of crime. The lower grades
may be tried by the county attorney,
but the legislature has provided that
grand juries may investigate violations
Of the liquor and gambling laws