The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-22
THE GRAND JURY.
CONVENED IN SPECIAL SESSION
BY JUDGE LAND.
instructions by the Court-Report o1
the Inquiry-The Matthews Case
Still Shrouded in Mystery

session by His Honor, A. D. Land
judge of the First Judicial District
Court, on the recommendation of the
cororer's jury, who urged a further
examination by the grand jury of the
Matthews murder, convened at IL
o'clock Monday, April 20.
In his charge to the grand jury, af-
ter dwelling ON the shocking tragedy,
the judge directed the grand jury to
"consider what connection, if any, the
man Washington, who was killed on
April II, had with the murder of Mrs.
Matthew'S If you find" he said. that
he had no connection with said crime,
then you will proceed with your inves-
tigation to the end that the real criminal
may be discovered.
when murder has been commit
ted" said Judge Land, "any officer or
individual may arrest, without war
rant, any suspected person On reason
able cause of suspicion 1t is the duty of
an officer, in all cases of felony, to act
upon credible information or on indica-
tions of guilt, known to him, and arrest
the suspected person at once. 1t has been
we'll said that it would block the wheels
Of iustict If an officer eotffdd rfott do his his
duty without being answerable, criminal
1y and civilly, in the event the evidence
should not sustain the suspicion.
1T is always ones duty to submit to
a lawful arrest, and forcible resistance
is crime.
The law is we'll settled that an officer
may use all necessary force to overcome
resistance to an arrest Or to prevent the
escape of the party arrested. I have no
reasons 10 believe that the officers in
killing the man referred to went beyond
she strict line of their duty, even should
you find that the party arrested was in
fact innocent of the crime. Whether
here was reasonable cause for suspi-
cion, and whether the. killing was neaes-
sary to prevent the escape of the party
arrested is matter for your eonsidera-
ton
Having received the instructions of
the court. the grand jury retired to their
room, where they heard the statements
of several persons, including members
of Mrs. Matthews family. 1t was about
$50 o'clock in the afternoon when the
grand jury submitted their report, read
ing as follows. -
To the Hon A. d. Land, Judge Of the
First Judicial District Court: The grand
jurors convened in special session under
the order of the court beg leave to sub
NIT the following report:
We have investigated the Matthews
murder case as far as the testimony be-
fore us will permit lis to go, and at pres
ent have no finding to present to the
court
The mystery surrounding this case
shows the necessity of blood hounds iii
ferreting out crime, and we recommend
that the police jury and city council Of
Shreveport offer a reward of $500, $3.50
each, for the arrest and conviction OF
the party or parties guilty of the MUIR
der of Mrs. Alice Matthews, in the city
of Shreveport on the morning Of April
II, 1903.
Having completed the labors before
us, we beg leave to adjourn, subject to
the order of the court.
r. D. HUDNALL,
Foreman of Grand Jury.
The grand jury's session was accord
ingly adjourned subject to call
INVESTIGATION UNSATISFAC-
TORY.
If there are citizens in this community
who expected the grand jury to tlnravel
this murder mystery. we must admit
candidly that we are one of the excep-
ton. The grand jury was in session less
than FIVE hours, when it was expected
their sitting would occupy at least one
day The atrocity and the perpIexity Of
this crime precluded haste. It was such
an inquiry as required careful, persist
emf search. The speed of the grand jury
is in marked contrast to the coroner's
jury, which exhausted every means al
their command to develop a clue The
grand jury had before them, through
persons summoned, about the same in
formation which is familiar to the pub
lie, and there were persons who shoulc
have beensheard who were not called Of
summoned to appear. Indeed it may b
said that what was developed is in par
in keeping with the clear theories ad
vanced by the Caucasian, and one ma,
assume that the grand jury did not hav,
IN their investigation the opportunity o
developing the case to more direct ant
satisfactory conclusion. and were guide,
By such information as was submitted t,
them and which IS familiar to newspa