The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-11-20
THE GRAND JURY
Now In Session---Charge of Judge Carr
I'm Full.


ing Harvey A. Sherman, the court stem
ographer, and Julian Sheldon of Paw
Paw. A. L. Anderson of Columbia was
chosen foreman and Mr.. Sherman clerk.
MIR. Sherman's presence on the jury will
be OF great advantage, as it will insure a
correct transcript of the proceedings OF
the jury and of the testimony given be-
fore it.
Following is the charge of Judge Carr,
delivered to the grand jury before the
commencement of their deliberations:
Gentlemen of the grand jury
On the request of citizens residing in
different parts of the county, made to the
prosecuting attorney and myself, and on
motion of the prosecutor, you are sum
moned to act as grand jury at this term
OF the court and to discharge to the best
of your ability the important duties of
grand jury.
Your deliberations must be in secret
in all things properly before you Be
fore you proceed to the discharge of the
duties of your Office you shall elect by
ballot one of your number as foreman;
after which you shall give notice of such
election Immediately to the court with
the name of such foreman, so that
record thereof shall be made in the re-
cords of the court. Such foreman shall
be your foreman during the whole time
that you are required to serve, as set
forth in section 1850 of the compiled
laws of 1897
Your foreman and the prosecuting at
torney or other prosecuting officers have
authority to administer all oaths and af-
firmations according to law To witnesses
who shall appear before you, as provided
in section IL 1888. The next section pro-
vides that you may appoint one of your
number to be clerk, so as to preserve the
minutes of your proceedings.
! Mr.. Anderson, the prosecuting attor
ney, shall attend you for the purpose OF
examining witnesses and giving advice
upon legal questions, if required by you.
And the prosecuting attorney shall be
allowed to appear before you on his own
request to give information on matters
that properly come before you; but he
shall not be permitted to be present, nor
any other person, during the expression
of your opinions or the giving of your
votes OF matters submitted to YOU as
! provided by section IL $50.
1t shall be your duty to diligently in
quire into the truth of all accusations
! that may come before you and to make
presentment of all otfenseS committed
within this county against any of the
provisions of the law; and to present any
hxi ipH Hi,.tt, hf, h.a
of any otfense.
/ The Jail records show that POS men
/ have been imprisoned 10 the county jail
by justices of the peace, for drunkenness
since January |, 1900. This number of
unfortunate men, however, does not in
clude those who have paid fines for
I drunkenness in justice courts. This
would seem perhaps to indicate that the
/ local option law has been disregarded in
several instances in this county.
! The circuit court records during the
same period show that 90 cases for vio-
lation of the local option law were dis
posed of in this court, as follows: l8
offenders pleaded guilty; II were con
victed by juries: four were acquitted;
81 were dismissed by the prosecuting
attorney with the consent of the court,
for want of sufficient evidence. Two of
these offenders fled the jurisdiction and
eight cases are now pending in the cir
cult and two are pending in the supreme
court. All this tends to show that the
local option law is being violated.
Human nature is SO constituted, and
the experiences Of the past show that
the traffic in alcoholic drinks must be
regulated in some way by law. The To-
cal option law is the regulation in Van
Buren, county, and this law should be
observed while it is on the statute books.
The liquor traffic is a dangerous busi-
ness. Ii is a dreadful agency of evil; and
this is true whether it comes from the
front door of the licensed saloon or from
the back door of the transcient tourist
drug store.
There is sometimes an apparant re-
luctance on the part of witnesses called
to testify in liquor cases to be frank and
to testify fully and freely to matters
plainly within their personal knowledge.
Such witnesses, it would seem, have a
great desire to shield not only the offense
itself, but the offenders as well. They
appear to soothe their consciences by
answering the prosecutor the oft repeat
ed words, IL don't remember" when in
truth aud in fact, as we'll as law, the II
don't remember" is simply deliberate
perjury. Ii such witnesses come before
you, scan their testimony closely; ask
searching questions, leading in character,
and do not be in a hurry, and il you are
satisfied that any such witnesses are
guilty OF untruthfulness under oath, do
not fail to present by indictment such
. persons for perjury.
I Truthfulness is the corner stone of all
justice and right, but perjury saps the
foundation of the rights OF the individual
and the state and is an enemy, sometimes
in disguise, to the liberty as well as to
the rights of the citizen, and to law that
3 protects humanity.
| also call your attention to the laws
against gambling and other evils which