The Jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 18??-1907, 1906-01-20
GRAND JURY's REPORT,
January Term of the District Court Of
Marion County, 1905.

Judge P. A. Turner, of the 9TH
Judicial District-Sir: Having
completed our labors as grand jury
men impanelled on the End day of
January, 1906, we have the honor
of making this our final report: We
have been in session eleven and
half days, and have used our best
efforts to ferret out. and to 60 the
bottom of all infractions of the law
in our county. We have spared
neither pains nor labor in doing
this. We have tried to be impair
tlal in the discharge of the duties
imposed upon us, and while no
doubt we have erred, as we do not
claim to be infalible, yet NE feel
conscious of having taxed the limit
of our resources and abilities.
We have carefully examined into
fifty three charges of felony, and
thirty eight charges of misdem can
ors, or a total of ninety. one charges
of infractions of the law. We have
returned twenty. five indictments.
Al per cent of the felony charges,
and rejected Sc per cent for want
of sufficient evidence in our opin.
ions to convict. We have returned
eighteen indictments for misde.
meanors, or about AZ IL per cent
o. the misdemeanor charges, and
rel ected 50 2 per cent of such
charges for want of evidence to
convict. We have examined S19
witnesses in trying to sustain these
charges from all parts of the coun-
ty in these ninety one cases. The
result of our investigations into
these charges show to US conclu-
sively that the officers or the par.
ties who make these complaints
should be guided solely by such
evidence as would lead to convic-
ton. OF course we realize that it
is difficult to do this all times, but
by being careful in their investiga-
tons previous to filing complaints,
would save the county considera-
Bile expense, and possibly great
humiliation upon the part of the
accused. We feel that officers
should be guided by strict sense
ofjustice, and not for mere lucre.
We feel constrained to call your
Honor's attention to the reckless
disregard of peace and order by
some of our peace officers for the
past twelve months. Times of
"broils and battles, blood and car.
mage, that try mems souls, caus.
ing widows to moan and orphans
to hunger, when old tried friends
mistrust each other, and confidence
fees from men, when rapine and
murder infests the land" the best
citizenship of the outraged com
munity will arise as one man with
its unseen but trusty hand will dry
the widows tears, and soothe and
heal the oppressed people. But
God forbid. Let us have peace. u
Instead of being conservators o.
the peace for which they were
elected, some of them have actec
quite to the contrary. 1t is use
less to call names in this painful
charge against them, as every man
woman and child are cognizant o
these facts
We call halt. We should lool
with confidence and patience to the
fall elections and ask that none bu
law abiding citizens are elected tt
these offices. For the want of con
victing evidence these officers are
not indicted. They need not con.
graduate themselves that they
were overlooked through fear OF
sympathy upon the part of the
grand jury We also find unres
and uneasiness upon the part O.
the best of our colored citizens il
our county. Some have been Sc
verely whipped and threatened
While we feel there are times, CIR
cumstances and conditions that re
quire summary punishment, boil
to white and colored, but these ar
very rare, and when they do exist
every one acquiesces and nothing
is thought of the occurrence; blu
when our best citizenship complain
and rebel something evidently i
wrong, No officer should max,
the practice of shooting at the MAJ
he is trying to arrest, except il
self defense, and every prisone
should be treated humanely, ant
sacredly guarded and protected
even at the expense ofthe officer
own life.
We wish the colored people t