The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1906-02-24
Grand Jury Report.
-.EINeToN, Mo Feb. l6, 1906

n -sNINGTON, MO req. To- lSOO'
Hon. Joo. A. Rich, Judge Criminal
Court.
Dear Sir:-The February grand jury
having completed lis labors desires to
submit the following report;
rhe greater part Of the four days
have been consumed in investigation
OF gambling houses and the evils and
Violations OF law 10 connection there
with here 10 Lexington. Tue people
10 general have no conception OF
what are the conditions in this COM
munity in this respect Fortunately
this grand Jury, through the efforts
OF the sheriff and county attorney,
has beeu able to obtain sufficient
evidence to warrant the indictment
OF sufficient number to give some
degree of hope that the ceutres OF
this crime will be broken up. Total
disregard OF oath is the principal
OBSTACLE 10 the way OF getting at the
b tom of the whole matter Many
* OF those FROM " HON we are Compelled
to gei evidence of such crimes have no
conception Of the crime of perjury
Some Of them have been so used to
g ling before grand juries and com
mitting rank perjury that they have
come to think 1t as matter I
course. We trust hat the two in-
. q ctmentS r that crime by this jury
VIII at east pun ,uO-o "i0 ci;i-21@
b fore grand jur!es in the future to
thinking o. the consequences of per-
lred testimony.
Ofthe evils OF gambling Itself that
have c01ie forclblY to our attention
We will speak OF few Evidence has
been secured TO show mat: boys
under age have stolen money and
olt it IN tue gambling houses; ii at
boys have taken their wages and Spen'
tue entire amount 10 one night play
lug at gam S where there was no hope
to win in the end; that games have
been played at which, II played long
enough the proprietor Of the house
aud his assistants were bJund to gel
every cent originally put into he game
thai I'D men and their SONS are
frequentefs OF these places and have
lost money that should have gone 4
support their wives and chi ,dren
that hese older men have deliberatei,
planned, by fraud and loaded dice, Il
win the money OF boys; that some o
these places have been run "wid
open" without any semblance o
attempt at secrecy and that th
frequenlers OF these places, boy
And all, have been at liberty to com
aud 20 at all times Of the day AM
night
al Fortunately this running Of thes
( places without the least semblance G
secrecy or privacy, has enabled thi
jury to procure the evidence whic
warranted us 10 returning the II
dictments herewith submitted. W
N trust that the eight indictments ~
gam bliug, the two for keeping 'crap
tables aud the two for perjury wi
q result 10 riddlng the community I
t1iS evil
Saloon men have come to melubeI
Of this Jury aud asked US TO do ,om'
thing to close the saloons on Sunda,
This presents an unusuaI situation
that Of men 1t tue saloon busines
chilling upon the law to compel tie
competitors ~ observe the same W
believe that the evidence obtaine
at this Sitting aud the arrest
that have been made within the pal
few weeks Tor the offense OF keepiu
''open saloon on Sunday" for all I
which otfeuses pleas Of guilty hay
been entered, will result, within tt
next sixty days, In the full obseryanC
and enforcement OF the law IN IA
respect.
Without any criticism Of an
of the oficials, city or county,
anything which we have said abov,
we wish to say in conclusion OF tn
part Of our report that the greG
obstacle In the way Of enforcing th
law against the crimes mentioned
the lack Of cooperation 90 the pal
OF these officials.
A committee Of five visited the iai
county Offices and court house an
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