The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-10-03

On account Of the crowded condition
OF our columns last week we were
forced to leave out Judge Hydrick's
charge to the grand jury. We cannot
give:its full text this week, but the
following is good synopsis.
Gentlemen OF the Jury:
AS this is the third and last term OF
court for this year, ! take it for granted
that you have been fully Instructed as
to your general duties. Let me say
word, however, to impress upon you
the dignity and Importance OF the
grand jurors Office. 1t should be con-
sidered high honor to be grand
Juror. Your functions, in connectlo n
with this court, are as important as
those of the Judge and petit jury. You
stand between the State and her
citizens the impartial representatives
of both. No man can be put on trial IN
this court without your sanction-untll
you have found bill OF Indictment
against him. It is equally your duty
to protect the innocent from being
harrassed by unfounded prosecutions
as it is to present for trial by the petit
jury all who are probably guilty or
violation of the law.
In this connection, wish to call
your attention to the grand Jurors
oath. do this because the oaths pre-
scribed by law are so frequently ad-
ministered in such a perfunctory way
that those who take them do not know
what they have sworn to do. dare
saw there is not man on this grand
Jury who can give me the substance OF
the grand jurors oath. I will read
and explain it to you. 1t is as follows:
(Oath read and explained.
In one of the counties IN which L
recently held court, the grand Jury
had, at previous term, presented one
OF the county officials. Their present.
ment was criticised in the newspapers,
where it was charged that it had been
inspired by the foreman for political
reasons. The grand jury, in its hnal
presentment to the court, replied to the
criticism, and said that, so far from
the former presentment having been
! inspired by the foreman, he was one OF
the most conservative members OF the
grand jury in regard to the matter
prescribed. You will readily see that
the grand jury, in making such a
presentment, inadvertently, OF course,
violated their oath of secrecy as to their
proceedings.
In another county, I was reliably in.
formed that the foreman of the grand
jury, who was a candidate Tor once,
declared upon the stump what action
he had tried to get the grand jury
to take in regard to a certain matter:
which was being used to his political
detriment by some of the parties
interested. Of course, I need not tell
YOU that this gentleman was a good
man and good citizen, and that it was
merely through inadvertence to the
oath which he had taken that he fell
into the error of divulging what stand
he took in regard to the matter before
/ the grand jury. These instances have
caused me to make these remarko, and
to especially call your attention to the
! oath which you have taken. The ex-
perience of many years in the admins
sration of justice has shown the wisdom
of requiring secrecy on the part of
the grand Jurors as to what is done, or
attempted to be done, by them, or any
of them, until it is putupon the records
of this court.
F.! There is another matter, gentlemen,
about which I wish to say a word.
f! The abominable practice has become
prevalent in some counties of persons
who are interested in cases pending in
the courts approaching and talking to
! jurors grand and petit-about
the cases they have under consldera-
tion The man who undertakes to
influence juror by talking to him out
of court about his case ought to be
sent to jail, and the juror who allows
himself to be talked to ought to be sent
to iail with him. He is certainly not