The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-01-02

YOU become the most important factor
there is In any court. In determining
whether crime that exists In this com.
mmity shall De punished or not
"It requires twelve of your number
to concur iu am Indictment Less
than twolv, cannot bring in an lndict
ment The grand jury must under
stand that the proceedings before it
are absolutely secret The law o..
uu.res that nothing that Is brought
before you or IN your investigations
shall be disclosed by you 90 any one
o.copt among yourselves, and YOU
gentlemen can very readily under
stand how this may be-. It Is not
lufrequeutly the case that grand jur
les have to examine some questions
that have q great dolicacy about them.
perhaps interfering with the domestic
relations and happiness of families.
or the standing of people IN the com
mluIjy You may bee required To In.
ycstigate crimes that are unknown
To- you. ami unknown To- the public,
and your investigation. it disclosed,
In the slehtc-J degree. possibly
would cause tine defendant that you
are having examined. on I'm whose
case you are Iuyosti-atIug 10 escape
from the country 500 that the marshal
iu the event of AN indictment being
found and q warrant issued. would
Doe unable To- find him. Therefore the
law makes it the duty of grand jurors
TO De particularly careful to let no
one know the proceedings that occur
before the grand jury
1T is made your duty to investigate
an felonies and all misdemeand s..
Frequently misdemeanors are remit.
ted to the commissioner. and the com.
missioner has power to try a person
charged with a misdemeanor, and If
they are dissatisfied with the judg
ment of the commissioner they have
right of appeal to the district court
where they De tried over again; but
no person can be tried for the com
mission Of a felony without the in.
dictment of grand jury and any
one that has committed crime in this
jurisdiction. I'm order to be tried, must
first be indicted by YOU gentlemen.
There are a great many uffenscs
Tr,4
be a wonderful amount Of murder and
killing and all that sort of thing being
committed here constantly. The only
way those things can be stopped Is
by a thorough and vigorous admins.
tration of the law, and grand jurors
are the first ones that must take
hold OF the matter and determine
whether they shall be investigated
and prosecuted or not.
we know that other offenses are
particularly to be noticed in this juris-
diction by reason of the acts of con
gress being exceedingly prohibitory in
regard to the introduction and sale
of whiskey. the bringing It in and
selling 1t is made a penal offense, and
a felony. \ man may be sent to the
pcntenuary for five years for violat.
ing that law It is not a question as
TO whether we agree as 10 the princi.
pie of the law or whether We do
. not; o. is none Of our business. Con
gress has made the law. and we are
the creatures Of the law and are com
PEELED 10 enforce IT, Hence, when
ever persons are shown TO be guilty,
and the evidence is sufficient in your
minds TO insure conviction, either
as to the Introduction or the sale of
Il. you should see that they are in,
dicted
Another question is very outrag.
eous may say, the habit people have
of carrying pistols aroun in this
country People go about with pistols
as though that was the only necessity
for a thorough education, to carry a
gun, as they call it, and when they
have imhibed some bad whiskey It
makes the strongest combination to
bring about murder, or assaults, that
can possibly happen. They have no
more Use fo9 gun, ordinarily, I'm
community like this, where everything
IS peaceable. than a dog has for two
tails, and anybody found carrying
weapon of any kind should be indicted
by the grand jury and tried and pun,
shed for It. That is the only way
they can understand they must leave
their guns at nome, II they have
guns
Gambling Is another matter that
Is strictly prohibited under the statute
of Arkansas. which is put in force
In this Jurisdiction by act of congress.