The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-02-15
COURT CONVENES.

The February term OF the Circuit Court
for Hartford county convened in Bel Air
on Monday with the following officers
present: Associate Judge George l.. Van
Bibber, Clerk William S. Forwood, Crier
John Bauer, Baililfs S. S. James, James
Dunnigan and Joseph Livezey.
On motion of Thomas II. Robinson,
Esq, the November term of court was
adjourned sine die.
The following jurors were excused:
Hugh A. Jones. W. Carl Holloway, John
A. Mitchell, James Nj. Morse. James c.
Mclaughlin, Edward A. Dietrich, A. Du-
rand Grafton dead, and the following
names were drawn to take their places :
lanes B. Davis, +; John H. Slater, 5;
Nicholas Furlong, 4; William A. Hope, A.
DR.. Walter B. Kirk, 5; William J. Myers,
5; Charles II. Jacobs, 2.
The grand jury was drawn as follows:
Charles w. Michael. Foreman.
r. Walter Greenlcaf Joseph NJ. Page
st. Clair Ashton Samuel Hopkins
Jesse I. Cullum !. Wiley Richardson
Thomas A. Wallace VIM. F. Henderson
Iohn Redmond K. Oliver Thomas
Edward {. Wells John w. Famous
I. William O'Neill Ohm E. Zimmerman
Philip G. Scarf samuel w. Street,
Iohn E. Hanna Edward Mccain
Joseph Bennington Joseph II Wilkinson
| lanes w. GOrrell William II. Sewell
Judge Van Bibber, reading from manu-
script, charged the grand jury as follows:
ut is customary for the judge at the
| opening of session of court to call the
attention of the newly organized Grand
| Jury to the oath which has just been adj
ninistered To those of you who have
served upon Grand Juries before, the
terms of the oath are some what familiar,
but there are many of you have heard it
| for the first time. To both of you-those
who have served before and those of you
who are doing so tor the first time-it
will not be out Of place to have the oath
repeated: you have just sworn
That you will diligently enquire into
and true presentment make of all such
matters and things as shall be given you
in charge or shall otherwise come to your
knowledge touching this present service.
| The counsel of the state of Maryland
your fellows and your own you shall
we'll and truly keep secret, you shall pre-
sent no person for envy, hatred, malice
or i'll will, neither shall you leave any one
unpresented for fear, favor or affection,
or for any hope or promise of reward,
but you shall present all things truly as
they come to your knowledge according
to the best of your understanding.
I'm view of duties of such vast reach it
will be apparent that the grand jury is
no place for the light or frivolous, nc
place for the man who will not resent the
slightest approach of undue personal In
tluence.
The purpose of the oath of secrecy is
manifest. 1t is to enable you to make
searching Investigations without fear o
personal consequences to insure the prose
cution of the guilty and at the same
time protect the innocent. You viii
therefore perceive that this oath of secrecy
|. is no mere matter of form, but that it il
a matter of substantial substance.
THE routine and customary duties o
: the grand jury cannot, occupy much o
. your time. and except for another matte
to which desire to call your attention
you could easily complete yourlabors to
: morrow.
"Since the adjournment of the grant
jury of the November term, a report ha
. been made by the Committee ap
pointed by the County Commissioner
several months ago to investigate tn
= books, accounts and business methods c
this office This committee was con
posed of Mr.. A. H. Strasbaugh who wa
. for six years member of the Count
Commissioners Board, William II. Hal
5 Ian who was for a number of year
} counsel of the Board and Mr.. John
/ Holt, book keeper and accountant {
? recognized ability. This report wa
made after an exhaustive examinatio