The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-21
HUNDLEY UP WITH
 FEDERAL DOCKET
Grand Jury Finds Law Breaking
 on Decrease
TROUBLE WITH BANKRUPTS
Grand Jury Says There Is Tendency to Conceal Assets and Also Finds Cases of Mails Being Used
 to Defraud Public.

Judge Hundle. is up with the docket in the federal court and discharged the grand jury yesterday morning. He will be on the bench at 10 o'clock this morn ing to take up some civil matters for hearing by consent and any other civil matters that may be presented.
 The grand jury made a report in which 1t was stated that the violations of the laws generally appeared to be on the de crease but that the using of the United States mails as an instrument to de- fraud and using the bankrupt courts also as a means of defraudlng had become more prevalent
 Altogether thirteen indictments were re- turned, one of the most important being against W. G. Harris. proprietor of the Harris Rookery. which went into bank | ruptcy several months ago The charge against Harris is for not turning in all his assets, 1t being claimed that he had a large stock of goods stored in local warehouse not mentioned in the sehed- ule he submitted.
 The following no bills were returned by the grand jury:
 Robert De Jarnette, for retailing un- lawfully; Bill Holngsworth, illicit dis tillng, ]. G. Momso, retailing; Will Fos- I ter retailing; B. A. Foufas, violating rev enue laws; John Roby. illicit dstilling J. J. McCabe retailing; John Lanltford, threatening United States witnesses; E.. NJ. Strother, retailing; w. w. Halle, coun- terfeitng; Ben Johnson, counterfeitng C. E. Cole, using mails to defraud; James Byrd, violating civil service rules.
 Two men plead guilty, Arthur Tucker for Illicit distilling, and J. w. Ray, who was charged with working at an illicit dstillery. Tucker was sentenced to serve four months in the Jefferson county jail and a fine of $lOO Ray was sentenced to thirty days in the Jefferson county jail and q fine of Sl00.
 This was the first offense of either of these two men and for this reason Judge Hundley was inclined to be lenent with them. Both are about 21 years of age, and Ray Is the father of four children.
 They were engaged in running a still when Deputy Marshal Smith slipped up on them Ray lit out at once, like a scared rabbit, but Smith proved some lnlnB ol SpTlHter HllilSell anu soon overlook him.
 Judge Hundley also fixed the bond for the receiver of A. Detlein, at S15o0.
 The report of the grand jury was as follows:
 "To the Hon. o. w. Hundley, Judge Presiding:
 We the grand jury, duly elected and empaneled, sworn and charged to inquire for the body of said division for the north ern district. beg leave to report that we have diligently inquired Into all the Vio- lations of the laws of the United States brought before us by the district attor- ney and herewith return into open court the results of our findings.
 Prom the amount of business brought before us during our session, it Is the opinion and judgment of this grand jury that violations of the laws of the United States generally are on the decrease in this division. yet we find that a certain class of individuals claiming to be mer- chants, have used the mails of the United States to carry on schemes to defraud merchants at a distance. From proper information we find parties have also resorted to the bankrupt court for the purpose of using it an instrument to defraud their creditors.
 This. we do not believe, was the orig inal intention of the law, and 1t now be- | comes necessary that it's volators be held to a strict accounta bility for their dis l honest transactions. In carrying out 1 these dishonest plans bankrupts have withheld assets properly belonging to the banlrnpt's estates. In such cases we have l not failed to return true bills and do not believe any leniency should be shown parties of this class when duly con victed.
 Tn cases where the evidence was not ! reasonably conclusive. of the defendants g l guilt, and the good of the county would not be subserved by finding true bills. we have not hesitatedS to vote no true l bills.
 Now having completed our labors, we respectfully ask to be discharged.
 "ERSKINE RAMSAY, Foreman" l