Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-28
MAY USE STATE
TROOPS TO KEEP
SALOONSCLOSED
LAW AND ORDER MUST BE
PRESERVED
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR ISSUES
STARTLING ORDER
Has Affidavlts Showing Liquor Pur-
chased on sundey from Three
Members of Grand Jury
in Session
By Associated Press.

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Aug. a.
The action of Governor Fort in threat
ening to send troops into this famous
resort to enforce the state liquor laws,
unless the people of Atlantic City OBJ
serve the law caused a sensation today
among the residents and summer vis-
itors. Another sensation was sprung
at Mays Landing, the county seat of
Atlantic county, when the grand jury
absolutely refused to obey the instruc-
tions of the court to return indict
| ments against excise violators.
Supreme Court Justice Thomas Y.
Trenchard, who had been requested by
| Governor Fort to sit with the county
| judge, was so incensed at the action
of the grand jury that he instantly dis
| charged it with a severe reprimand.
The governors proclamation was not
wholly unexpected, as there had been
rumors for days that he would resort
to the calling out of the militia if
necessary to enforce the excise laws
Assistant Attorney General Gaskill,
who is here assisting County Prose-
cutor Goldenburg in the excise cases,
says the governor can call out the
troops, although it is an unusual pro-
ceeding.
The governors power to declare mar
tial law, he says, cannot be questioned.
0heIiH JohnsoH oL Allahtlc City.
Mayor Story of Atlantic City and
County Prosecutor Goldenburg tonight
refused to discuss the situation.
Last Sunday the saloons and cafes,
with but a few exceptions, conducted
business as usual. When tho grand
jury came into court today Justice
Trenchard addressed it as follows:
Judge Scores Jury
"I understand that all cases have
been presented to you. l have sent for
you in order that the clerk may take
the Indictment"
When asked by the Jerk if the jury
had any indictments to present, Joseph
w. Salus, the foreman of the jury, said
that it had not at this time. and that
it had not considered all the cases pre-
sented.
Justice Trenchard then said the court
would sit until indictments were found
and the Jury retired. This caused a
mild sensation, as 1t Indicated that the
court intended to bring matters to a
head.
The jurors returned late in the after
noon and presented three indictments,
two against an alleged gambling house
and one against man who is charged
with selling obscene postal cards.
Justice Trenchard read the bills of
indictment and finally threw them on
his desk and said:
81 notice that you have not presented
any indictments for the Illegal sale of
liquor on Sunday. The assistant attor-
ney general of the state and the prose-
cutor of the county have I'M 0rmed the
court that they have placed before the
jury evidence which justifies indict-
ments in such cases. AS no indictments
have been found it seems to be an in
dication that this grand jury has failed
in the performance of its duty. The
court is forced to say that considering
the instructions of the court, the state
of the law and the evidence presented, |
you grand jurors have failed in the |
performance of your duty. and have |
violated your oath of office to the state |
of New Jersey. You are discharged for |
the term
Foreman Salus instantly arose and |
took exceptions to the remarks of the |
court.
"As grand jurors we feel no re-
sponsibility. We are willing to stand
before God and say that we feel that
we have, performed our duty and have
not violated our oaths. We repre-
sent the will of the people of Atlantic
We feel that we are supreme
and without affront we feel that no
person, however clofIed with power or
office, has a right to rebuke us in this
manner. We, as representatives of
Atlantic county, representing $5,000,000
WOTIH VI piOpcItys dO nOl lllLClo ludL
the deliberations of this jury shall be
made political capital. We want moth
ing concealed. We want a spade called
q spade. We grand jurors tried to
have presented before us gambling evil
dence which the county prosecutor
caused to be published in the news
papers, but we did not get it, At every
turn we were throttled as grand
jurors"
Foreman Makes Objections
Continuing, he said that they had
been told that unless they brought
in excise cases no evidence
Of gambling would be presented TO
hem.
ION these grounds he said, 1--WE re-
served the right in the final analysis
lere to state that we have not been
'airly treated in thus being publicly
branded"
SEAGIRT. N. j., Aug. 27.--In
startling public proclamation issued
oday at the summer capital Governor
Fort declared that unless the excise
aw is observed in Atlantic City, which
le calls a saturnalia of vice, on next
sunday, and all saloons and cafes are
closed tightly, he will call an extra
session of the legislature and
many send the New Jersey state troops
o the famous resort, declaring the
ity to be under martial law.
This is the most drastic action ever
AIKEN to enforce a general law in New !
Jersey.
Governor Fort in his proclamation 9
idicules the fiasco of ten days ago I
vhen a. grand jury at Mays Landing, G
he county seat. refused to find in
ictments, and says that action was )
burlesque, that three members of the :
rand jury We're owners of saloons In :
Itlantic City and that the others were :
\ sympathy with the violators of the
lw. The grand jury now in session
not likely to find indictments the \
overnor declares. and in his procla-
nation he states that he has affidavits
rom James C. Steelman and William
'ieves Winters stating that they pur-
hased liquors last Sunday in saloons v
perated by three members Of the n
rand jury. O
The governor says the only two things F
g can do is to call out the militia c
nd place the resort under martial
Nv. This would require an appro- d
ration by the leglslature-or ask the a
eContinuea on gage Twol n