The Virginia enterprise., 1908-05-22
GRAND JURY HANDS OUT A BUNCH
To violat0rs of Liquor Laws and Calls
UpOn County Attorney to do His
Duty Both in Duluth and on
Tho RannQS
The RanueS.

] BSuC N0Sb9CSs
The "lid" movement in Duluth
struck new tack when the grant
! jury got strangle hold on The
! problem and returned indictments
against a number of those who
have been convicted under city or
| dinances of violating the liquor
laws and demanded that the liquor
laws be enforced, that gambling be
stopped and that officers who wink
at crime be ousted from Office.
In the report of the body as sub
mitted to Judge Ensign the officials
of the various towns and villages
throughout the county are instruct
ed to suppress all forms of gam
bling, and the county attorney is
directed to enforce the observance
of the law by the prosecution of the
officials If such violations continue
The county attorney is also in
structed to investigate other in
Engagements of the liquor laws, and
bring the offenders before the Sep
tenn Der term of court for trial.
Prize fights also come in for a
share of censure by the grand jury
and the authorities are instructed
to enforce the law in regard to
them. Sparring matches and
wrestling are acknowledged as
legitimate, and not an infraction OF
the law.
Included in the report is the state
ment that fully Is per cent of the
crimes investigated by the body
care directly chargeable to the ex
cessive or improper use of liquors
the same having in several cases
been obtained at times when, in
places where, or by persons tc
whom its sale was Illegal
Continuing, the report says: "In
the course of the jury's delibera.
tions, evidence has been given
which Enthusiastically shows that
the laws in regard to the sale of in
toxicating liquors and the opera
ton of slot machines and othe,
gambling devices are being violat
ed in many of the towns and muni
cipaIities throughout the county
If public sentiment in the localities
where these violations occur is not
sufficient to induce the local au
thorities to enforce these laws, ther
it is within the province of the
| county attorney and is his duty tc
notify such authorities that 70,
failure to make complaint of all
known violations OF the statutes
regulating the sale Of such liquors
| proceedings will forthwith be
brought for the purpose of impos
ing the pecuniary penalties pre-
scribed by law and the matter re
ferred 10 the attorney general tt
institute proceedings for forfeiture
of office. The grand jury has re
quested the county attorney to Civ,
such notices."
IT these instructions are lived II,
to with even a degree of efficiency
the people of St. Louis county will
be treated to the longest term O
district court in the history of Min
nesota at the September term
practically no regard is given tn
liquor laws in many of the rang
towns, and in several of them slo
machines and other gambling dc
vices are permitted to exist I'm
molested. In the latter respec
Virginia is at the present time ia
ahead of many of her neighbors
the slot machines which were pei
mitted to run under the rigime G
ExMayor Eaton having bee
ordered out by Mayor Hawkinso
several weeks ago.
! In carrying out the instruction
of the grand jury the county a
torney will also find something t
occupy his attention aside from tn
drawing of his salary.