The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-06-03
Special Term Halifax County Court.

A special term of Halifax county
court, called by order of the Govern
or to dispose of criminal and civil
cases, began in Halifax Monday,
Judge 0. H. Guion, of New Bern
presiding. The term will last two
weeks, during which time one i'm
portant criminal case-State VS.
Flanagan and Clark and several
important civil cases will be tried.
Among the important civil cases may
be mentioned the following: Roam
oke Rapids Power Company VS. Roam
oke Navigation and Water Power
Company; Rena Young VS. Fosburg
Lumber Company, and Walter Clark
VS. Patapsco Guano Company. The
criminal docket is somewhat larger
than were the dcckets in January
and March, but as Judge Guion said
in his charge, comparatively speak
ing it is small criminal docket.
The Grand Jury is composed of the
following men: w. M. Carroll, J.
w. Crawley, Jr., Ivey Watson, w.
D. Wood, A. M. Glover, R. J.. Sim
mons, j. W. Landing, M. j. Hux,
Jas. Butts, c. j. Davenport, R. E.
Green, Richard Harper. j. F. Davis,
A. L. Robertson, R. l.. Keeter, J. B.
Jones and w. P. White.
Mr.. w. P. White is foreman.
Mr.. Thos. Barnes was appointed as
officer to wait on Grand Jury.
Judge Guion's charge to the Grand
Jury was clear and forcible. He
said that no grand juries anywhere
had gratified him more than the
grand juries Of Halifax county. Con-
sidering how grand juries are drawn,
Judge Guion said that the calibre
and personnel of the grand juries in
Halifax county speak remarkably
we'll for the character and intelli-
gence of the people of the county.
He expressed regret that probably
the end Of this term would be the
end of his official connection with
Halifax county people.
Since the Governor had called a
special term Of court to dispose of
criminal and civil cases, Judge Guion
reminded the Grand Jury that it was
its duty to be doubly diligent and
active in disposing Of as many cases
as possible
Judge Guion did not take up any
particular crime and lay stress upon
it to the exclusion of all the rest. He
said that he had no pet crime, no
fads and fancies in crime concerning
which to charge the Grand Jury;
that it was crime and not any speci-
al crime with which he was concern
ed, and that, therefore he would ask
the Grand Jury not to single and
ferret out any particular crime but
to be diligent in detecting all crimes
and bringing all criminals to justice.
Judge Guion named and defined
the four capital felonies, and dis
cussed briefly the action of the last
General Assembly in abolising hang
ing and substituting therefor cleo
trocution.
In his closing remarks, Judge
Guion. as he has repeatedly done
heretofore, addressed the Grand
Jury concerning the new $4,000
court house. He again referred to
Halifax county splendid history and
lllustrious statesmen; told how sur
prised he was when he came to Hall
fax In January to see what a poor
specimen of a court house we had:said
that there was room in it neither for
witnesses, criminals nor crowd; that
uncomfortable benches, dirty floors,
small rooms were all that met ones
eyes. Judge Guion said that when
a man came home from the court at
Halifax without catching some dis
ease, he thanked God for it. He said
that he wanted to know what the
Commissioners are going to do with
the peoples money if they don't
spend it for a new court house. He
said that good bridges and good
roads had been built in order that
people may drive to court house
Which is not worth as much as an
ordinary bridge in the county.
Such were the remarks of Judge
Guion in regard to a new $4,000
court house. AS stated heretofore
his charge to the Grand Jury was
clear, cogent and to the point.