St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-10-23
GRAND JURY MAKES
STRONG FINAL REPORT
Deals With Prohibition Situation. Indctino e,;.d
Tigers and Commencing Participants
InRace Track Affair

@%s%1A 9@A ~ &C csSRA uSAULS q
the Clarion, and agreed to By the er
tire parish, il one Of the best eve
assembled In st. Landry. Their actio
proves that the community was RICH
in Judging them.
The indictment of the blind tiger
meets with popular approval, and 9
will the reprimand rendered the to
jealous Dr0hibitionists, who, in thei
zeal, forgot everything but prohibi
tion, going to lengths unwarranre,
BY either good Judgment or truth.
We are glad that such body o
men as Che Grand Jury has lifted th,
stigma resting on this parish ant
city. The language, as emphatic Al
it is, is NOT too severe.
The Grand Jury spoke very plainI,
on the subject Of the Game Commis.
sion, and commended it. 1t endorsed
the present Game Law, because It i
. good law, and because it has noW
become very plain that much of the
opposition to II is based on purely DO.
litical grounds.
The Grand Jury made two reports
last week one Thursday and che fnaI
report Friday evening late.
The Grand Jury not only returned
not . true bill as concerns the parti-
cipants in the race track affair. IN
which two alleged detectives we're as
saulted, but commended the act.
Sheriff Il. Z. Swords was indicted
for assaulting j. r. Dezsuche, the
Item reporter, and promptly entered
. plea Of guilty. He viii be SEN
fenced later on.
Among the indictments for blind
tigeriag is one against Dr. w. II.
Clopton, president of the Police Jury.
There have been some episodes,
says the report, in the recent his
tory Of Sc. Landry that have been 50
By unnecessary publicity
y to be calculated to iniure the fair
name Of the historic old parish Of Sc.
Landry. rich III the associations Of
she past, with memories clustering
around her OF the good old days
Fhen she stood pre-eminent among
her sister parishes Of the State. Tt
vas meet and proper that this Grand
Jury should have gone carefully into
N inquiry Of the disturbing causes
hat have temporarily cast a foul
,resth upon the fair escutcheon Of
,ur parish, whose good name we
cherish, and in whose honor we feel
he deepest interest.
4 crest deal Of publicity has been
giVen to an alleged visit OF an inhos-
,itable character by a body Of men
o the residence Of Rev. Al W. Tur-
ler, the presiding pastor Of the Meth
dist church, and the widest rumors
irculated in the most reckless man
er, gave room for strangers, and
hose not knowing the real condition, |
0 imagine that our parish had sunk |
lto the dark ages, and had surren-
cred the traditions handed down to |
8 by our forafathers.
That these rumors were ISLANDERS |
n the fair name Of the city of 0pe-
'usas goes Withoub saying, and that
was done TO breed strife and con-
1sion is possibly also true. A care
u examination into the above mat
er reveals the fact, that nothing Of
alarming nature occurred, but that
My imaginary fears were the cause
the alarm that seemed for while
J prevail. Like the exclamation of
when he said shsdows to
ght have caused more terrors into
le heart of Richard than could the
distance of ten thousand living sol
ers, so il was that q tempest was
-eWing in q teapot, and q friendly
sit of a person on friendship bent
as distorted into the invasion of q
'stile army.
We sincerely deprecate the resort
such baseless rumors, and stamp
EN- altogether without foundation.
" Another matter that challenged
II attention was what Is commonly
lied the race track incident. This
IS another fash in the pan, another
fort to send out startling announce
ants Of disorderly condition of our
irish and city. An investigation
to this matter has led us to find
at unfortunately in their zeal, the
ohibition people brought to this
rish two of the most undesirable
liens that could have been found,
order to ferret ont infractions Of
9 Iigaor law. These two men, pos !
: as detectives, when closely ques-
N by council, acknowledged that
sy were the veriest tyr0s In the
site art of detective skill. Ii was
anly charged BY Sheriff Swords
1t one Of them at least was sus- /
tied Of being implicated in a most j
astionable affair.
To our mind it is indeed regret Q
e that such men should have been S
,ught here TO pose as the exemp- ?
8 Of public morals, and We take
,asion to rebuke such q course, and ]
7e no sympathy with those who