The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-05-07
TELLS GRAND JURY
NORRIS VICTIM PLOT
JUDGE SWAYNE TELLS BODY
NOT TO INVESTIGATE
PASTOR FURTHER.
Members Told Not to Let Proceed
ings Become Known as In
Former Investigations.
Probe Conspiracy.

Fort Worth, Texas, May L.
/ Rev. J. Frank Norris, pastor of tn
t First Baptist church recently &C
quilted of perjury in connection
: with testimony concerning the burn
{ ling of his church building, is thu
3 victim OF persons who are endeav
: oring to put up job on him. ant
r the jury service of Tarrant count.
| | Is in need OF a rigid investigation
? according to the charge whicl
! Judge Swayne of the seventeenth
{ district court gave to his granC
: jury, which began it's elaboration
Monday forenoon.
: In his charge. which contains in
structions of a sensational charac
/ ter, Judge Swayne declares tina
certain firms of attorneys are re
, puted to control juries of this ooun
ty by means of influence and mon
ey. He instructs his jury to "inves
tigate the lawyers here and see
whether they are trying to do any
such chicanery with the jurymen of
| Tarrant county" charging them If
such is found to be the case to re-
turn indictments against the Offend
ing attorneys.
Stating that lies have been sworn
to in some of the recent cases tried
In the district courts, Judge Swayne
says that he does not want any SEN
sational trials in his court and that
he does not want the grand jury to
return any sensational indictments
unless 1t thinks there is a chance to
convict
Il refer especially to the Norris
case-that ought to be examined. I
want you gentlemen to examine it |
thoroughly.
If there is single man on the
Jury who has made up his mind |
with reference to the |
Norris case, and he feels that that
nan is guilty, and has assisted in
my shape or form to his prosecu-
ion-I refer in this instance TO !
the best friend I have in |
rarrant county, want him to
from the investigation.
II am as thoroughly convinced as
am of anything on earth that DR.
Norris did not burn his own house.
II don't care who swears 1T, l want
\ you to remember that there Ia big
reward offered and that Governor
: Hogg once said beware of big re
: wards
t Il say to you that no reasonabl
t man on earth who is delicate, VIII
/ has delicate little children, will e
out and burn his own residence ant
J set fire to the steps SO that they
cannot get out except over an avn.
ing.
Il do not want you to investigate
| DR.. Norris Why? Because two 9th
er grand juries already have inves-
tigated him and returned indict-
ments. What is the use to take up
the time of this grand jury to find
out whether or not he is guilty?
Try new crowd for a while
and after you have Investigated
them and found out whether or not
they are guilty, then go and call in
the other crowd. Just try for mo-
ment to get evidence against some
body else That is fair. l am not say
ing you can do it, but if DR.. Norris
is guilty there is already an indict-
ment against him.
Il believe beyond the shadow of
La doubt that somebody burned DR..
Norris house and that somebody
has been trying to put up a job on
him. | am not saying anything
about the indictment that the other
grand jury returned, but | am
thoroughly assured that DR.. Norris
did not shoot at himself"
Regarding alleged leaks in the
grand jury, Judge Swayne said:
Nobody has right to know what
the grand jury is doing, think il
Is shame that a newspaper durine
the last sitting of the jury was able
to come out with a special edition
saying that DR.. Norris was indicted
before the verdict had been return.
led.
Gentlemen, the witness or the
grand juror who tells the secrets O
the grand jury perjures himself
DON'T let it occur as it has occurred
In the other two grand jury pro
ceedings, when it seemed that ever,
body knew what was going on in tn,
grand jury ROOM
The grand jury retired at tn,
close OF the charge and began it
delibgations. adtourHing at noon
until 2 p, m.
Henry Ferris, Hadar, Neb. is tn.