The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-12-30
THE GRAND JURY
INIPANE1IED AND SWORN IN
J. s. DOUGLAS FOREMAN
An EXHAUSTIVE CHARGE

AN EXHAUSTIVE CHARGE
HE Honoss yoAn r. Eana. Sudge Of
che First Judicial District Court
Criminal Sectiono Instructs Che
Grand suIy % 60 1ts Dutyo
->As 0oeqD Go9ay. Tuesdayo nee. 80
his honor, John n. Land, Judge oq
the Fiqst gudieis9 District. assumed
HE 9uncticns in che criminal seetioS
oe che court and ssiiese6 Judge g
Z. Bel2o ~ho will preside On che eisil
section Os chic eours. Che judges
by agreement ~il2 altesnase sbeil
positione every three months.
The Grand yury, 40 drawn. wil2 De
on duty during Q Gern9 0G ok
monthe.
She Grand Ju1y comprise: ]. 9.
Douglas, foreman, d. O. Garners a
D. Morris, .. w. Elston. A. Roos
Lucien Flournoy, J.. J.. Iigner. "
+. Soorhies, Oscar schliepake, Sohn
Jenkins, Oscac Alfred end j. .
George.
The charge By Judge Lana 90 che
Grand 1ury is clear and forceful,
and outlines the law which Is 60 be
their guide. vit follows:
Gentlemen Of the Grand yury: u
is your duty 20 inquire diligently
into all infractions Of the law cone
mitted within the limits OF the Par
ish Of Caddo since the meeting OF
the last Grand Jury, and to find bills
of Indictment against alA Offenders
against such laws.
specially direct your attention 70
the lynching of two negroes near
Blanchard, and to . criminal assaun
alleged to haze been COMMITTEES
upon the wife OF q citizen % this
parish. This community Deeds more
moral courage in che enforcement
of the laws Of che state. Murder
after murder has been oendone6 by
the juries os this parish, simply be
cause the perpetrator Of the crime
was female, as il se1 were a u
cense to commit crime and an sX-
cuse for its commission.
Section 1866 Of the Revised Stat
utes of the State expressly provides
that our criminal laws shall apply
to females as we'll as males,' and a
grand juror who refuses to indict
and a petit juror who fails to con-
vict. when the evidence is sufficient
because the accused is a female, not
only violates his solemn oath as q
Juror, but commits an unpardonablf
crime against good government and
against the peace, security and vel
fare of his fellow citizens. The sole
object of the administration 01
criminal justice is to punish crime
| and deter its future commission by
such punishment as far as possible
The safety of the people is the SUI
preme law, and the enforcement OF
the law with impartial justice and
firm courage is absolutely necessary
for the preservation of society it
self.
AS a judge of this court SOL
emnly protest against the maudlin
sentimentality which seems to have
mesmerized the juries of Caddo
Parish into repeated acquittals OF
women charged with the highest
crimes known in the criminal calen-
dar, and l sincerely hope that we
shall soon stand at the threshold Oh
an awakened conscience, and enter
tain higher sense of duty to our
i selves and of justice to our neigh
Dor, when called upon as jurors W
enforce the criminal laws OF tilis
commonwealth.
| The oath which you have just
taken binds you to present no one
through envy, hatred or malice, anu
VI to leave no one unpresented through
fear, favor, affection, gain, reward {,
or hope thereof, but to present ail
things truly and indifferehtly' as
they shall come to your knowieoge'
,, according. to the best of your uhder-
standings
The law exacts of members VI Tue
Grand Jury a solemn oatl liot ~
disclose the proceedings Which .aNe
place in the Grand Jury room. va
rious reasons for enforcing TINS Sc
crecy have been given as, 70 Aeel
, from an unarrested de1ehoant 'hs
J knowledge which would sugges. es-
cape; to prevent defendants IRON
collecting perjured testimony lol