The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1913-01-08
CHARGE TO THE JURY.

fore q court room we'll filled with
citizens.
CHARGE TO THE JURY.
lis address to the men selected
to ferret out whatever crime has
not been detected by the local off.
cers over the county was strong anc
an appeal to the citizenship indi.
vidhally of each member composing
that body. The foreman was re.
quired to step out and take the
oath first and the rest afterwards
took it as q body.
The Judge opened Court with q
eulegy on the New Year, compliment
ing the citizenship generality on the
absence of crimes of graver nature
-ohly two or three killings since
last court and the general moral
tone Of Law and order over the en-
tire county.
he deprecated the fact that edu-
cation was on such a down grade in
the State, stating that Mississippi
was next to the last State in the
entire union in low salaries paid
the teachers and fifth to last in
short length of yearly school ses-
sions. Increase IN education
means a decrease in court ex-
penses, stated His Honor.
INSTRUCTIONS 10 GO AFTER
THE GAMBLERS.
Judge Miller directed the jury to
investigate the gentleman gambler
afflicted with the gambling fever.
At every term Of the court he
was advised that on the top floor of
a building in Brookhaven, gam
hlirg is going on all the time; and
tha 1t is an easy matter for the
gamblers upstairs to arrange a
sig al or alarm to be given by some
one below when an officer is about
to ke q raid. When the officer
ef upstairs he tinds nothing
d1 g.. The Judge said there
were probably a half dozen men in
the court room and probably some
members of the Grand Jury, who
knew all about this gambling busi-
ness. Witnesses had heretofore
been brought before the Grand
Jury, but such witnesses had delib-
erateIy perjured themselves to
shield the gamblers.
The Judge promised to have these
same witnesses brought before the
Grand Jury at every term of court
until the gambling is stopped or
the guilty parties punished.
OUTSIDE HELP FOR ESCAPED
PRISONERS.
The court called the Grand
Jury's attention to recent escapes
from the county farm. 1t is re-
ported that a woman, serving a
term for unIawfulIy retailing
liquors was mysteriousIy liberated
from the farm by two men in
Brookhaven. and that man here
in Brookhaven furnished the buggy
to convey her away, one of the
men accompanying the negress in
her flight. Tue jury was also di-
rected TO investigate the escape of
a prisoner. under sentence to hang,
from the county jail.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Court in his charge also
touched on the crimes of carrying
concealed weapons. failure to work
the public roads. selling liquors,
and the usual crimes. The Jury
was directed to look into the books
of the county officers, and the
dockets Of the Justices Of the peace.
In the course of his charge Judge
Miller complimented A. Hurst, the
retiring Marshal of Brookhaven.
for improved conditions brought
about under his administration.
To the new marshal, r. T.. Davis,
the Court expected and looked for.
ward to do his full duty aud he
would have the strongest backing Of
the court in SO doing.
Cocaine selling was touched on
as being worse than whisky and
some Of it was going on in the
county.
Allowances BY the Board of
Supervisors to road contractors was
also one Of the cautions to be seen
to by the inquisitors.
Winding up. His Honor said !:
Get all the witnesses before you
you want especially for the serious
offenaes. If they won't come,
serve process and attachment. If
you have any trouble appeal to me.
Let everyone 10 Brookhaven and
Lincoln county know that a grand
jury ID in session.
Diverging somewhat from usual
procedure at one part Of bis ad-
dress. the Judge asked for sngges-
tions to the jury from the bar or
anyone present. No one responded.
JUROR WANTED TO BE Ex-
CUSED.
The Judge commended very high
III one member Of the Grand Jury
who bad asked to be excused be-
cause he said as : juror. he would
have to tell things that he would
like to avoid. THIS man is retain
Ell % THE Jury and it il expected
he NiIi DE- bis Vhole dulyt6 him.