The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-04-27
PISTOLS
MUST BE STOPPED
DECLARES JUDGE
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRACTICAL.
LY ALL HoMIclDEs IN coUN-
TY, SAYS JOHNSON.
|'DELIVERS CHARGE
TO new GRAND JURY
| Many Prevalent Crimes and MIsde
! meanors Called to Attention o.
Jurors-comments on improvement
In Conditions During Last 4 Years
Many Prevalent Crimes and Mlsde-

Judge Paul B. Johnson this morning
outlined to the new. grand jury their
duties to aid law enforcement, and the
first misdemeanor named in his charge
is pistol carrying.
He declared this violation of the law,
which is notoriously prevalent in this
section, is responsible for practically
all the homicides that occur in this
county and he urged the grand jury to
bring out true bill against every per-
son they could find who goes around
with gun in his pocket.
The grand jury, composed of nine
teen men. was empannelled with w. R.
Hardy as foreman and w. T. Haney as
bailiff 1.,-a ..'r-' -..-,. =
Judge Johnson consumed one hour
and twenty minutes with his charge,
and he covered many points in the
criminal code which he urged the
grand Jurors to consider.
He spoke at length relative to the
necessary qualifications for COM
petent grand Juror and laid great EN-
phasis upon these conditions which
prevail, whereby there is shown too
lax regard for law enforcement and
too often an unjust and unfair enforce.
ment of the statutes.
He then paid high tribute to ex-
listing moral conditions in Forrest
county, which he characterized as "the
best in the past fifteen years."
"This improvement" Judge Johnson
said, "cannot be truthfully denied by
any one who knows the facts" The
jurors were urged to divest themselves
of all thoughts that would prevent
them from discharging their sworn
duty, without prejudice, fear, favor or
hope Of reward In closing the charge
attention was called to the great need
of prompt service on the part of the
jury, that the tax paying money may
be conserved.
Names Many Violations.
Judge Johnson called especial atten.
tion to the statutes relating to the fol
lowing named crimes and misdemean.
ors: carrying Of concealed weapons, a
law violation which he declares is re.
sponsible for practically every homi-
eide which occurs in this county;
gambling, spoken Of as an insidLous
practice which leads to more dishon.
esty among young men in positions of
trust than any other habit: perjury,
referred to as one of the crying evils
Of the day; cocaine selling, described
as the melting agency which is re-
women than any other; the failure of
butchers to keep the records Of cattle
purchased, required by law; the "ten
hour law" mentioned as a statute
which appeals strongly to the court;
the law Of libel, dwelt upon at length
following the statement that monu.
men should be erected to the late legis-
lature for passing drastic law against
ISLANDERS; liquor law violations, with
special attention directed to the rec
emily enacted law relating to the liquor
evil; shedding of human blood; vagran-
cy, which hinders industrial and busi-
nesss progress.
The Jurors were warned, however,
not to find true bills against a man
simply becaunse he is out of work.
Reference to the law against drunken
, ness was the last offense referred to.
The grand jury is composed of the
| following:
W. R. Hardy, R. Z. Ha6sr stein, F. T.
Downs, N. W. Lee, d. H. Hlmeter, T.
B. Freeman, C. E. Arledge, J. P. lAnder-
son, J. p. Griffin, F. H. Howarth, ].
A. Ryan, Prentiss Lee. B. Mclnhis. G
]. Bragan, Ed. Jackson, H W. Kings
bury, F. M. Hood and ]. B. Eure.