The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-04-16
PRESENTMEN1S
MADE BY The
GRAND JURY.
M A N IMPROVEMENTS
SUGGESTED BY THEM
Raymond Stratton, Who Was
Indicted For Murder, May Be
Tried Tomorrow

Barlow. April 1G. Circuit cour,
is still in session and within the last
several days the following cases have
been disposed of:
The cae of Snyder G.. Mills VS.
State Phosphate Company was tried
last Friday and resulted in a verdict
of $1,000 in favor of the plaintiff .
The plaintiff sued the Phosphate
Company for injuries received by
him in June. 1912. from coming in
contact with live wire owned by
this company.
Last Saturday j. A. McKellar, an
aged white man was tried on the
charge of assault with intent to
murder. Was found guilty of assault
and battery.
In the case of State VS.. j. r.
Christmas, the defendant being
charged with grand larceny, the yer
dict of the jury was mot guilty"
On Tuesday Jim White, negro,
was found guilty of assault with in
tent to murder and sentenced two
years in the State penitentiary, and
on the same day Henry Young, a
negro, charged with immoral rela-
tionS, was acquitted.
Court today is engaged in the trial
of Kid luckey, a negro, charged with
murder. 1t is alleged that the de-
fendant killed another negro in
Lakeland in 1905 in a dispute over
ten cents.
The grand jury made their final
presentments late Saturday after
noon and were discharged A total
of seventeen indictments We're found
and among the indictments found
was one against Raymond Stratton
charging him with murder in the
first degree for killing Val Owen at
Socrlim about two months ago 1t is
likely that Stratton's case will be
tried tomorrow
The general presentments of the
grand jury were as follows.
TO the Honorable r. A. Whitney,
Judge of the circuit court of the
Tenth judicial circuit of the State
of Florida, in and for Polk county:
We. the grand jurors duly en-
paneled at the spring term of the
court in and for Polk county,
beg to make this our general pre-
sentiment unto your honor;
We have carefully examined every
case presented to our body and have
given to each of them an honest,
careful and conscientious considera-
ton and have found an indictment
in every case wherein we believed
the evidence warranted the same,
and have tried to do our full duty
with justice and impartiality, and
with as much dispatch as possible,
bur we have been hindered to large
extent BY the absence of witnesses
and the slack manner in which com
mitting magistrates have performed
their duty. If the witnesses in each
case had been compelled to be pres
ent at the first day of the term we
could have finished our labors much
sooner, and it would have been easier
and more satisfactory to all parties
We find that there are less crimes
of a violent nature in our county
than there have been for some time
pas, and we believe this is DUE to
a large extent to the manner in
which the law has been enforced and
by the just punishment of those who
have been convicted during the past
lNO years,
We find the court house very neat
ly kept and everything in good con-
dition. We have appointed com
mittee to examine the county jail
and find same is very unsanitary and
crowded, and recommend that i'm
provements be made at once.
We would recommend to your hon
or that the justice of the peace and
the committing magistrates De re-
quired to have all witnesses in cases
In which they bind the defendant
over, to meet the grand jurors, en-
ter into a recognizance for their ap-
pearance at the next term of the
court. We would also recommend
that the justices of the peace be re-
quired to be present themselves, or
to have all of their books, warrants.