The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-01-30

The winter term of the circuit court
of this county was convened last Mon
dey afternoon by the presiding Judge,
j. A. Teat. 1t takes but little while
tor Judge Teat to get things moving
after he puts his feet in the court room.
The fact is, some members of the bar
have stated that he has actually had
them trying cases before they realized
that they were ready. In a very few
minutes, Monday after reaching town,
he was charging the grand jury, and
from the fervor and emphasis he was
giving much of his language, one would
readily agree that he was charging"
the inquisitorial body.
The charge was strong appeal for
the highest order of law enforcement.
Special attention was called to the ne
cessity of every county and beat officer
doing his duty, and the results of off.
cial failure were vigorously pictured
before the jury. Special emphasis was
given the duties of the magistrates of
the county and the Judge elaborated at
length upon the habit of those officials
to dismiss cases brought before them
upon the payment of the costs, a habit,
he said, that was vicious and calculated
to undermine the growth of good citi-
zenship and the highest development of
the county. Judge Teat insisted that
if the magistrates would do their duty,
that there would be but very few mis-
demeanors brought before the circuit
court-which would be big saving in
expense to the taxpayers; and he sale
that if these officials would do their
full duty toward the minor offenses in
their respective communities, the num-
har of lo nHoncnc vuot,ld no greatly
minimized. He intimated strongly that
the magistrate office, in many cases,
as now conducted was failure and 9
farce.
The matter of the proper assessment
of property was given much attention
by the Judge in his charge. He showed
, how the public schools, the highways
) the aims honses and every beneficen
and public enterprise is dependent fol
support upon those who have propert,
} to be assessed. Judge Teat stated tina
he thought the failure to properly giv'
in assessments was because the prop
erty owner did not believe that othe
property owners were giving IN thei
property at correct value; in Othe
words, it is Judge Teat's idea that i
the people could be made to know tina
all assessments were fair, there woult
be no trouble in getting proper values
The Judge dwelt with much fore
upon the frequency of homicides in Mis-
} sissippi and the necessity of facinl
/ about upon this terrible record beinj
I made by the citizenship of the state
! He stated that in England, when
man committed murder he was ar
raigned, tried and frequently executed
) within 80 days after the commission o
the crime, but here in Mississippi i
4 was impossible to get them to trial b.
that time and in most instances mur
Z derer was sure of IL to 18 months afte
: he was arraigned, and as result of a
: this delay and dallying there were 10
4 murders in this country to in England
He drew a horrible picture of the age
onv a man must feel who takes the lif
Z of his fellow man and expressed tn
! hope that the day would soon com
2 when men would cease to attempt {
Z settle their differences, which are ofte
! trivial, with the concealed pistol. h
! said the mothers of the land, many q
4 them widows, were asking that tn
: laws be enforced 30 that their boy
. may be kept out of trouble: He sal
Z that gambling and liquor drinking, lie
Z to the graver crimes and but for thes
! two evils many of the more serious o.
Z fenses would never be committed.
: He told the foreman to allow no whi
: key drinking in the grand jury rool
7 and instructed him that if he four
Z any there to bring the offender befol
! hlm and he would give him quarters
! the county Jail. Judge Teat's chars
: to the grand jury, and his admonitier
: which reach the body of the peopl
! can but have a salutary effect upon Il
Z life and the conduct of the citizensh
! of this judicial district.
Z There has not been single jury 'e
Z dict rendered in any of Judge Teat
: courts, reversed by the supreme cour
! which is indeed fine tribute to him.
. District Attorney T. W. Scott vi
z on hand to look after the states inte
~ ests Mr.. Scott is q hard worker; he