Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1917-03-08


witness that appears before you takes
similar oath, that he will not speak
or tell Of what was said or done while
a witness before the grand jury.
Sometimes in the excitement of ap-
pearing before the grand jury a wit
ness taking an oath does
not understand the oath
as spoken. or read to him. l suggest
that you call to the atten-
tion of each witness before he leaves
the grand jury room that part Of
the oath he has taken and caution him
that he may not innocently violate
his oath and subject himself to pun
ishment by the Court.
Now, each of you have come from
different parts of the County. Be-
cause Of this, you are in position to
inform your body as to the conditions
generally in your part of the county.
1t is your duty to do this. In adj
dition to the information you as
body will gain from this source, the
Prosecuting Attorney has access to
your room at your secret sessions at
all times except one or two occasions,
to which l will later refer. 1t is the
duty of the Prosecuting Attorney to
lay before you any matter which he
thinks you should consider. In addi-
tion to this, any citizen of the county
has the right to appear before your
body and lay before you any mat
ter for your consideration. This does
not mean that you should sub
poena witnesses at the cost of the
County on mere suspicion or rumor.
But if. after considering any mat
ter laid before you, and con-
clude that there is reason to believe
that further investigation is neces-
sary, then do not hesitate to proceed.
If you conclude that a
matter should be investigated,
the County is amply able to pay the
expense, and you must not hesitate
to make investigation, use your
C m m on sense, as you do
in every day affairs. The Prosecut-
ing Attorney will advise you on all
questions of law. As / have stated,
he has access to your sessions. He
will examine the witnesses brought
before you and you have the right to
discuss with him matters you
have under consideration; but neither
the Prosecuting Attorney nor any
one else has a right to be in attendance
at your sessions when you are finally
discussing whether or not an indict-
ment should be returned Nine of
your members concurring can return
an indictment.
You should examine into the con-
dition of the buildings belonging to
your county; investigate their state
of repair and what repairs, if
any, you think they need and
the conditions generally of the
buildings of the County. You may in
vestigate the buildings as body or
you may appoint committee, say of
three, to investigate these buildings
and report to your body, and you
should report in writing to the Court
on this matter.
You should examine into the con-
dition of your school fund. The law
prohibits any county judge from
borrowing any of the school money.
You should investigate and learn if
either of your County Judges have
borrowed any of the school funds.
Your examinations of the county
buildings and the school fund will not
be performed at secret sessions. You
should determine if there have been
lany violations of the fish and game
law, cigarette law, gambling law, lot
terry law, and all the liquor laws. An
act of murder, rape, arson, or burglary
so horrify our community that no
quickening of the activities Of our Of
ficers is necessary. No one is es-
pecially interested in the enforcement
of the gambling law or the liquor laws
unless some father, mother or wife
whose son or husband has been gambl-
ing or drinking liquor. The average
citizen is about his own business and
unless some child or relative or close
friend is being injured because of
these laws his attention is not directed
to it. The average business man
assumes that laws of this kind are
being enforced. So for these reasons
l am, as Judge of your court, required
to call your attention to said laws.
In connection with your investiga-
tions of the violations, if any, of the
liquor laws, you may determine the
amount of liquor shipped into this ju-
risdiction within the last year and to