The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-12-01
CALLING Of GRAND.
JURY CAUSES STIR
IN CARTER COUNTY
MUCH SPECULATION AS TO
REASON FOR CALLING THIS
INQUISITORIAL BODY
MANY THINGS SUGGESTED
Now Understood that Judge E. P.
Hill, Assistant Attorney General,
May Conduct the Proceedings for
The State.

The State.
The December term of the dis
trict court for Carter County will
begin tomorrow morning There is
very heavy docket of both civil
and criminal cases. but no Jury has
been called for this term, conse-
quently only the non-jury civil dock
1t will be heard.
\ grand jury, however will be
sanized in this counrt tomorrow.
Il November 10, petition signed
by over 100 leading citizen tax
payers OF Ardmore was presented
TO Judge w. f. Freeman, asking him
TO call a grand jury. Under the stat
ute, when petition of this kind is
presented to district Judge, it is
mandatory and he has no recourse
other than to call the jury. This
Judge Freeman did, instructing the
Jerk. on that date, TO summon
'enty-tour men to appear in court
'. :, from which number a grand
will be organized. The names
e drawn from the box by Sher-
Garrett and Court Clerk Grant
all have been summoned.
Why a Grand Jury.
there is much speculation and
many rumors as to why this grand
jury was called. Pending the letting
OF a contract for the construction
OF pipeline to Hickory Creek. for
an additional water supply for the
City OF Ardmore, there was dissatis-
factlon among many taxpayers as
TO the progress being made and with
other matters pertaining to the let
ing OF the contract A citizens com
mlttee, named by the chamber OF
commerce, the Rotary Club and the
Lions Club, attended the meetings
OF the mayor and commissioners.
conferred with them, made sugges
mons, entered strenuous objections
70 the first contract awarded and
succeeded in having that contract
annulled and bids again advertised
Tor, thereby saving the taxpayers
over $4,000.
The citizens committee made
close investigation of all things per
taining not only to the matter of
letting a contract for the pipeline.
but of other affairs of the city.
Whether the calling of the grand
jury grew out Of this investigation
is not known, but members Of this
committee went to the attorney gen
eral and asked him to tali a grand
Jury IN Carter county. This he re-
FUSED TO do, telling them to have
Judge Freeman call it. Judge Free
man is quoted as having said that
he called one grand Jury and the
citizens did not back him up in it
and he would never call another.
Then the members of the committee
went back TO Attorney General
Freezing and he told them to call
the grand jury by petition and he
would conduct the inquiry.
Since the news Of the grand jury
being called was published, there
has been much speculation as to
what it is for and what it will do. |
A grand jury is the most independent
body in the world. Once organized, |
there is none to say it nay and it |
may go far aheld
May Look Into Expenditures
There is very strong belief, free
ly expressed, that the purpose OF
this grand jury is chiefly to inquire
into teh expenditure OF public funds
by both the city and county admin
istrations. This view of what the
grand jury may do is the one most
frequently expressed.
There are others who believe that
it is to be a regular hne-tooth
combing of immoral conditions in
Carter county. To this there is re-
piled that Carter county is freer
from crime than at any time in its
history. lnstigated by orders from
the war department, the city of
Ardmore, the oil field and in fact, all
the county, has been well cleaned up.
There are still some things that
should be abated, but the officers
have shown an inclination to put
their best efforts forward and they
find that eternal vigilance is nee
essary to keep the county clean.
After many Investigations and
peremptory orders by the war de-
partment, Judge Z. P. Hill came
here, accompanied by secret serv-
ice operative from the department
OF justice and after a thorough in
quiry into conditions existing here,
from a moral viewpoint and for the
protection of the soldiers, announced ,
himself as well pleased with what he {
found.
Judge Hill May Come {
1t has been announced that Judge
Hill will be the representative OF At (
torney General Freezing in conduct :
ing the work before the coming
grand jury. At the request OF the ;
war department he was several
months ago appointed assistant at {
.orney general. for this special work. 5
In addition to the investigation he '