The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1920-09-08

nanQs demanded that term be held
to clean UP the dockets, and remedy
certain conditions now existing in
the county. He stated that he had
received q telephone message from
Bob" Applewhite, the Sheriff of the
county, that If he did not hold a term
of the court at the regular time in
September, that the vendors of
white lightning would take the
county before the next term; that
Lincoln county was in much bet
ter shape financially than his own
county Of Copiah, as Lincoln had on
ly about one-half of the bonded in
debtedness of Copiah county, and
that suitable arrangements would be
made to pay of the expenses of the
court as soon as the money from
taxes and other sources begin to be
paid into the treasury.
The Judge then stated that 1t was
unnecessary for him to 60 into de-
tails In charging them as to their du-
ties concerning the graver crimes.
such as murder, arson, etc., but that
these matters would always receive
the proper attention from the grand
jury, as there are always parties in
terested who would come before the
grand jury for the purpose of giving
testimony when such grave offenses
have been committed.
He charged them however not to
bring in frivolous indictments and
such as could not be sustained by
the proof on the trial of the parties
SO indicted. He stated further that
he had heard of cases of horse steal
Ing IN the county, and wanted such
matters investigated and the guilty
parties indicted; that man might
De JtisLIfed In taking the life of his
fellow man, but what can be said of
the man who goes in the nighttime
and steals his neighbor's property?
The Judge then passed to the crime
of vagrancy and stated that il the
grandjury found that any man had
desterted his wife and children and
left them as "a public charge upon
the community, he wanted that man
indicted and brought before him;
that the present law made such an
offense a felony; that no man had
the right to marry and bring ,chil-
dren into the world and then leave
them as a public charge, and If there
were any such cases in the county he
wanted to know 1t.
In passing to the crime of gamb-
ling the judge said that he did not
know whether there had been any
gambling in Lincoln county or not,
but he was informed that the people
of Lincoln did most of their gambling
in Copiah county, and that in going
to the place where gambling was
generally done, they passed right by
the District Attorneys house."
He next charged the jury on the
crime of seduction, unlawful co-hab-
itation and the carrying of concealed
weapons and commented at length
on the duty of the grand jury, in
the event that such cases should
come to their knowledge.
The next offense against the laws
Of the state to receive attention from
the Judge was the crime of selling
liquor. He stated that there were
men in the courtroom who knew a.
bout the making and selling of IL
quor; that he did not care what you
might call it-"white lightning, or
home brew"-it was all the same,
and the making and selling of 1t was
violation Of the law; that he could
look into the face of a man in the
courtroom who could sit upon his
front porch and see the smoke of a
still coming up out of the hollow;
that such instances were the rule in
certain localities rather than the ex-
ceptions He wanted the grand jury
to investigate these matters. He
wanted them to start at the head wa
ters of Fair River and trace its
course through the entire length of
Lincoln county, and then do the same
along McCalPs Greek. He said that
there were many men now holding
office in the state of Mississippi, who
would never again be elected when
the women began to vote. "Your
Sheriff has been active in RUNNING
down these violators of the law said
the Judge In commenting upon the
number Of Illicit stills that have been
broken up In Lincoln county.
The next offense to receive atten.
ton from the Judge was that of au.
tomoblle speeders-'s speed tiends'' he
called them. People who ran theiI
cars In violation, not only of the law
but In disregard Of the welfare anc
safety OF the public in general, anc
ne wanted sucn 'fiends" indicted anc
Drought before him.
In regard to the road proposition
In luis county, which was the Judge /
next SUBJECT OF comment Del0ie tnt
jury, ne said tnat somebody has
peen laying down on their Jobs.
fhat the problem of good roads was
serious one, and the public in gen.
eral is paying the freight and moi
getting what they paid Tor. Thai
II the contractors cannot keep tht
roads up. bring in their bonds-men
and II the bondsmen cannot remed,
the matter, sue on the bonds, unless
the bondsmen see that the roads are
kept up according to contract, That
the people are paying for good roads
and are entitled to good roads, anC
Il the present system did not givs
them good roads the system shoult
pc changed.
AS there is aot a sufficient amount
lof money in the treasury to defra,
the expenses Of the court. the Judgs
called upon Mr.. s. B. NcNair, Chan
Gerry Clerk, and Mr.. McNair explain
ed that the Clerk r. Lee Moak. woulg
take their names and the amounts