Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-10-30

liable 10 yet Shrt or somebody j. liable
to be killed; and | want this grand jury
10 use its powers 10 do everything possi-
be to break up anything If that sort
that may exist in \ueceS county.
The judge suggested that the grand
jury obtain hst VI deputies The time
ana the manner ~ their appointment.
fr,m the sheriff. constahleS and chief
%. police. so that there would be no lost
motion in the grand jury room while
making Investigations along this. line.
M ! give you ia charge the iny"Stiga
ticn ~ the ctfenScS against all the penal
laws of Texas eSpe tally against gaming.
the other vices al immortality that hreak
down the morals If the community.
bawdy hous,s. bootiegging gamDnug
houses AMI like things" .luugr Cunning
ham said. The judge added his belief.
based on eases that have ccmr before
him ia other counties. that practically
assault 90 muir or murder eases can
be attributed 10 an 0uigrowth from
boozing. and added that you viii find
that the Illicit of booze in this county j.
per cent of our law violations in Nueccs
county. tlFttEiA or lHliftcflN.
Az another part uf bis charge Judge
Cunningham said that perhaps there will
come before the grand jury eases in
volving the names Of young ladies. The
judge adInonShcd the grand jury 10 be
areful Ia handling eases of this sort,
and stated that where II j. not alb
solutely necessary for the enforcement
Of the law and to avoid permitting some
guilty man to 90 unwhipped of heinous
,tfense. a young girls name should
never be brought into court"
"Only in eases where il j. necessary
% puDnc justice the names III the chill
dren should be protected from CONNIE
tion with crime as far as possible for
grand jury 10 dc it," the judge de-
clared.
Violation of the ele tion laws were
another item that the grand jury was
charged "a investigate. but The grand
jurors were cautioned not ID return any
Indictment unless the evidence will sat
iSfy their minds beyond peradventure
thar an ultimate conviction could be OBJ
tanned.
IN charging the grand jury 10 in
vesiigate some of the Eoad work in
connection with the money that has been
expended for earth work. Judge Gun
uingham quoted some figures with refer
ence to cost Of such work in 1919 and in
the present year. and pointed out that,
in his opinion. Nueces county was paying
more fcr such work than 1t should.
That j. a matter. however. of detail
and the fat that your work in this
county cost II cents n yard more--well
l haven't figured out the amount of the
mileage here-the yardage il
should have cost. does not mean thai
the commissioners court acted corrupt
Is Ia that" Judge Cunningham declared.
1T doesn't necessarily mean under con
diiicns here viii h | am not able 60 say
with respect TO. was bad business
Judgment. but if il was bad business
judgment il was not violation Of the
law"
In the opening his charge 10 the grand
jury, the judge declared that he wished
To impress upon the jurors that Il costs
money 10 run a court.
Every case that is filed in the way
Of an Indictment j. an additional bill
of expense against the state. AMI noi
only for that reason. but n a matter of
compliance with your oaths a. grand
jurors, il j. the duty of grand jury
before they return a bill of Indictment
90 know that they have evidence before
them that they tan swear on their oaths
Is sufficient 10 Justify that Indictment
Unless the evidence before the grand
jury. unless the grand jury absolutely
knows that the evidence existS-and
they cannot know it unless il is before
ihcm-that justfies bringing a man to
trial for crime. no bill of indictment
ought ever TO be returned by grand
jury" Judge Cunningham declared.