The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1924-01-09
NO EVIDENCE
BEFORE JURY
In Presentment Grand Inquest
Reports Testimony Not Sufh-
Gent for Indictment.
BASED MOSTLY ON RUMOR

Last week the Atlantic County
Grand Jury heard testimony oncern
ing alleged violations of the prohibit
ton law, and at the conclusion of the
session made a -presentment to the
court in which charges based on ru-
MOI were scored. Mrs. Gladys Sci
well, of this city, was a member of
the jury making the presentment.
Persons who make charges without
supporting evidence were condemned
in the presentment, which was, in part,
as follows.
THE Grand Inquest in and for the
County of Atlantic. of the october
Term, 1923;
In order to correct, If possible, a
practice frequently INDUCED in, this
Grand Inquest doth make this present
ment to the Court.
For some time past, it has been
the habit and the practice OF certain
people in making public addresses. to
charge the prevalence of crime, to
charge an immoral condition, TO charge
public officials and public officers for
failure in performing their duty. This
Grand Inquest determined to ascertain
if possible, whether the matters COM
PAd3AC0 obO0N ~ AAC Pd1t4Co Aldh4a6
the public utteraences had or had not
foundation, and this Grand Inquest
did cause certain persons to appear
before it in order, if possible, to pre-
sent for punishment all parties who
were violating any law as well as
their associates, counsellors and abet-
tors, and for the purpose of Furnishing
if possible, or for the purpose of cen
soring to such a degree as the Grand
Inquest felt should be done, such per
sons occupying public position who
fail to perform their full duty.
This Grand Inquest doth report to
the Court that it has found from some
OF the persons who spoke loudest and
apparently claiming to have the most
reliable information, that they have
no information at all except that bas-
ed upon some rumor of the most finn
sy kind. Such persons were unable to
give the Grand Inquest the name or
names of any parties who had inform
ed them of the matters complained
about in their public utterances except
in one or two cases. and in such cases
this Grand Inquest did cause such par
ties so named to come befGre it, a1g
ing upon which to ID nd a staSeMeaF
or make an assertion of the character
referred TO.
This Grand Inquest admits that
there is crime in this county and it
has diligently sought out as best it
could the persons guilty of commit
ting such crimes and has found in
dictments against them. This Grand
Inquest does not pretend TO say that
it had indicted all that are guilty of
crime, for it could not and did not
receive information upon which to
found an indictment, although there
appeared before it the persons who
were loudly clamoring for a correction
Of the certain evils referred to.
This Grand Inquest, therefore, re-
ports 10 this Court that il was unable
TO return an indictment on any in
formation supplied by the parties
herein referred TO, and does at this
time condemn such parties for their
utterances so made and undoubtedly
made by them with full knowledge OF
the fact that they had no foundation
upon which TO prove their claim.
This Grand Inquest does condemn
any and all persons who either from
the pulpit. the platform or in the
press. condemns others and criticises
others without foundation and legal
evidence to support the charges they
made.