The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-06-05
JUDGE D.L.SLOAN DELIVERS
: CHARGE TO GRAND JURY
CONTINUED from Page One)

jury.
There are certain statutes which we
are required by law to call to your
attention at each term of court
whether there may be offenses against
these statutes listed for your investi-
cation or not does not affect our duty
to call them to your attention, and
some of them are extremely i'm
portant.
There is one statute that has been
on the books for years, but which
rarely brings out an. indictment be-
cause those things are not brought to
the public notice as a rule but are
discovered merely by accident. That
is the crime of abortion.
You are required to examine the
records of the county treasurer to see
the manner in which he keeps his
books and to satisfy yourselves of
their accuracy. The State now has an
auditing system so that detailed in
vestigation is made of the books every
year and this perhaps may be avail
able to you, but it is not possible in
the time the Grand Juries are usually
expected to perform their duties for
you to make an exhaustive, detailed
examination, but make an inspection
sufficiently full for you to satisfy
yourselves that the books are well
kept and that the public funds are
being properly handled.
We are also required to call your
attention to the statute covering de-
falcations by any public officer who
may be required to turn over and &C
count to the state or county for funds
in his hands, within a certain time.
The law also against unlawful sale
of narcotic is one which is being vio-
lated considerably in more congested
communities, and if you know of any
violation of this law it is your duty to
make full investigation and return
indictments against offenders. This
is a law the violation of which is most
disastrous in it's effects and it is your
duty to go into the question fully and
do not hesitate to indict if you find
any violations of this statute.
Another statute we are required to
call to your attention is that dealing
with the carrying of concealed weap-
ons. 1t is matter of common knowl-
edge that there would be fewer crimes
of violence if concealed weapons
deadly weapons, were not carried by
the perpetrators of these offenses. The
carrying of deadly weapons is not re-
garded as sufficiently serious by the
public generally, they do not rail
against this act until someone has had
to pay with his life for someone else's
violation of this statute, and I ad
monish you that if any cases come be-
fore you in which concealed weapons
are involved that you give them your
very serious attention. I'll tell you,
gentlemen Of the Grand jury, this
court believes the violation of this
statute to. be one of the primary
causes of disorder and one that should
be punished so severely as to make
it an example to those who may be
inclined to, carry deadly weapons.
We hear more these days of viola
lions of the liquor laws than of any
others, and are told that the spread of
crime is due entirely to this. We had
crimes and criminals when we had in
toxicating liquors sold legally and we
have had crimes since then. 1t seems
to be the sport of many persons these
days and particularly of the metro
politan dailies which find circulation
all over the country and in the seclud-
ed places, to charge the apparent in
crease to violations of this law.
The mere fact that there is afederal
statute and a Constitutional amend
ment against this traffic, which makes
it the business of the federal govern
ment to punish violations of the liquor
law does not relieve the state and the
grand juries of the counties of this
state of their obligations to enforce
the liquor laws, which have been de-
clared by the Court of Appeals of this
State as well as by the Supreme Court
of the United States, to be in force,
and it will be your duty to investigate
as to any violations and to return in
dictments wherever the evidence war
rants. ''.:.,.''.i, -"
There are two important statutes
which the court is required to call to
your attention. They are the laws
regarding mining and the laws as to
the running of taxicabs. These mat
tiers will be more fully brought to
your attention by the States At
torney.
It is the duty of the Grand Jury at
every term to inspect the public build
ings of the county. /, You will there
fore make an inspection of the court
house and Jail and report your find