The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-03-24
GRAND JURY CHARGED BY
CHIEF JUDGE D. |. SLOAN
Term Begun Monday Morning
Walter w. Savage, Friends
vile, Foreman of Body
MUCH WORK LOOMS AHEAD

Monday morning the March Term
of the Circuit Court for Garrett coun-
ty convened with Chief Judge D. Lind
ley Sloan on the bench who charged
the Grand Jury, of which body Walter
w. Savage, of Friendsville, is fore
man.
An unusually small number of peo-
pie were in the court room when the
charge was delivered by the Court
which fact was commented upon by
some of the attaches of the court.
Judge Sloan's charge was delivered
extemporaneously and was as follows:
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury:-As
you know perhaps, it is customary
for the Court to deliver a charge to
the grand jury. The general charge
is more or less superfiuous, and some
times think unnecessary, because no
matter what our instructions and ad-
vice may be they are no more compre-
hensive than the oath which you have
taken, and in that is contained every
thing that you can do in the way OF
grand jurors.
The grand jury is an ancient insti-
tuition and it's beginning was centur-
les ago when it not only investigated
and charged offenders with crimes but
also tried those whom they indicted,
so that they became the accusers and
then either the convicters or the ac-
cutters of those whom they accused.
In the course of time, however, it de-
veloped that that system was not al
together fair, in the first place arts
ing from the fact that the grand
Jurors in the investigation of the case
and the subsequent trial all were nee
essarily residents Of the immediate
vicinity where the crimes were com
mitted so that because of their famll-
iarity with the circumstances and
parties they were often disqualified to
follow the prosecution from start to
finish. Since then has developed trial
by petit jury as consequence OF a
charge by the grand jury.
In your investigation of cases pre-
scented you will find they are mostly
already set up for you, because in the
majority of cases of serious conse-
uuences at least the alleged offenders
have already been arrested and are
held for the action of the grand jury,
either in Jail because of their inabll-
ity to furnish bail, or out of jail on
bond awaiting the action of the grand
Jury, so that those cases can ordlnar-
ily be handled expeditiously because
the witnesses are known and the Of
tenders are already within the Jurls-
.diction of the Court.
Aside from that, however, you have
broad and complete inquisitorlal
powers and you can initiate prosecu-
tons of your own motion or can
hear anything outside of the cases in
which the accused are already de-
tanned. If any grand juror knows
anything of his own knowledge OF any
apparent violation of the law IN his
community it should be brought to the
attention of the grand jury and it is
his sworn duty to do that. Or, II ne
knows of any crimes that may nave
been committed in his community and
knows of witnesses who would be
likely to possess information about 1t,
then it is his duty to see that they
are summoned. 1t is your duty, IN
deed, in any case, where you think or
have any reason to believe there is
any reasonable prospect of convlc-
ton to make that fact known to the
grand jury as body and to see that
witnesses are summoned and the mat
ter fully Investigated.
It is desirable that the work be
done as expeditiously as possible but
YOU must not sacrifice thoroughness
for speed.
There are certain things in the law
which the court is required to call
specially to your attention. The sta
4i1te against the crime of abortion is
one of this character. 1t is, however
questionable whether that does any
real good. This is an offense which
is always clandestinely performed, and
Knowledge of it seldom becomes
known to any outside of the offender
and immediate participants unless un-
toward results follow. Nevertheless
I ask that you investigate fully ano
make all efforts to obtain full 1ntor'
nation as to these otfenses IL sucr
should happen to be brought to YOU
attention.
Another very lHpoIlduG ia" "A.>
one. the violation of which results IL
most serious and far reaching conse
quences is that against the sale o:
narcotic and habit-forming. drugs.
take pleasure, however, in stating
that l have not heard so much OF tn
violation of that law in this county
as in more thickly populated centers
It is usually much more common Il
places where there is a congeste'
population where the traffic in opium
cocaine and other dangerous and habl
forming drugs becomes more or les
of a public evil and scandal.
The statute against the carrying o
concealed weapons is another that W
are required to call to your specia
attention and is one that in its result
is perhaps in even greater proportion
the really serious crimes are commit
ted because of the fact that conceale
weapons are carried upon the person
Strange to say the public at larg
does not as rule regard the carry