The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-09-16
JUDGE SLOAN DELIVERS
CHARGE TO GRAND JURY
Instructs Members of Body AS
To Their Duties Which They
Are To Perform
COMPLETE TEXT is GIVEN

At the converting of the September
Term of the Circuit Court for Garrett
County on Monday mourning, the
charge Of the Court to the Grand Jury
was delivered by Chief Judge D. Lind
ley Sloan, who is sitting during the
first days of the session. :
Following Judge Sloan's charge the
jurors immediatel began their duties
with Frederick A. Thayer, foreman of
the body.
The full text of Judge Sloan's adj
dress is given below.
The Charge By Judge Sloan
Gentlemen of the Grand jury
"At the opening of every jury term
of Court it is customary for the Court
to instruct the Grand Jury-in a gen.
eral way-of their duties which they
are about to undertake and perform.
have not been advised or informed of
any particular or unusual condition
existing in Garrett county at this time
to which your attention should be es-
pecially directed, and shall confne
myself to a general statement of the
things you are expected to do, and to
those statutes which we are required
by law at each term to bring to your
attention.
Grand juries are an age-old and
important institution, and the strict
performance of their duties consti-
tutes one of the safeguards of the pub
lie, the preservation of the peace of
the community, and the safety and Sc
curity of the individual.
"You are an investigating body, and
the major portion of your time will be
taken up in the investigation of such
cases as have already been dealt with
by the enforcement officers of the
county against persons who have been
charged with violations of the crimi-
nal laws and are already in Jail or
held to bail to await your action, all of
which will be brought to your atten-
ton by the States Attorney. 1t will be
your business to hear the witnesses
who will be produced before you, and
if there is reasonable evidence of the
guilt of the accused, to indict, their
guilt or innocence to be later deter
mined by the petit jury or by the
Court, as those indicted may elect. In
additiaon to the cases already pre-
pared for submission to you, it is your
duty to investigate any other offenses
which may be brought to your notice
or any of which you or any of you
may have personal knowledge, and
summon such witnesses as you may
think necessary.
There are certain statutes which
we are obliged by the Legislature
from term to term-to bring to the
attention of the Grand Jury.
''By Section a of Article 81 Of the
Code, it is my duty to call to your at
tention Section of Article 27, for
bidding and prohibiting and provid-
ing punishment for the crime of abor-
ton; the advertisement of any drug,
medicine or instrument designed to
produce the same, and the sale of any
such articles. The practical purpose OF
this, of course, is doubtful, as this is a
crime most difficult to discover, which
only comes to the surface when the
consequences of it's commission have
an unfortunate or untoward result.
"By Section 70 of Article 81, it is
provided that eff any Clerk, Register
of Wills, Sheriff, Collector of Taxes,
Notary Public or other officer, whose
duty it is to collect revenue due the
State of Maryland or any county
thereof, shall, after the receipt OF said
revenue by him, wilfully detain the
same in his possession and neglect TO
pay the same into the Treasury OF the
State or to the County Commissioners
or the proper officer authorized to re-
ceive the same, for more than sixty
days after the day upon which 1t Is
made by law his duty to pay the same,
or if no particular day be appointed
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