Year: 1874

Ssh the following address of Judge Nc
Manama to the Grand Jury on opening
the Court at Owenton, Owen county,
yesterday, for the prosecution ofpersons
engaged in the recent disturbances in
that county:


Gentlemen of the Grand JWyy:


It is perhaps the first time in the his
tory Of Owen county, when citizens
/ have ever sat in court when there was
not single man that had concealed
weapon on his body. You have been
summoned here to-day on important
business that affect the whole State, and
particularly your county 1t has
been heraldcd throughout this and other
commonwealth in the Union that
Owen county is in aState Of insurrectiOn;
law in your midst disregarded, human
life insecure, and the courts and their
officers set ut dcfnance and held in utter
contempt. Now, sirS, may ask you rs
the grand inquest of the county, is this
true, and if it be, how long will You al
low this state of affairs to remain?
May venture to- express
the hope that YOU, rs one Of CO.
ordinate branches of the Court do what
is expected of you by the good people of
Owen county; that you rise above all
personal considerations and manfully dis
charge that high trust the laws of your
State impose on you. No sixteen gentle
I.men ever held higher or more exalted
position than you occupy to-day rs the
grand inquest of your county. The good
people everywhere with hope and high
expectations are looking at your conduct
in the discharge of your duty with feel
ingS of pleasure and delight. 1t is a
fact of which need not remind you of
that offenders can only be brought to
punishment through the action Of this
Grand Jury.


You are the PropeIIing Power.
You are the source from which people
can only expect protection. and | now
warn You that unless you have come for
the purpose of faithfully diScharging
your duty, it were better by far you had
remained nj home. | have been n mem
Der of this bar sixteen years, and have
never seen grand jury impannelled in
your county when the hotel and saloon
Keepers did not send them whisky and
cigars. Applause.l This is indeed hui
initiating, yet there is no purer truth
than this recorded in the Book of books.
Not intending to wantonly wound the
feelings of any Of your predecessors, it is
to them burning shame, and, to say
the least of it, diSrespectful to
the fair fame of Kentucky courts.
am but one man, and can
do only work with which YOU fur
nish me, but if any gentleman expects
favors or considerations apart from the
faithful and honest discharge of my
duties. let him or them, during my Off
cial life be undcccivcd. Law-breakcrS
and Indicators are no associates of mine
and never receive my official smile.
While | do not propose To step aside
from the line of duty,


I do Intend 10 Catch and Hold 10 the


Utmost RiSor Of the Law


everyone who does not respect as the
chief rule Of. human conduct the law in
all itS truths and without which you have
no society, no protection. | am informed,
and being 50 Informed, | deem it
my duty to state to YOU that
nearly II year ago dcfcnsclcss boy was
shot and killed in the streets Of Monterey,
in this county, and for which killing the
party was duly and regularly indicted
fur murder by the grand jury Of your
county. The party 20 charged ut once
Al l.. .,,l r.,,ainnI on ilp
until two days since, when he returned
to the town in which We now are, armed
with deadly weapons, and remained for
hours within stones throw Of this tenn
pie ofiu>ticc, and was permitted by the
sheriff of your county, who had IN his
possession bench warrant for the muir
dcrrr. issued on that Indictment against
him. to walk or ride out Of town rs free
as a man against whom the breath
of suspicion had never rested
He ithc sheriff was shown the man and
told that he was tho man for whom he
had bench warrant for murder. To
which your sheriff replied: Il don't
want tu SEQ him. or 81 hav" no business
with him.. or words of Il Smilsr import,
and to-day the offender i, running at
large free rs any man. Now, Srs, | m
vitc your attention to the shcritt's con-
duct. and if the facts bc as stated and Ri
Owen county grand jury will not in
dict him. will bring here from another
county grand jury that will, for | say
to yoil in ali seriousness and Candor


This state ofThings DhnII not Longer


Exist


in Owen county. Preccpt after prcccpt
issuing from this Court, is by tho sheriff
and his deput", and other ministerial
officers returned mot found Such con-
duct will not be tolerated in this Court
| intend that all the ministerial officers
of this county shall do their duty, and if
they don't let them bear, AS they shall,
the consequences resulting from their own
dcrcloctions of duty. | know that all
the calamitics which you now are con-
tending with are the Legitimate results Of
inefficient officer. | seek the favor Of
no community at the sacrifice Of my Off
cjal position. II l. an honored one, and
it shall never be- diShonored or
neglected swhile ! am its posses.or,
if have the ability to prevent il. Gen
tlcmen YOU owe it to yourselves, your
wives. your children, your homes and 10
tn. lives and homes Of your people, and
more still are you abjured by very SOL
emn obligation that each fyou have this
day taken 10 bring to justice every often
der and violator Of the law. Proud a.
the people Of Owen are,


is Burning Shame


that YOU are afraid to express your con-
domination of the outrages perpetrated in
your county during the past twelve
months. Human life has been taken in
the streets of Owenton and in other parts
Of Your county. and the people are too
apprchen.ive Of danger TO condemn
or applaud it. Both State and
Federal troops have been sent in
upon you to preserve order and give Sc
curity to the lives Of your citizens, and 50
far as l am spprised Of their conduct, 1t
has met the approval Of YOUR people.