Show indictment AND TREATMENT OF ALLEGED CRIMINALS THE treatment of persons persona indicted for alleged of fences lences against the laws of this territory has haa lately been the occasion of much comment bo so has haa the manner in which certain indictments have been procured and indeed the ot of some grand juries which have tramel framel these indictments has been also a subject of considerable discus sion alon taking the tho last mentioned point first we think that it would not be at all out of place nor foreign to the interests of the people if a scrutiny were instituted at the drawing of the next grand jury to see that the aim and design of the so called poland bill be carried into practical effect one of the objects of that law was to give the opposing sections of this community an equal share in the constitution of grand and petit juries passing pal Pai issing by the injustice of giving to a minor minori ty composed of one tenth of the population the same number of representatives ft presenta tives on the jury lists lista as allowed to the nine tenths majority we would like to know something of the modus operandi by which the names of thirteen of the opposition element out of the total number rumber of fifteen jurors can be honestly drawn from a box containing equal humbers numbers of both sides this is a point that needs needa watching allen alien the right of any grand jury to indict a pemon even if he be a mormon on tile the say baybo so of an official clai cial without the production of evidence sufficient to show probable ule uie cause for a conviction should be questioned and ventilated and the irregularity not to say crime of sending men to the penitentiary to be locked up in company with convicted thieves blacklegs and murderers on indictments framed without the ghost of a chance for the production of proof of guilt needs to be shown up and presented for fur public and autho ilLative reprobation then the incarceration in the penitentiary of persons not under conviction whether properly indicted or otherwise ia is something that needs needa to bo bes explained and justified if legal but if not con damned and put a stop to the statutes of utah provide that the common jails jalis in the seve several counties shall be used need among other purposes for the detention of charged with crime and committed for trial whether by process or order issued under the authority of the united state states 9 or under the authority of the territory see elections 2362 11 64 64 but it has been the practice of the US U B S marshal and his bid deputies to arrest parsons indicted and hurry them birto off to the penitentiary not in the darkness of night and thrust them into the society of the of criminals this has been done in regard to persons against whom the prosecuting officer who procured their indictment has not been able to gather sufficient evidence to warrant him in proceeding with their trials according to the law arrested individuals should shoula have been taken to the county jail jall and even there they shoud should be kept in a room Ne ve parate from those convicted and under sentence the statute eci especially providing that untried and convicted prisoners shall not be kept or put in the ame same room borsut prisoners at the spen ren pen ipen if the statements which have reached us with strong corroboration can be believed have been to treatment for which meir their jailors deserve the sev severest erest prest punishment uni fili mont mout provided bylaw by law jaw it is time that these theae outrages were arrested nud aud their perpetrators punished 1 libed aud and that those who are ate so zealous in word for the law should 10 e made to observe the provisions of the file law or else receive of its pen leit skit leb les the course taken by dr clinton in his action for damages will be applauded by all who have at heart the welfare of society the upholding d of the laws lawa majesty and the restriction of public officials to the line of their duty whether it relates to accused or convicted persons that men of character and repute should be dragged from their homes and incarcerated among felons simply to gratify the spleen or contribute to the notoriety of men anxious to ride tide into popularity on their zeal against the I 1 mormons Mor mons is bad enough but when added to such outrages wanton cruelty Is used to squeeze such persons until they i beal so as aa to suit the plans otheir of roeer captors and are treated with brutality and in utter violation of the laws governing criminal process and commitment the whole community should become interested and the highest powers of the country should be invoked if necessary to banish such barbarism establish justice and punish the officials guilty of these of fences |