Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-05-31
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
ON THE
OF THE COUNTY JAIL

To THE HoNoRABLE PETER w. GRAIN,
Judge Of The Circuit Court for Charles Cossntyss
+ fTfiE ERAND JURY IN conformity with the IN
i structions of your Honor, directing them to
visit and inspect the County Jail, recently erected
in this Villages and report upon the condition of the
same, the number of prisoners therein confined,
etc. beg leave respectfully to submit the following
as their Report
They, in the per foInnance of the duty assigned
them proceeded on Wednesday, 10Th instant, to
the Jail in this village, which they found in the
charge of Mr.. Edward Hatcher, the polite Jaior of
Mr. Sheriff Wheeler. The Jail is two stories high.
! judgment Of the Jury strong and substantially
built. The roof is covered with slate and surroun-
ded with a balustrade, giving it, for small a
building, quite an imposing appearance. The IN
sage or hall on each floor. These rooms, though
| rather small and contracted, in the Judgment of
the Jury, present an appearance Of security and
comfort; and while the Jury take pleasure in CIV
ing expression of their unqualified approval of the
plan as well as the workman-like manner in which
the greater part of the work has been executed yet
there are nevertheless parts of the inside work
they constrained to say falls much below that
degree of perfection which characterizes the rest.
They would partcularize the window frames and
window sash, which are made of inferior materials
and the workmanship executed in an imperfect
and unworkmanlike manner The Jury also no.
tced that both the inside gable end walls gave evil
dence that there are leaks in the roof, probably
owing to the insufficicncy Of the timing around
Jury were informed by Mcssrs. Hawkins and Jen-
kins of the Building Committee, that Mr. O'Brien
has agreed, at his own expense, to remedy any de-
feet arising from the use of defective materials or
imperfect workmanship, and that they were there
fore assured that the defects above indicated would
receive the early attention of Mr.. O'Brien.
The Jury would beg leave to call the attention Of
your Honor, and Though you to the proper autho-
rites, to the arrangement of the waterclosets in
said building, as being notperhaps the best calcu
lated to promote the health of those confined there.
III,
into a sink well the outer wall of the build
ing, and this sink has drain leading to
the main run, through which its'csntents ight be
discharged and carried off by the tide. Neither
has it any other facility by the of which its
noxious accumulations might be removed. The
Jury therefore are apprchensive that in the event
of any number OF prisoners being confined there
during the summer months, this receptacle of the
impurities of the water closets might be Sc filled up
to render it not only exceedingly unpleasant but
absolutely the fruitful source Of disease, and that
too Of the most malignant type. The Jury would,
therefore, recommend the proprety Of taking steps
ted t. 'S''' viz ' '7''~ y WV 40 ''' ''
The Jury report, that there are at the present
time but two individuals in confinement-Nally,
under sentence, who will of course soon be remov
ed to the Pententary, and negro fellow who has
been placed there by his owner for safe keeping
They must not omit however to mention that there
is white in the custody of the Sheriff. though
not in confinement He was committed some three
or four years since to Jail vagrant He is
foreigner by birth and Is thought to be somewhat
insane, though Mr.. Hatcher describes him to the
jury being entirely docile and easily controlled.
In view of this fact the Jury would respectfully
recommend his removal to the Almshouse, which,
under the law is the proper receptacle for such un
fortunates, where the expense of maintaining and
taking of them would be greatly lessened;
unless, on proper investigation, it be found that
the unsoundness of his mind has not passed that
point of decay at which, by proper medical and
scientific treatment. it might be restored, in which
event philanthropy would seem to require that he
should be sent to the Maryland Lunatic Asylum.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
f. b. +. BURGESS, FOREMAN.
In the Circuit Court for Charles County,
MAY TERM, 1860.
ORDERED by the Court, that the Clerk of this
Court copy this Report and furnish the to the
Commissioners of the County, with the wishes of
the Court that the Commissioners will profit by the
suggestions and recommendations of the Grand
Jury; and the Clerk will also furnish copy of this
Report to the Editor of the Po Tobacco Times for
publication.
PETER w. GRAIN,
True copy-Test May 18th, 1860.
G.. w. Grain, Clerk.