New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-04
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY

l. S
70 tho Honorable The Judge Of the First pstres Court
The grand jury have had under oonsiusralloh 'ils
var;ops matters committed to their charge, and
report:
An inspection of the parish prison (under the
,,nsrv;s;pn If Sheriff Charles Bienvenu, but I'M
nediately in charge of deputy 5: II: Grozat,1 was
satisfactory as regards general disciphne ana
cleanliness, and the healthful appearance OF the
nrisaners, The food. with one exception. was
pIentiful and good. The fuel of poor quality, and
almost useless. There was great lack of mat
tresses and blankets throughout the prison, even
in tho hospital, causing much and altogether I'M
necessary suffering. The sheriff reported having
applied to the city authorities for these articles
but without avail. The prisoners have room for
exercise and apparatus for bathing The ventila
ton of the prison is sufficient in winter, but must
be opposite in summer. The means Of guarding
the prison are insufficient, as has been demon
strated of late. The guards should be increased,
and it is necessary that they should be armed:
The iron bars and other fastenings to doors and
windows require renewing. The prison hospital,
inmates. The drug room appeared well supplied,
and the hospital in good order, and regularly
visited by the physician. .,
The building mas capacity for 716 prisoners. ua
the 2Sth March, it contained 207, of whom III were
white and Sc colored. The jury found nume ser
Of prisoners confined for trivial offenses and Ior
very brief periods, who could have been SO pun
ished in the first instance by the reo9rae. .e same
time better attaining the ends Of justice. osaers,
awaiting trial before this court, had oeen connsu
| for longer period than they womd MOS nneiy
have been sentenced for, thereby lnacnns
esSary punishment, and VloiatinS '"e Sav y.
Justice. .x..,i, r.cor,n,e,d that
1.-THE city physician be required 10 inspect tne loou
he'd clofhing and all other necessaries furnished to
I nrisoners- andf report thereon in writing to the
mavnr regnlarly every month; and also that the
sheriff be authorized to increase the prison guard
| and to arm them; to renew the from pafs ana
other fastenings required and to furnish supplies
| az bed clothing and other necessaries absolutely
| needed after consultation with and approval by
the mayor.
i stat;on is not well adapted for the purpose. 1t
| serves as a nuisance for the nelghborhood, being
| exceedingly offensive and detrimental to health,
10 say nothing Of the detriment to adjacent pri-
vate property. The jury would recommend, con
| seouently, the removal of the recorders court,
| the lookup police and other offices attached,
| from this central locality to one in the district
more retired, where better ventilation and accom-
mediation could be obtained.
At the Insane Asylum the Grand Jury found forty
patients. This asylum was designed only for tenn
porary occupation by the patients, they being
| finally sent to the State Asylum at Jackson. The
patients had healthy look, and, with few ex
1 ceptions, expressed themselves contented. The
premises were clean and found good The super
/ intendent reported scarcity Of water for wash
ing and bathing purposes. The jury found the
beds, in very cold weather, covered with only ONT
sheet and q single blanket
The fact that individuals are sent to this nstitu
ton by single magistrate, on charges of insanit.
made by one person, and often without prope
preliminary medical examination, deserves tn
serious attention of the authorities.
S@ The building is not adapted to the health an
comfort of the inmates in bad weather. Shout
the asylum be continued, building should be Sc
Elected for it out of the city, where the inmate
could have room for exercise in the open air, wit
& rda dnthp mar eSs
| At all events, this asylum should be organized O
better and more liberal scale, SO that whilst th
, corporal wants of the unfortunate inmates ar
7. attended to- some of the most successful moder
humanitarian methods of treatment should b
I adopted to instruct and amuse them.
The boys house of refuge containing l20 boys
under the management of @. W. West, was foun
. in fine working order and discipline evincng abb
administrative ability, shown by the health
appearance of the inmates and the good condito
. Of the different apartments shops, etc. The sch0
| is well managed. The trades taught the boys al
+ 4 practical and this industrial system should /
encouraged and extended The tin shop has bee
but recently reopened. In the tailor shop the BIO,
are instructed by an experienced tailor, wi
:. makes the clothing necessary for the inmates.
the shoe shop the monthly receipts average s57
The bakery has, in the last twelve months, supple
& the workhouse, the insane asylum, the house f
1t the aged and nrn, the girls house of refuge, al
y the children's home, amounting in value to abo
i $780, The bread consumed in the institutio
during the same time, was about 10000 pound
I. valued at $4,000. The receipts for bread in Il
twelve months from February, 1865, to Februar
1885, were sl4, 4S5 80.
The Jury find so many repairs and alteration
. required on the house of refuge for the health an
), comfort of the inmates, that they recommend tt
sale of the whole property and the purchase
grounds out of but suffeiently near the city wher
Z q building could be erected entirely. adapted I
! to the increasing wants of the institution, wit
/ lgrounds attached for exercise, a garden, dair,
i etc. At the present high prices of real estate
the city, the proceeds realized by the sale woul
no doubt go very far towards paying the expense
!. of buying grounds out OF the city, and erectin
{ the necessary buildings. H
: The city werkhouse buildings need repairs.
i the date of our inspection LIS persons We're III
= der charge of the superintendent, who evident
enforced system and industry. The jury woul
repeat for this institution the recommendation al
e piled to the boys house of refuge and the insa1
asylum-th removal out OF the city, so as to pr
}. up buildings more in accordance with the growt
of the city and the greater demands on sue
= institutions and at the same time doing ava
with a cause for the depreciation of adjacent re
p. estate. @ f8n 5&
The Jury would call attention to the necessity
Fl enforcing the law requiring the prompt regstr
ton Of all births and deaths. The Jury are SAT-
N fed, from official documents shown them, tn
4, there is constant use and necessity, not only
o this but in other countries, for the punctua reg
traton of births and deaths occurring in Il
y parish especially.
The inspection of the Charity Hospital show
y | the excellent management, thorough disciple
and cleanliness, and vast utility for which ii
noble institution has ever been noted.
Our inspection of the charitable asylums of t
city was the most agreeable part of our du
Foremost among them is the New Orleans Fems
s. Orphan Asylum, founded by Sister Regis in Is;
q, and now under the direction of Sister Agnt
Two Of the pious ladies who assisted Sister Ret
rs in establishing the asylum, Sister Emily and Sist
IS, Mary Ellen are still able to rejoice over the ST
cessful accomplishment of their noble enterpris
- which has conferred so many benefits on so ma
z. thousands of little orphans. We found here oy
two hundred children, from six to thirteen yet
D. old.
L. At the Elizabeth Female Orphan Asylum,
Magazine street, under the care of Sister Angelic
8. we found nearly ITO orphans, between ten a
eighteen years Of age. One excellent feature
e. their education is to teach them trades Its yea
income from its own industry is about $4,000.
j. At the Protestant Orphans Home, Mrs Go
ing in charge, we found 80 orphans, boys q
girls, from three to sixteen years of age. 1t "
q established by the Howard Association in Is
when the terrible epidemic of that year threw
w their hands so many hundreds of fatherless q
motherless destitute children. The building
much out of repair, and the Home greatly nee
,en assistance. 5.ssa Hs'
the AT the Jewish Widows and Orphans Home,
vas Jackson street, we found one widow and A
aid phan children 1t is under the direction of NJ
re- Noel; receives girls of all ages but BOYS only
ras to thirteen years, and is we'll managed. 'aQ
i'm We were much pleased with the condition
st, Annals Asylum, the home for destitute fema
inv and for children under nine years of age. 1t
~ undar the mana Mrs Moora o,,S ,,,y,,