Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-08
COUNTY COURT.
First Day Of the Quarterly Meeting
- The Hall Controversy = Justice
MeaeIIan Pitches Into the Grand
jury - All AbOut the TurnpikeS =
DribIets for the Paupers. etc.

The regular quarterly meeting Of the
County Court opened yesterday morning
in the Criminal Court room, Judge W. A.
Glenn in the chair.
Present, Justices J. W. Bush, Thos.
P Bumpsss, w. d. Baker, Jere-
miah Bowen, P. w. Brien, T. D. Cas-
setty, Z. Fl. Childress, Enoch Cunning
ham, Jno. r. Cowan, E. M. Cullum, J. B.
Garfield, James NJ. Campbell, Wesley
Drake, NJ. J. Dolin, Nat F. DoTtch, Alfred
Dunn, J. S. DilIahunty, A. s. Edwards, D.
s. Graves, Benaiah Gray, Michael Gray,
Hollis Hagar, Zach T. Hays, Henry
Holt, James Haynie, M. Kerrigan,
A. Kennedy, VIM. A. knight, J. 8.
Long, VIM. A, Mathews, Henry McEeill,
VIM. F. Meacham, Thos. McCarty, P. W.
Maxey, james Norvell, Jas. T. Patterson,
Ernst Pohl, J. r. W. Pearcy, D. A. Phelan,
Charles Rich, Jno. w. Rucker, H. s.
Scales, James H. Still, A. B. Shankland,
L. X. Spain, Geo. w. Spain, c. M. Stewart,
j. NJ. Tardifi, Herbert Towns, w. J.
Taylor, Jno. Taylor, james s. Williams,
james Wyatt, w. H. Wilkinson, n B.
Willis.
Accounts amounting to 1887 At were
| allowed.
Justice Meacham, from the Courthouse
| Committee, reported the courthouse in need
of repairs TO the extent of $500 or $1,000,
and recommended the laying of sewer to
the river. The committee also reported
$3.50 received for rent of Concordia Hall,
nd Ill L. e n 4
Club from their lease of the hall, more
space being required for court rooms.
Chancellor Harrison made statement to
the court, of the necessity of enlarging the
Office of the Chancery Court Clerk.
The Courthouse Committee were author
lied to make all necessary repairs to the
| courthouse, and to lay sewer to the river.
Justice Meacham, from the Jail Com
mittee, read the grand jury report pub
lished in the UNION AND DISPATCH a short
time since, and submitted the following:
To THE HONORABLE COUNTY COURT OF
DAVIDSON COUNTY: We, the undersigned,
Jail Commissioners for Davidson county,
beg leave to submit the following report:
Your Jail is in good order and condition,
and kept extraordinarily clean. There
are at present confined in the Jail fifty-one
persons-one white and two colored fe-
males, and forty-eight males, white and
colored. Only two of the prisoners are
unwell, neither seriously.
We see published report in NASHVILLE
UNION AND DISPATCH of October I'd, 1867.
purporting to be made by the grand iury
of said county, in which they state that the
Jail is in fair condition, some of the rooms
being damp, but they were mol disposed to
let the public know that said dampness
was the result of securing said rooms on the
same morning, and Just before their visit.
! They further say that theprisoners received
from tub beef and corn bread, and in
some instances they thought too small an
allowance, and Of an inferior article, and
in the way of vegetables, only one small
potato per day.
This report is based upon a statement of
some one of the prisoners whose name they
carefully conceal, and as your committee
have Investigated these statements, and
upon inquiry of the prisoners find none
who indorse the statements as correct, we
are of opinion that said statements were
made to the grand jury by some murderer
or horse-thief whom the Jailer is obliged
to keep is very close confinement, and who,
in all probability, had an idea at the time
that by making such charges against the
Jailer, he would gain some favor of advant-
age to him in his present condition
and upon his trial. We believe that said
grand jury did wrong in making such
public report, based upon the informa-
ton of felons who could not be
believed upon oath in a court of justice,
thereby doing great injustice to the
Jaileru who, your committee think, has
seonducted said prison better, kept it cleaner,
fed the prisoners better, and done more for
their comfort and to promote their health
and ameliorate their condition, than any
former Jailer has done since we have had
the honor to serve as Commissioners.
Said grand jury also, in this report, say
upon information obtained from the same
source, that there is complaint against the
Jail physician Of intoxication and de-elic-
ton of duty. Your committee are informed
by Thos T. Sanders, Jailer, and f. M.
Cullum and Alfred Dunn, assistants, whom
your committee think are entitled to at least
as much credit as the grand Jurors informant.
that the statements as to the Jail physician
are false in toto; that he is regular in his at
tendance at the Jail, whether wanted or
not and unexpectedly required, is prompt
in his attendance when notified, day or
night; that he has never visited the iail in
q state of intoxication, and that said phy-
stefan has managed all cases of sickness in
the Jail with skill and success, having lost
only one patient who was wounded when
being captured, and died of his wounds.
We make this detailed report in Justice
to the parties concerned, and to disabuse the
minds of the public of any wrong impress
sions preiudicial to said parties by tie re-
port Of said grand jury, made upon the
ex parte statements of unreliable persons.
W. F. MEACHAM, Chairman,
JAMES HAYNIE,
f. H. CHILDREss.
Justice Wilkinson, from the Pesthouse
Committee, reported fifteen cases of small
pox since the July report, none of which
had resulted fatally. No cases at present.
Justices Towns, Maxey aud Gray, Road
Commissioners, reported the Lebanon,
Nashville and Franklin pixies in good re-
pair the Franklin College pike in tolera-
bic order, though rough the bridge over
Mill creek, on the Mill Creek Valley pike
lost, and balance of road being repaired
expenditures large for bridges and metal
ing on the Murfreesboro pike, and i'm
provements to be continued until the road
is put in good condition; the Granny
White, Hardin and Charlotte pixies under
going repairs the Gailatin pike in very
bad condition and no repairs going on,
though to be commenced shortly the
Dickinson, Brick Church and Whites
Greek pixies, not in very good condition,
though undergoing repairs; the Buena
Vista pike on the Nashville side of the
river, in bad condition, and no repairs being
made; the Hyde's Ferry pike in bad con-
dition, but undergoing repairs.
A special committee reported in favor of
building bridge across Spring street, in
the 18th district