Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-06-17

commenced on yesterday, Will be
concluded to-day. Messrs. Bullock and
Sale prosecute on behalf of the State !;
Messrs. Yerger and Hsrrigan conduct
the defense. The case Of the State vs..
Misunderstanding stolen property-is
set specially for trial to-day.
The Grand Jury presented the follow
ing report:
OF Memphis;
The Grand Jury OF the Criminal Court
of Memphis present the room occupied
by this Court as entirely unsuitable. First.
On account of its size and want Of ventil-
alton; the Court from the necessities re-
sultiDg from its organization and man.
ner of doing business requires more room
than any other Court in the city en-
gagged in trying the highest felons in
which counsel of eminence and ability
address the court and juries, and in
which public interest Is excited, large
crowds Of spectators attend the sittings
Of the court and In trying cases of hon.
ieide 1t Is not unfrequent to have five
hundred jurymen summoned to attend
court. The result is that the room,
during such trials, Is packed to over
flowing; the windows and doors are not
only stopped up, but for a distance
around packed with listeners, aud on
such occasions the room Is described to
US as an oven, in which officers, lawyers
and jurors are breathing the fOe:id air
arising from the densely packed body OF
human beings of sll kinds, color and
condition, sweltefing In the heat Of an
unveDtilated room. The room, which
was formerly a storerOom, is on the
ground floor, and lower than the adj0iu-
ing alley. It is damp and unhealthy.
Immediately In the resr Of the court
room are privies, the etiiuVia from which
must be sickening to the occupants OF
the courtroom, for during the short time
each day in which the Grand Jury are
engaged in the courtroom, they bave
had experience of its responsiveness. The
Clerk OF the Criminal Court has no room
in which to keep his records, and in
which he can transact business without
being disturbed by the crowd. All the
records, books, indictments and bonds
are kept in desk in one corner OF the
courtroom. During the session OF the
Court, these papers must be ready for the
inspection OF the Court and Attorney
General; but Sc at present conducted,
the crowd mix with records and papers
as freely as officers, and 1t is common for
papers of highest value to be distracted.
This cannot be avoided at present with
out putting a guard over them. In ad-
dition to the want of suitable clerks
room next and contiguous to the court
room, the Clerk should have
large iron safe. Property which
hes been stolen, pistols which have
been used In homicide, counterfeit
money which has been passed and other
articles which must be used as evidence
on the trial are placed in his custody for
safe keeping. The Attorney General
should have q room adjacent to the court
room, where he can privately consult
with prosecutors, and in which he can
securely keep such papers and records as
appertaiu to his Office. An instance has
occurred within the past year where
nearly all the magistrates warrants sent
up for a whole term were distracted.
The Judge of the court should have q
room which could be used as chambers.
He is continually applied to out of court
for fats directed to other courts, and
Vrits in his own, and ought to have
place where he can be found for that
purpose. There should also be grand
jury and petit jury room, adjacent to the
principal room. The court room should,
in the Judgment of the Grand Jury, be
located where they would be free from
noise Of manufacturing establishments.
This Is not now the case. They should
be large and cOmmodious and well ven
tilated they should be convent
emily arranged with regard to
each other, and supplied with such
conVeniences as water closets, etc , so
arranged that they would not Of neces.
sity become nuissnces. The Grand Jury
are advised that it is not within the
scope Of their power to redress this mat
ter, but simply to present the court
room as unsuitable aud insufficient,
which will furnish the bssis Of action
for the proper officers, which they here
now accordingly do.
Siguedl II. ID. CONNELL.
Foreman Grand jury, and twelve Others.
SHELBY CIRCUIT COURT George W.
Reeyes, Jadge.-sevePal cases on the
calendar set for yesterday were dis
posed of. The cases act for trial to-day
are from Nos. 1876 to $50 on the trial
docket.