Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-01

9 county was 1915. 900 in 1857, 1856. 900
= deducting States portion, $2t9, 600, leave,
the county, $4,000. II appears tina
: when Judge Smith was succeeded rs
s Leonard in the Office Of Judge Of the
= County Court, not only bad the county ;.
+ Indebtedness been liquidated but sd
q vsnces Of $4,000 made to w. B. Greenlav
c for rent OF courthouses, with a balance
= OF S2l geo in the treasury. When G. p.
: Ware was succeeded by League as clerk.
t from S25. 600 to So, 900 were ia the treas
uryi vita debts all paid, save aRd ex-
5 pressing for settlement, with SIS 600 10
the treasury, and q revenue OF nearly
half million. Two years have sufficed
: to empty our treasury and reduce war
+ rants so cents on the dollar
We find that the jail contract was
} awarded to Mr.. Powers at Sl44 600. We
} beg to append the statement Of Mr..
. Cook, architect
Total cost including plumbing steam
and gas fttinz, as per re port and es-
, innate OF architect. s2ls 29J II
The contractor was allow ed, By report
Of special conmIttee, for delays,
uSL1h8es, ~ coo 90
Fees OF architect, ETC. ...-......-. 1900 %
Total cash yalus.............-.. ..--. 20 900 %
What the delays and damages reported
By the special committee were, for which
$1,000 SO are allowed, does not satlsfae-
torily appear to this grand jury, but It Is
evident the extras exceed the original
contract by $4,000.
RKcAPIrULArroS
Total cost OF jail as reported by Cook
Amount allowed afcaifect for Sntici- -'''' "
PaSsa dspTseiati on OF seri P ZOO %
ton and anticipated depreciation
OF scrip .--. 650o0 %
Total cost 20 county $500 %
] Thus 1t viii appear that 1922 600 have
! been paid 10 excess OF original contract,
| and S7Z GOO in excess Of estimates Of the
architect. This, in round numbers, APP
/ pears from the books to be the cost Of the
jail 70 the county but We propose to
submit very plain proposition. Mr..
/ Cook, the architect, receives five per
/ cent Of gross cost, and the sum paid him
| is 81 600, thus the total cost Of jail would
| by $40, 600. This Is q practical vertical
| ton OF cur assertion that "c0ntrscts
which seem Insignificant in the letting
| assume Colossal proportions on frat set
Element"
In our examination Of the records of !
the County Commissioners, we find an /
+.
made on or about the 18th day of June /
last, as q contingent fund, " TO meet |
such expenses as necessarily require 10 /
be paid in cash. Just what these " con-
ttHgeHcies were is not definitely stated /
upon the record; but that they were
such, as 1t was not desirable to have the /
public know, is evidenced in the order,
sealing the pages-a living, speaking
witness of the truth that men love
darkness rather than light because their
deeds sre evil"
1t has also come to the knowledge OF
this grand jury that certain banks have
been allowed 70 sell orders upon the Tax
Collector instead Of warrants, having no
scrip to their credit or On deposit with
the Collector. This, we are informed,
has been done to the amount OF many
thousand dollars, and since such transsc-
tons have g tendency 70 depreciats
scrip, the banks are enabled 10 supply
the amount thus drawn at reduced raJes,
realizing large profits.
We md the County Commissioners
appropriating the county's revenue to
pay two assistant iailors, q book keeper,
an engineer and twelve guards. We
have been unable to find any provision
in the Code fer such appropriations, and
therefore deem them not only illegal, but
unnecessary, believing that good, re-
spoosibie men can be found who would I
gladly take charge of the jail, furnish |
their own guards, and accept as q COM ,
pensatiOn the turkeys and the profits
arising from feeding prisoners, partieu-
larry when the prices paid for the latter 7,
is sixty cents per day, leaving the county
70 pay for fuel, lights, etc, q sum not to
exceed the tenth part Of that now paid.
We are advised thSt our duty is dis c
charged by reporting these facts to your G
Honor, for that II Otfens has been com. !
nitted, lt Is such as belongs to the mu- +,
1icipsl courts as alone possessing juris- /
iiction.
BY reference to bill rendered by Jail I
physician for three months, your Honor c
will see that at that rate iL will cost the d
state 5000 dollars per Rnnum. Ysur I
Honor having especially called our at
.ention to the - food aud treatment
If prisoners in the jail, we respectfully
'eport that we have examined the food !.
md ind some Of 1t very good and some
7ery bad, yet the prisoners look remark :.
.bly well. We find the complaint of q
)ad food and insufficient quantity almost l
this We deem natural, tor q
person In confinement must necessarily
lave something to complain Of doubt
ess they would eat great deal more il q
hey could get it, so would hundreds ia
'Ur city, who earn their money honestly,
nd are neither convicted nor accused 81
t crime. This grand jury has but lit ID
lie complaint to make OF the food, but il q,
ertSiuly has OF the price paid for feed .
1g sixty cents per day Is amply sufi- D
lent to furnish three meals Of good and
wholesome food, while at present they p
ct but two. The actual cost Of feeding
prisoner being about thirty cents per p
sly, leaving net profit Of thirty cents p
er day, which upon the present number
I prisoners would amount to from {IS,-
w to 81, QUO per annum to the keeper ! CO
We repeat what we stated in another IN
art OF this report, that as good food aud q
g much in quantity can be furnished at a,
'rty cents per day as Is now at sixty. o.
IL regard to the punishment OF prison. =
rs We had considerable complaint. ~
ONE have been gagged, come tied TO the 70
ar of their cells with the arms cufFed on
le outside, and some perhaps tied up by
le thumbs. The reason assigned by the as
Iilor was that they would be subdued in 70
0 other way, persisting in the use Of the at
lost abusive language and loud talk, %
isitOrs to the jail meeting at all times a.
18th the most vulgar, obscene insults, y.
hich mild treatment had failed to ob- IA
late; but this jury being advised that 10
le jailor is clothed with no power to
lfiIct cOrporeal punishment, have found
pom investigation the above named
cts.
In conclusion, we offer 10 your Honor
summary OF indictments found by us
airing our term to the present date: a.
ssaut with intent 70 ALL. Y
aliclous sRoo
Ous6 oreakins 10 C1l
IDOeIy -.'---..
seen ...-...-..47
Irglary ........
) Il
goods under false prstenses.-...... ~
tempt TO commit larceny ny
eacn OF brust. 4
ipe- 3 Ol
'ISeEy .---.-.-....-.-... ! aio
'celvtng stolen 92O
staining false signature -. ......... 3 me
audulent appropriation OF properly ..a-... l aid
rots1 IN ole
All Of which Is respectfully submitted. WI
d. Cornell, Foreman of Grand Jury
W. Coleman, J. Miller, Efs
D Williams, Il. A, Hughes, ~
% H. Blood, James &. Marshall,
p, Boiling, J. 7. Fargason,
CLARK, o. \. Prescott,
T. Mccoy, ]. Z. Carpenter.
TO BANKRUPTS Ste