The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-06-19
REPORT
OF THE
GRAND JURY.
MAY TERM, 1868.
To the Hon. Judges Of the Circuit Court
for H1rfcrd coNaiy.

As is the custom, the Grand jury Wis
tied he Almshouse, in body, and were
kindly receivsd and hospital J entertain
ed by the overs r. If tn po r, Mr. Ch"s.
Worihingl u, whose >ymprh 2 ~, KIND
heart peculiarly tits hin for tbs position
he orcupitS.
We were lirst shown the p't.mrit f
white avuen, aoG fu"HJ c"-rd, a.
th some apperr.ur" of com'ort. Here
we were shown AZ u- n wpman, whom 1t
is necessary to conhnc to n,r room, to a
certain extent. She is the daughter of
one who at one time occupied prominent
ostion in life, and was well and exten.
siyely known, and who was one of the de.
fcnders a his native State in the war #
1924 She was confined in misera-
lie pen, under the STEPS, about five feet
wide by six or seven long, without sin
gle comfort or convenience, and this was
the only place the overseer had for her.
This we all felt TO be disgrace not only
to our county, but to Christian commu-
nifty and to humanity. She shou'd be
Immediately sent to the Maryland Hos
pital
We Lext visited the rooms set apart for
the white men. We found these entirely
Insufficient, the inn ates being crowded to
excess, and without any comforts or con.
veuiences, as are all the rest Of the miser-
able novels VIC saw.
There are some twenty-five or thirty
persons at the Almshouse-a large major
lty of whom are negroes.
The buildings are old, dilapidated and
inconveuient, being built without regard
to comforr, convenience or ventilation, and
are entirely unsuited to the purposes for
which they are used.
The overseer's house also needs imme-
date repairs, and we hope they will be
made at once.
We would respectfully but earnestly
recommend, that all the land on the east
side of the road be sold, as soon as practi.
cable, as this part is OF no practical bene-
fit and the proceeds of such sale be appro-
priated to the improvement of the other
part.
We would suggest that the peoples re.
representatives. give this subject their spe
cial supervision and attention, if not from
sense of du,y, then from sympathy for
suffering humanity
Buildings should be constructed by a
competent architect, with bath rooms, &C.,
and the whole enclosed By a substantial
pailed fence. Shade trees should be
planted within the enclosure, where the
inmates could take exercise aud air them
selves (by conpulsion, if necessary with
out danger of their wandering away or be-.
ing troublesome.
We would recommend more particular
ly an apartment for the insane.
We visited the place where the Sheriff
lives and the prisoners are confined, called
"A Jail. We we're very Hospitality enter
tanned by Mr. William Young, Sheriff,
and by him shown the building and pris-
oners. We found in the Jail, three in-
sane men-one white and two black-and
five negro men and one negro woman,
awaiting trial for stealing. -.r-.
We would suggest that every man be
taxed, equitably and equally upon every
species of property (stocks and bonds
more particularly and then as soon as
that is done, we would say that the Jail
should be RACED, and new one erected, in
which prisoners can be kept, without the
most desperate constantly escaping.
Some prisoners are only held for fur
ther appearance at court, and should not
be punished, until proven guilty. For
them, apartments should be provided,
whore they can have light and air..
The drainage should be Immediately at
tended to, or peslilence may be engender-
dered and spread, endangering not only
the Sheriff and his family, and the prison.
ers, but also the citizens of the town.
We would call the attention of future
Grand Juries to Instructions in the high.
ways, and also to a close scrutiny of the
amount paid for licenses, we believing that
considerable frauds are perpetrated upon
the revenues Of the State, by parties OBJ
tanning licenses for less amount than the
true value of goods kept on hand at the
principal season of sale.
GEO. THOS. HAYS,