The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-31
LEGAL TNTELETGNWcE.
Court of Quarter SessiOns-.Judge Peirce.


THE NEW TERM.
This morning his Honor Judge Peirce opened the
November term of the Criminal Court, appointing
Lewis Brown, Esq, foreman OF the Grand Jury,
which body, as constituted to-day, numbers thirteen
members, charging the Grand Inquest as to the
duties they would be required to perform. The
Judge referred to the Indifference with which the most
important topics were again and again commended
to the attention Of Grand Jures by the Court, and
by Grand Juries reiterated to the public one of
which was the deplorable condition of our prison
accommodations, and the absolute necessity for i'm
provement. This fell so unheeded upon the public
cav That 1t was almost waste of time to advert to
II again. The only remedy for the evil was legis-
lative action upon the subject If City Councils Will
not attend to it, the Legislature must intervene, as
they have had to do in other matters. AS
had been frequently said from this bench,
need OF revision. The prisoners were kept in idle
ness fed, and clothed at the public expense and not
punished otherwise than being restrained from
access to the public. AS Judge Ludlow had recently
said, they should be Kept at hard labor not solely
for punishment, but also for reformatory purposes
for if the convict was kept closely at work he would
have no time to plan or execute transgranssions
against the law and the habit of constant work en-
gendered in him in the prison. ana the sure conyic-
ton thatu pom repetition Of his offense he would be
returned to the labOTOus routine of prison life upon
his release he would prefer to labor on his own ac-
count rather than for the public.
Another fruitful source OF crime and complaint
was the Immense liquor trafc, which grows every
day in this city. The licensed rum-shOps here are
counted by thousands, and perhaps the unlicensed
number in the same proportion From his the
Judges residence at Seventeenth and Race streets,
down Race to the Delaware are actually siXty-four
drinking houses. From this trade the city derived
not one dollar, ana tne only revenue aCCrunG from
il was to the state, and that dwindled
into insignifcance when compared with the enOr-
nous amount of crime it caused. This matter re-
qulred the most earnest attention OF the Grand
Jury. ''whsky ring was also said to exist in the
city, organized for crime employing hired agents
for assassination, all in defiance of law. And how
long this to be submitted to Until the authO-
rites took upon themselves to ferret out its men,
bers and punish them. The Grand Jury was enti-
tied to consider these matters and present to the
Court any circumstances that should come to their
knowledge, and he deemed presentaGle here.
n thnir fnr
business.
District COurt, No. Judge Thayer.
Albert II. Phillips, administrator VS.. Frederick
Kuhn; action OF repevin to try the ownership of
personal property Verdict Tor defendant.
Edward Leonard VS.. william SingeiZer; an action
to recover the price paid for horse which it was
alleged defendant had agreed he might take upon
twentyfour hours trial, and which within that time
died. The defense denied the agreement and alleged
that the transaction as a bona tide sale. On trial.
District Court, No. 2-Judge Stroud.
Hugh W. Tener vs. r. 7. Hylton Il Co. An action
on q promissory note, which the defense alleged
was given in consideration for a barrel of alcohol
which proved to be of inferior quality Verdict for
plainti1f, $129
Martha Ashman VS.. F. C. Phipot and William p
Rose An action 10 recover damages for an alleged
illegal election from premises. The defense proved
that the ejectment was just and lawful, and done
with all legal formaites, and jury rendered ver-
r. s. Derrickson and Wife vs. Horace P. Wilbur
An action to recover the amount of note deposited
nth the defendant for collection, which the defeuse
alleges was paid on trial
Court of Common PIeas-AIIison, p. j.
George W. Crock VS.. Dennis M. ReardOn. An ac-
ton to recover for the and occupation of pre-
misses. Verdict for paintih, S90'65.,
Welsh Bro. VS.. William Richie An action on q
livered. The defense alleged part payment. on
trial,