The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1872-06-07
REPORT
OF THE
GRAND JURY
On the condition of the
AlmshOuse and Jail.
To tile Hon. James d. Waters.

To tile Hon. James ID. Waters,
Judge Of the Circuit Court for Hwtom Co.:
THE GRAND JURY FOR THE MAY
L TERM, 1872, have the honor to report
that they have completed all business
which has been brought before them, and
are happy to state that no serious violations
of the law have demanded their attention.
Numerous infrinoements of the laws pro-
hibitng the sale of intoxicating liquors on
Sunday have been brought to the notice of
the Jury and several indictments have been
found, but owing to unwillingness of wit
nesses to testify, or an unfortunate teeblcness
of memory which seems to affect the fire.
quenters of drinking houses many of the
offenders doubtless escape just punishment.
In three cases the jury have recommended
to your Honor summary suppression Of
the licenses of so-called restaurants The
jury was satisfied in these cases, that the
comfort of respectable citizens was destroy
ed and their ears shocked by obscene Ian
guage and blasphemous oaths uttered by
persons who derived their inspiration from
the bars OF these groggeries; and we are
of opinion that rigorous exercise of the
power which, we are advised, the law has
placed in the hands of the Court, will do
more to arrest growing evil than many
indictments, through the meshes of which
these slippery culprits so often glide.
The jury paid the usual visit to the Aims
house, and it gives us much pleasure to
state that the unfortunate recipients of the
public charity appeared to be as comforta-
bic as their condition would admit. They
were clad in clean and comfortable cloth
ing, their beds and quarters were scrupu.
lousy neat and their health indicated a
wholesome and sufficient diet.
Mr.. Worthington informed us that the
highest number of paupers under his charge
was seventy-tive, but last winter the num-
Der only reached forty-fve, but even for this
number the quarters are insufficient; bnt,
as we are informed, the commissioners of
the county have authority to sell part ofthe
land and to enlarge the accommodations,
we deem it unnecessary to trouble your
Honor with any suggestions, except that a
new kitchen with Il commodious cellar
should at once be added to the keepers
house, the present kitchen being so small and
in the summer so insutferably hot Gas the
personal experience of the jury can testify
that the cooks and attendants must have the
constitution of salamanders. We are in
formed by the keeper that sufficient wheat
and vegetables are raised on the farm to
supply the paupers and the surplus of corn
goes towards supplying the deficiency in
meat. The number of paupers ut present
at the Almshouse is: of white males, s;
white females, 81 colored adult males, /
females 5 children 5 total. 90 of whom
1 is sick and is insane.
In the discharge of their duties the Jury
also visited the Jail. After leaving the
quarters of the sheriff we entered the Jail
proper and were Immediately confronted
by several smells so combined and inter
mingled that we did not attempt to deter
mine the number, but traced them to sour
ces which we found to be in the cells occu-
pied by prisoners, the most important one
being in an apartment occupied, at the
moment of our inspection, by 3 negroes,
and which we thought was not as clean as
it might have been. Those occupied by
two white prisoners were clean, but the
occupants were exposed to the odors which
pervaded the lower part Of the building
AS we assembled into the. third or highest
story, we found the atmosphere much i'm
proved and the apartments large and bet
ter ventilated but, as we understand, these
upper rooms are intended for prisoners ola
more elevated social position. They are
not often occupied and their comforts sell
dom enjoyed.
The pipes from the stove lead fearfully
close to wood work and much combustibe
matter, rendering the building liable to fire,
which, after all, is perhaps the only agent
that can ventilate and improve the condi-
ton Of this institution; but in the mean
time we would recommend the substitu-
ton Of earth closets for the sinks now in
use, which with the absence of ventilation,
render the Jail of Hartford county penal in
stitution that the law does not contem-
plate.
ROBERT S. RODGERS,