New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-05
Report Of the Grand Jury-City Matters
Di.cussrh.

was made yesterday in the First Distrlc;
Court:
To the Ho, e Aben Jui: &c of the Flrs: Distgc:
Court OF New Orleans:
The grand Ators Tor the parish OF Or
leans, upon thssve of closing their la5ogs,
respectfully tender this. their final report.
to your honor.
Constituted in the midst of almost unpar-
alleled political complications, and when
| the blood of opposing par tI9ans was
heated to an excessive degree, we
feared that we might be called upon TO
| witness occurrences OF the 9rayest
nature. We were not entirely deceived IN
| our apprehensiOns, as events have SHOWN;
| but very fortunately these occurrences
| have not been so fatal as had been anticl-
| pated, and our term has come to an END
| under cOmDarativelv peaceable conditions.
for which every Lawa biding citizen should
feel grateful.
| PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
There is subject quite az important.
which, owing 70 its direct bearing on
part of our duties as grand Jurors. we
| can not dismiss so abruptly. We refer TO
| the financial condition of the State OF Lou
| i,iana and the city Of New Orleans. For.
until some improvement shall have been
made in this direction, we tear that the re-
| suit of grand jury examinations into the
| public institutions within the parish, or any
suggestion that they can make regarding
them will prove Valueless and simply a
waste of time and paper.
And vet we can not ignore the duties
which are imposed upon us by the laws OF
| this State. In this dilemma there is little
left for us 10 do except to proceed and
briefly report our observations.
THE POLICE STATIONS.
OF these there are nine or ten in the par
ish, the principal ones of which we have
visited and with few exceptions found
them to be imperfect for the plrpose of de.
tanning prisoners. The first precinct sta
ton, opposite Lafayette square, i5 the most
objectionable. The first floor OF the lookup
"a anything short of a sink hole. which
cOpons ablutiOns of sitting carbOlic acid
alone prevent from injecting the prisoners
whose misfortune it is to incarCerated there
if for an hour. The second precinct building
station is in danger of slipping OF from
its foundations, thereby enddngeriny the
lives of the inmates. The lookup proper
of this precinct, together with those Of the
fourth, fifth and sixth precints, has good
accommodations, and is kept exception
ably clean. We can not say as much of the
others. We would, however call the at
tention of the authorities to the fifth pre-.
ciIct station, which, in view OF the shor:
allowance Of blankets to prisoners, mast
be intOlerably cold during the winter
months.
Considering still that violators of the law
are nevertheless human beings, we can see
10 reason why they should be incar-
cerated in verminageries tor however
cleanlY the various places of detention
are kept our experience teaches us that l.
is impossible to keep them free from verlnln
unless the clothing and blankets used in
them are washed in hot water. This defect
exists in every police station and even IN
the Parish Prison, while at the wOrkhOuse
and other institutions there are proper ap-
paratus to maintain cleanliness.
THE PARISH PRISON.
This in stitution is so unlike the modern
institutions of its kind that il may well be
called mockery. The building is in facr
unfit to detain men in, according with the
modern principles Of contining offenders.
And it is indeed surprising, in view of its
age and dilapidated condition, that it should
he kept so clean and orderly, with the eX-
cpptiOn mentioned above in relation 70
blankets The food furnished the prisoners
Is wholesome, and none complained OF their
treatment on the occasion of our visit.
THE WORKHGUsE,
SO called, probably, because II is place OF
:dleness, where drunkardS of both sexes are
kept confined, with nothing to do, beyond
the policing of their quarters and the
prison yard, is another wr6tched institution
which would disgrace any community. By
dint of energy, however, an appearance OF
cleanliness is given to the institution. and
we take pleasure to state also that it Is con
ducted with c0mnendable economy. some
little revenue being derived from the manu-
facture OF cOttins for the city and the re-
pairing OF the iron ratings Of the public
squares in the workshops which occupy a
few individuals out OF the lO5 confined
there.
GIRLS HOUSE OF REFUGE.
At the Girls House of Refuge we found
fifteen inmates. under the charge Of Mrs.
Mitchell. and a yOnng lady school teacher.
The quarters are large and airy. and only
need a little painting and whitewashlng 10
make them perfectly comfortable. The ma
tron claims that the institution needed bed
clothing and besides, justly. we believe,
that one pair of shoes year for each in
mate is by far too small an allowance. The
school ia almost a farce as at present con-
Quoted, there being neither books nor sta
tionery with which to teach the children,
who above all others, would seem 20 iced
some knowledge before they are thrown
out on the world.
We regret to have to make further ami
serious comments on this institution. What
was the original design in creating il we
are unable to say. but as constituted now.
it presents a very singular feature. Side by
side, and in the character of daily play
mates. we find young girls, whose only mis-
fortune is to have no parents TO care tOr
them, sitting with noted yagab0nds, whose
morals must be 50 loose that we can hardly
believe the creators of the institution ever
intended to bring the two classes in con.
tact with each other. We therefore would
particularly call the attention OF the au.
thorlties to this fact. and refer them for ex.
ample to the management Of the House o.
TIE Good Shepherd, where the respective
classes are kept entirely separate.
TUE BOYS HOUSE OF REFUGE.
Although the building on the Metairie
ridge now used as house OF refuge for
boys was not original Y constructed for that
purpose. we are happy to say that it is be- |
yond doubt the most respectable public !
institution in the parish under the direct .
management of the State or city authOrl- !
ties in fact, it is the only decent one. The |
Objectionable features which it presents is |
that it is in a locality not yet sufficiently /
drained; that the water supply is insutfi- |
cient, owing to imperfect pump arrange
ments, and that there are no play sheds tor |
the inmates in case of hot sun or rain dur |
inc the hours of recreation, when they can |
not remain in doors. The yard needs filing |
alton ground.
There are about ninety inmates in
the institution Ia reduction OF about |
thirty-fve as compared with the
number in August las;j nearly equally
divided between white and colored, all of
whom. enjoy equal privileges and advan-
tages.. 1ue appliances are excellent, and
clea uiiness :rl discipline perfect. The
health of the Institution also seems good,
there beng only three cases OF bilious
fever in the ;nfrmary. The school is a
feature. and is fairly provided
for. The institution contains 'e5ides a
!, h-..rI n l;...-.. snrL-:na |