New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-03
COURT RECORD,
SATURDAY. JANUARY ., 1875.
Superior Disrricf Court

! SATURDAY, JANUARY >, 1875.
Superior District Court.
Louisiana State Lottery Company Y
AiphOnse Guignease and John j. O'Briel
clerk of Sixth District Contradictions
states that there is a suit pending Row i
the Sixth District Court, entitled Alphons
Guignesse VS.. James Cooley and Charles r
Howard, wherein plaintiff sues defendant
in solido tor $500 damages for having hin
arrested for violating act No. 9 of 1874
relating to the sale Of unlicensed lotter,
tickets. They ask tor an Injunction agans
the said Guignesse TO restrain him from
prosecuting them in a court without juris
dictiOn in the case, ami for an order to the
clerk of the Sixth District Court to Show
cause on the seventh instant why he should
not be ordered to transfer the papers to ths
Superior District Court, under act No. OF
December II. 1872, an act to protect and
enforce the jurisdiction of the Superior
District Court Injunction granted and
order issued.
Superior Criminal Court.
In the case of John Martin, charged with
| incest, demurrer was filed, to be heard on
| the ninth instant.
| GRAND JURY REPORT.
The grand jury offered their final report
and were discharged by Judge Atocha. We
| extract from the report the following inter
esting facts:
| The term for which we were impaneled
| as grand jurors for the parish of Orleans
| expiring on this day, we respectfully submit
our report of the result of our labOrs
During the term We have examined large
| number of cases with as much expedition as
the circumstances Of each case would permit
OF.
Your honor's instructions, given to Us
orally Immediately after our being impaneled
have been followed with as much precision
as 1t was IN our power to exercise. All the
cases presented to US have been finally dis
posed OF, and presentments made into court
in accordance with the decision OF the nee
essary number Of grand jurors acting in
each case.
We have returned true bills fOr-murder,
II; manslaughter, :; arson, 3; rape. ,; in
cest, /; false imprisonment, /: assault and
battery. ,; enlightenment and breach of
trust, 3; perjury, /; publishing as true a
forged order. etc, :; forgery :: purchasing
certificate of registration, :. These being
all the cases submitted to ub for our investi-
CATION, except a small number in which the
bills were ignored.
1t IS with great regret that, as grand
jurors and citizens, We are compelled to re-
port 10 your honor that the Parish Prison is
in a most unfit condition for the purposes to
which it is devoted. The distribution of
space for the safe eeping of the large nun
Der of prisoners almost constantly confined
therein is wholly Inadequate; the ventlla-
ton is SO defective that it can hardly be
said that there is really any ventilation; the
cells are damp, the flooring and stairs are
rotten, and nearly everything requisite to
make this a humane place of confinement is
wanting. The law in reference to prOvid-
ing INDECENT prisoners with clothing, shoes,
etc, has been neglected.
As your honor is aware, you, yourself,
have been forced to direct the sheriff to
procure the most absolutely needed and
scanty clothing for prisoners to come into
court with something on to cover their
nakedness. The sheriff is not responsible
for this neglected state OF the building, for
it is the duty Of the Council of the city to
cause the public buildings to be kept in q
proper state.
Not having visited the prison during the
term of the late sheriff, we are not prepared
to speak OF the management OF the prison
ers; their maintenance, and other proper
care devolviug upon that sheriff and bis |
deputies. While cOndemning in the strong
est terms the condition OF the building, we
have but praise to bespeak for the present
sheriff. his chief deputy and deputies in |
charge OF the prison for the present good |
and the efforts that are being |
made to properly care for the inmates, and |
the hardships resulting from the |
condition OF the building.
We find adj dining to the Parish Prison |
building proper large building, wholly un- |
lately used as the Insane Asylum,
and formerly known as the police Jail; why |
his building should be lett unoccupied |
While Its being made part of the Parish |
Prison would so materially remedy |
he principal deficiencies complained
If in the Parish Prison building we |
IAN not understand. We believe that
his building should be Immediately
erred to the custody of the sheriff for the
purpose of being used and to form part OF
he Parish Prison of the parish OF Orleans.
Ii this new addition could be confined per
ons undergoing sentence for petty otfenses
md misdemeanOrs; also persons awaiting
and trial before the commit
ing magistrates and other courts under
harges for petty 0ffenses, such az mis-
emelnors and the lesser feiOnies. By this
means the Parish Prison could be relieved
rom its Overburden, and what is exceed
ngly important, separation could be
made between the habitual and confirmed
rlminais and those who are not TO be thus
iassined, whereby many who become
ardened criminals By contact with those
Or whom there is no hope of reformation
7ould be perhaps saved from the further
commission of crimes. Furthermore, the
ervices of all those undergoing sentences
hould be utilized for the benefit of the
ity. 1t would take too much space and
me Tor US to undertake to describe the
arlOus modes in which this could be done,
ut this subject is well worthy the CON
Iteration of the city administration.
We visited the Workhousc and soup |
ouse adjoining and found these buildings
a dilapidated and unfit condition for the
imposes to which they are devoted There
as at the time of our visit, but seven or |
ght prisoners idling in the yard. We can
&c no prof. to the city from the contnu-
ice of this institution, unless an entire |
mango in the existing laws as to the dispo-
ton to be made of persons sentenced fer
inOr otfenses and violation of the city
.dinances can be brought about. At
resent, the best that can be done is to shut ;
p the institution and transfer its few im-
risoned inmates to the Parish Prison.
The coup house adjoining appears to us E