Wilmington journal., 1876-07-14

the grand jury made the following
PREsENTMENT.
SUPERIOR COURT,
June Term, 1876.
| To the Hon. Jttdge A. 4. McKoy
Superior Court. Nea0 HaaloUeJ
County,:
We, your grand jury. have diligent
ly inquired into al. business OF til.
county we leemed within our province
and do rre sent:
We have examined the poor hoase
and hospital of this county. We fuJ
there a total of 43 inmates III that in
| stitutiOL, of whom - ure white and 81
| are colOred; % are males and 81 are
| females. These are classified as fol
lows: lnsane, 13; SICK, 81 convaIescen;
paupera. 9, The institution is kept
clean and orderly mud is well managed
but your grand jury wonld recommend
that the board OF county ommissiouere
shall be required to make, or cause to
be made by the medical attendant,
more frequent examinations of the pa
tients in the institution, as there is
good reason to think that many pau
pers keep themselves continued on the
sick list after they are well, in order to
avoid working, thus entailing double
cost on the county; the fact that the
rolls of the institution, kept by the
efficient superintendent for some time
past show less than one fourth the in
mates as convalesct Mt, is a strong fr~
gument to lead your grand jury to this
conclusion.
The coutt house needH repairs, also
better provision in certain parts, viz:
t,0 Of tl,n
needs putting i'll order and also the
fastenIngs upon IT, and there should
be drawer or receptacle provided
of the grand jury to safely deposit
papers committed to their charge.
The room for the petit jury needs
some attention; it should be furnished
with table and writing material, in
order that they may conduct their Ge
libtratiols with decorous comfort to
themselves. The plastering in many
portions of the building stands in need
Of repairs, and should receive prompt
attention, and a general cleaning of
the paint work would greatly benefit
the general appearance. We would
urge the great necessity there exists
for increasing the ventilation of the
court room; every one who has had
occeslon to stay there for any length
of time must feel the necessity that
exists for this Improvement.
We would report the county Jail as
presenting a cleanly appearance, and
apparently we'll managed; the cells
seem very secure and we'll fastened,
being built entirely of brick, with
stone floors, and secured with iron
doors and good fastehings.
A matter of Importance which at
tracts the attention of this grand jury
is the insecurity of the county records
in case of fire; the loss or mutilation
of these volumes, containing as they
do. the titles of large amounts of real
estate, the originals of which, in many
cases, it would be hard to find-if not
TO produce-would be q
of greater magnitude than
we can contemplate, and we would |
therefore suggest. for their greater
security, the prOpriety of the county |
causing TO be built a peri. city fire
proof one story office, ou the corner of |
tine court house square, where it will |
be separate from any other building, |
to be devoted entirely to the use of |
the county records.
The work house contains at present |
l3 prisoners, of whom II are male and |
female. One of the male prisoners
is sick and closely confined in place
very improper for asick man; his food, |
ust the same as is given the other
prisoners, is not such as his condition
demands, and as we feel satisfied that
IN immediate alleviation and change is
absolutely necessary, We would strong
y urge that action in his case be taken
immediately. We found tubs Of filth
tandtng in close proximity to the
Iuartera, and producing unpleasant
,m Ills, which must Eventually result
II producing pestilence and sickness
which might p obabiy disseminate it
'elf among the inhabitants living in
hat section of the city. The total dis
'egard Of the ordinary rules of health
md sanitary regulations require re-
orm. We find that the regular ratiohs
IF molasses, which the prisoners should |
nave, has been discontinued for some |
lime. and the amount of meat per diem
less than two ounces per head
which is allowed to each prisoner,
seems to this jury starvation allow
lnce. and entirely inadequate to the
wants OF men who are doing hard labor
laily. We deem it our duty to ask
his Honorable Court to take action in
.hese matters and either improve or
entirely suppress the institution.
The bridge over Smiths Creek needs
some slight (aIthough importantly re-
pairs, aud some of the smaller bridges !
need alteration.
We would presents that not sufficient |
care is exercised by the County Com
missioners in the drawing of the panels |
Of juriei for the court terms, to see |
that the names drawn are not returned !
to the same box from which they |
came. 1t would seem impossible that |
the list can be exhausted i'll such a
short time as to bring some of the |
same names on the jury list at inter
walls as short as one, two and three |
kind should not occur, the effects of
which are that one portion of our citi-
zens do mole than their fair share of
jury duty, while others who should
assist to equalize the burden are sell
dom, if ever, called upon.
We would ask particular attention
Of this Honorable Court aud its aid to
the Board of County Commissioners in
its movement to that end by the e1eI-
else of It's powers for the suppression
of magistrates employing or keeping
around them runners-lrrespOnslb
pa 'ties-to make it their business to
hui up cases, however trivial they may
be, for the magistrate to whose office
he IS attached and by whom he is fre
G. uently employed. contrary to statute
law, as deputy constable-a duty
which is frequently exercised in a law
less mannnr-thus giving good and
serious cause of complaint to our
also to the lawfully elected
COILS ables whe are deprived of their
Legitimate occupation after having
given bonds for the faithful perfor~
nance of their official duties.
In conclusion, we deem it worthy of
remark, the great decrease Of cases OF
crime before this grand jury. as COM
pared with former terms. and argue
therefrom that the great Increase of
influences, both secular
and religious. are producing their ar
IDENTIFY desired effects; that the seeds
of learning and intelligence ce thus plant
ed will eventuate to our great pros