The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-11-30
IN A VERY BAD FIX.

IN A VERY BAD FIX.
The Grand Jury Of Madison Parith
in closing its labOrs, submitted rep0r
from which we make the following ex
tract, showing that the ofiicials of tha
Parish are very reprehensibte servant.
of the people: ...... a. .ls
\ We have visited the Jail and and Il
In a dilapidated condition; the steps
leading to the main hall need repair
ing there sre two cells, with . hole Ia
the flOor OF each, one through aud the
other partly, aud the iron grating ii
ono of :::s windows Is cut, leaving y
space large enough for the body OF 4
man to pass through, aud the whole
place Is dirty aud badly kept; the ya{d
filling; the sills under the jail arc rotten
and need repair. "'5@ '--Hts.E
We find one Of the rooms In tie
court house occupied as u jailer's sleep.
ing room, while we have to use the
police jury room for our deliberations.
We recommend that said jailer be ak-
signed quarters elsewhere Immediate
ly. We also find that the rooms In the
court house have been used, prevloIs
to this term OF court, for Improper puf-
poses, lewta women having been locketi
up therein, and, as we are informed, a
price Of admission charged. We sug-
gest that the sheriff be held responsible,
and that such conduct be discontinued,
either In or under the court house ;
that the fence around the public build
making the Enclosure q public pasture
Le discontinued from this time. We
also suggest that the sheriff be held re-
sponsible for the injury the outside Of
the court house has sustained, 1t having
been broken and defaced by a bear
that had been chained to one of the
sills. U.t. ..a a.,
We also condemn the sheriff, Henry
w. Peck, for having In his employ as
one of his deputies one r.. H. Brown.
who was and is now under bondI
charged with the crime OF forgery, and
placing said deputy In waiting on this
grand jury until the said fact was
brought to our knowledge and he waj
removed at our request. We also find
that no rent has been paid for the
building known as the sheriff's 8 house,
this year, and recommend that the
police jury instruct the district attorney
pro tenn. to bring suit for the amount
due In case Of nOn-paymento ON demand!
We have visited the clerks Office
and find the papers, ETC., placed away
In q very careless and unsatisfactory
manner; the clerk, w. II. J. Clements. /.
ignorant of the duties of his office aud
incompetent; guilty of sualfe,,s.,nce in
Office failure to issue papers when re-
quested so to do; issuing large
amount Of fraudulent scrip, contrary to
law, and of raising scrip; also having
in his employ as deputies men charged
with forgery and issuing fraudulent
scrip. And it las been brought to our
notice that parties In power have given
the said clerk assurance that he shall
not be interfered with, and shall have
official protection in case of his being
presented.
We have also visited the recorders
Office, and find the building in very
good condition, with the exception OF
one tin gutter leading from the roof,
in the rear, that is in needsOf repair
The recorder, Robert Barnes, Is iyno-
rant of the duties Of his office, and in
competent to fill the position to which
the people had the misfortune to elect
him that he has, to certain extent,
abandoned his Office by "1etttng It out''
to another party for II monthly cOnsid-
eration-all of this without the consent
of the securities ON his bond, and con-
trary to law. .n,
We have examined tho official bonds
of the different officers of this parish,
and in our opinion neither that Of the
sheriff, clerk nor recorder Is solvent,
and we recommend that the district
attorney or district attorney pro tenn.
take such steps AS will require them to
give good and solvent bonds and pro-
tect the interests Of the citizens of this
parish.
WHITTIER,