Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-02-10
Attorney General was assisted by a 4


First b cause the Indictment alleges
two disiinct offenseF, so entitely different
in every respect, as 10 prevent their being
joined uud, separate counts i'll the same
ind msut.
Second, because, the oifsnss is not
alleged with sufficient particularly.
Attorney General Gray said the indict.
meat Ind not been founded On any statute,
Lnt waa mere e0IAmou in% lad ctmeut.
a. 10 thu. point m,4le by the C~irnse. that
sbcra was n misionder of off nsss, the
Learn " urs I SAID de puniahut at was
tbs ia roth for TIE assault aiid battery
and tor The riot, there Only being differ
enoe III degree. TINT the ofenses we're of
the ssm' eharacter, nr.. a,aHe out vi the
,ame affair.
Benjamin Nelds, 4 e., followed spp-
porting the points mace by his colleague,
Tho Ooyt took the question under
adv semi Mt
The Attorney q neral asked the Court
to have William Saith discharged, as there
was no evidence against hun Of tn iarceny
of the $40 from FanLy Wilkinson with
which the defendant was charged.
Robert iiertirk, and Sanu Hamilton
were arraigned Tor an assault upon James
Hopkins GU the 25ih day at Dece Dber,
1880 and the larceny from him OF articles
of clothing. Both pleaded mot guilty"
A Jury vas sworn to Try the case of
Stat vs., Benson The prisoner was
arraigned, yesterday, Tor the lsrc my of
some cart harness.
he grand jury came in at ~ Is. and
placed before the court tine remaining bills
they hrd found ut tins sitting They mott
fed The Court that they were through
their labors md were rerdy TO submit
their report which WAS thea read by the
foreman of tho jury, Henry tukel, E,q
IL was an able paper, AID occupied about
% minutes i'll the reading
THE GRAND JuRYs REPORT.
To the Honorable Judges OF Tie Court of
General Sessions Of the Peace ant jail
DeliUe,y:
The grand jury in making its presentment
to the Court, desires first to congratulate your
honors, the bar, the officers and people of
New Castle county upon the completion and
occupancy of this beautiful building. 1t is,
III appearance i'll all its appointments and -as
the grand jury belieyes-in the administrative
character OF those who officially occupy it,
temple of justice indeed. Its erection has
been long-delayed necessity, but its compile
llpIi NJ VIII IL " TtIle1 annoy
ance and discomfort that will repay those whose
patience wore YEARLY apace through years of
disappointment at the hardness Of its conf
ing. 10 the architect who skillfully planned.
the builder who conscientiously carried out
his contract, and to the building committee
and members of the Levy Court who, in fur
nishing the several departments, have studied
the convenience of persons having business
with the county officers, the thanks of the
Grand tatiIpr.H fIbny Inv ,fir
us Court House creditable to themselves to
the people OF the county and the State
BILLS ACTED UPON.
During the year for which it was appointed.
the grand jury has acted upon lG9 bills. of
which number 1l9 have been returned as
true, and 20 ignored A large percentage of
these cases was of Il petty character and
many Of them were not worth the trouble
they gave the Court. the Jury or the wit
nesses. The multiplying number of such
cases at every term of court calls for the
enactment of II law that will place the juris-
diction and final determination of them in the
hands of competent tribunal, less expensive
in its operations than our regular courts must
necessarily be. This would afford more time
Tor the consideration of cases of greater I'M
pOrtance, without having to carry them over
from court to court, as is sometimes done, to
the injury of the parties Interested, as well
as to the county, i'll the way of expense. Ii
is these petty oases that prOlong the session of
the courts, and create the impression that crime
is on the increase. 1t partakes very much of
the character of farce, to have bill sent to
the grand Jury, witnesses summoned, a Jury
empanelled, lawyers engaged, and the aIten-
ton of the entire bench occupied perhaps,
for the greater part OF II day, upon u case of
theft involving the ridiculous sum of TO- 10
or 20 cents. committed by some little bow
bod 20. -.
the common jail. If magistrates, instead of
sending such cases to court, as some OF them
are too willing to do, had some other legal
method of dlspoSing of them, or would e.
mnnd the young scape- graces to the custody
of their parents, with the injunction to give
them few practical lessons in home training
the trouble would, in all probability, rest
there, and 1.-THE ends Of Justice would be sat
istied."
With the exception of such cases as these,
the grand jury is Of the opinion that crime is
not so great III degree as many persons would
suppose
HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
In the absence of any law upon the subject.
however. it il to be deplored that the want Of
a House of Correction for juvenile offenders
makes it necessary ut nearly every term of
court to send boys to prison, where, at the
best, they can learn no good. and are not
criminals from whom they quickly take lesson
in crime, which must eventually bring them
to severe punishment and deeper disgrace.
How much longer must grand ilries tell a
sensible public that the common jail is not the
proper school-hOu1e in which to educate the
youth OF amy community to become honest,
useful and respectable citizens, and that IL
house OF correction is infinitely preferable
to the pillory. the pententlary or the gallows?
THE ALAtsuoUsE.
The almshouse has been visited and care
fully examined i'll its several departments. Its
general condition is good. Cleanliness meets
the eye throughout the main building. and u
feeling of satisfaction appears to prevail
among its inmates. The sick have the Utivan-
tage Of experienced physicians and kind ut
tendants, while those who are III health find
sufficient comforts within the house to make
them speak ill terms Of praise of the superln-
tendent and his family
The "old building as it is called, in the
the insane department is deficient in almost
everything necessary for the purposes for
which ii is used. Rude rough cells or cages
extensively meet the eye at everp step, VEN
tation, that most important element
of health is sadly wanting, and n
cold, heavy, repulsiye appearance pcrvades
them throughout. In fact, glance ut these
dreary dens is not suggestive OF Il system of
treatment such as IL benevolent community
ought to establish for the comfort of persons
hopelessly afflicted Therefore the grand Jury
presents this "old buildingh ms failure which
calls for immediate renovation. Ii is said
that this condition Of things il permitted to
remain because of the uncertainty now exist
ing as to the propriety of removing the aims
house from Its present location to one more
remote from tho city limits. Viewed from IL
human standpoint, it is of but little conse-
quence to the people Of New Castle county