Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-11-21
NOVEMBER COURT.
A LARGE NCMBEK OF GASES FOR
TRIAL.

A LARGE NUMBER OF CASES FOR
TRIAL.
Serious OfeDses Oh tho List - Vigorous
charge to tho Grand. Jury.
This morning the regular November
term of quarter sessions court began. with
Judge Livingston presiding. On the list
ranging from murder down to tramp.
Levi Myers, of West Hempfield town
ship, was chosen foreman OF the grand
jury, after which Judge Livingston charged
them III their various duties at great
length.
To the Grand Jury.
In charging the grand jury Judge Liv-
instOn explained in detail and fOrcibly the
duties Of its members and che responsible
tiles of their position. lie noted that of
the presentations to be made to them
there were for murder, forgery, 8 lar
ceny, ID tramps, 9 carrying concealed
weapons, and the balance minor offenses.
Referring to the ''tramps," he read the
tramp act and directed attention to the
facS that persons arrested for riding on
freight trains could not be convicted and
dealt with as tramps at the public expense.
After explaining their powers to dispose
of costs and their rights and duties in
ignoring bills, the court referred the mem.
bers of the grand inquest to the abuses Of
officials in multiplying complaints to in
crease their fees, and said !:
In the prison to day you will find sew
enteen persons who were committed by an
alderman of this city about the sd day of
September; ON the 9TH he had them
brought out for a hearing, sent them back
for q further hearing. On the 9th four Of
them were committed for trial ~ tEamps,
the balance, we believe. for drunken and
disOrderly conduct, to from 20 to so days
imprisonment. Some days after that,
without rehearing, he sent up commit
ments holding eight more of them for
tramps, and by the time he was done with
those men, he had, as you will find.
seventy, seven or sevcnty-cisht commit
ments against them. We merely mention
| this as 4 specimen. You will Of course e.
anime for yourselves. and report full Ear
ticulars with names of magistrates where
you find such multiplication of c,mmit-
ments.
In directing their visitation to the pub
lie institutions. the court told the grand
inquest to inquire particularly into the
manufacturing departments at the prison,
cigarmaking, shOemaking, weaving, &c.,
to find out the cost Of the raw material,
labor, superiDtendence, &C., and the reve-
nucs from the product, and see whatlprOiit.
if any, was obtained, aud whether Or not
the convict labor could be more proftably
hired out and the paid Overseers dism S.
ed. The cost Of the keepers private de-
partments ; the lavish use Of gas in the
prison cellar, where good portable coal
oil lamp would answer all purposes the
| election of underkeeperS, &C., in January
who do not take their seats until April !;
the taking of the inventory Nov. 30 when
the fiscal year ends, while the official
year does not end until December 81 tho
frequency of escapes, and the failure to
keep 4 record of the behavior of long term
prisoners SO that it could be seen whvs was
entitled to cOmmutatiOn-all these were
matters of proper investigation, to show
where the abuses existing arise from, what
is the proper remedy and in what the laws
and regulations of the prison need change
and its management requires reform.
{ 1t is only fair that it should be stated
that the alderman referred to by Judge
Livingston is Alderman Spurrier, whose
account of his action in the matter will be
published as soon as the INTELLiGESCER
can obtain it.-REPoRTER.l
On Trial.
In the case Of John Sholl, charged with
selling liquor Oh Sunday, verdict of not
guilty was taken, as from the examination
of the witnesses it appeared that the de-
fondant sold sweet cider, which was not
Intoxicating.
The first case taken up for jury trial was
that of Com'th VS.. Jacob Axe, charged
with fcloniOus assault and battery. The
prosecutor was VIM. Bewley, who resides
near Honeybrook, Chester county, right
across the line from Lancaster county.
The defendant resides on the old Horse
Shoe turnpike in Caernarvou township at =
point where the Waynesboro and New
Holland railroad runs under the pike.
The tcstimony of the prosecutor
showed that on the 7th of May last
Bewley was driving his COW along the
pike when he was met by the defendant,
who began abusing him by swearing, &C.,
and finally struck him with his fist. After
that ho caught hold of Bcwley and in a
tussle both fell down the bank OH the rail-
road track, and Axe fell an top. He then
picked up Il stone and struck Bewlcy ON the
head cutting it badly. Bewley also had his
arm broken so that ho had to carry it in Il
sling for several weeks. A physician tcs-
tilted that he attended Bewley's injuries.
The defense has that upon this day Axe
Was walking along the pike with Bewley
when the two had some words; finally
Bcwley hit him, and both clinchcd and
rolled down over tho embankmcnt to the
railroad together; Bewley got on top and
struck Axo with stone twice, iniuring
him SO badly that he was insensible for
some time Axe did not strike Bcw!ey
once. Catbarinc Axe and Charles Reisert
cOrrOboratcd the statement of the defend
ant, and DR.. Rngwalt testified that ho at
tended defendant, whose face was badly
cnt. Witnesses testified to the good char
acter Of defendant for peace.
Preliminary Injunction Granted.
In March, 1878, Helen Marks purchased
a house on North Queen street this city,
between Lemon and Walnut streets.
In December, 1879, Daniel NJ. Hess, of
Quarryville, obtained a judgment against
Joseph Marks and issued an execution Oh
which he proposed to sell this house of
plaintiff, who this morning asked for
preliminary injunction to restrain Hess
from selling tho property. The injunction
was granted, plaintiff giving bail in $500
to cover all damages which may arise.
Viewers Appointed.
Mrs. Ann McGrann and Catherine J.
McGovern, executors of the estate Of John
X. McGovern and Mary Ann Westman,
presented petitions to the court for the
assessment of damages caused by the
Pennsylvania railroad company taking
part of their lands in the construction of
their new lire of road above the city. The