The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1882-02-09
wOnK OF THE GRAND jury.
AN INTERESTING REPORT-C CONDITION
OF THE JAIL AND ALMsHoUsE - SOME
VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.

Court the Grand Jury having finished
their labors for the year, presented their
reroIt aud were discharged, with the
thanks Of the Court. The report Is as
follows:
The Grand Jury take pleasure IN re-
porting to your hon0rs that we have
completed our lAbors for the present
term Of court, having acted upon all
bills and pTesentments made 10 us by
the attorney general and bis deputy, and
we would further say that, with this
term, our duties as grand jurors expire.
As it has here o'cre been custom OF
Of the grand juIies to make report of
their proceedings during the term for
which they we're appointed, we, In con-
formity with time-honored custom,
hereby present to your honors q sum-
mary OF our official acts, together with
some matters we as grand jurors deem
proper TO call to the attention Of the
court.
During the year for which we were
appointed the grand jury have acted
upon 100 bills. Ot this number we have
found $50 true bills and have Ignored
20. The number OF bills acted upon
seems TO be unusually large, but It must
be borne In mind that a very great many
Of the tfianses committed are Of triv-
| ial nature. OF the tue bills found
twenty-three have bseu for petty often
ses, such as larceny and malicious mis-
| chief, and often the parties charged are
| minors. One true bill was found for
burning outbuildings, one fer arson, one
ter selling goods without | cense, three
for Obtaining goods under false pretsnse,
ten for assault and battery, one for as
saulting public officers, twenty two for
carrying concealed deadly weapons, one
for highway robbery, foIty-eight for sell
ling liquor without license, four for
murder, four for as ault with intent to
murder, one for mAnslaugbter, one for
assault with intent to commit rape and
one for the horrid crime Of rape.
OF this number OF presentments very
much more than one-hslf are from tht
city Of Wilmington, which shows thai
evi!-disposed persons have not been de.
tered from carrying on their bad prac
tices by the presence In thi0 city Of the
Temple Of Justice, as was claimed BY
some would be the result II the remoY
al OF the courts TO this city.
AS before remarked very large per
centage Of the cases that have been be
fore us are Of petty character, and no
really worth the time pecessary for the
investigation by the grand jury, 10 sa!
nothing OF the Time they occupy befor
your honOrs and the petit jurors aud 0
witnesses in the cases and the cost t.
the taxpayers OF the county in money
The increase of such cases as tht s
referred to would seem to justity,if the
, do not demand, the passage Of law b
our Legislat ure Al the next session pl 81
Ing the hearing of such cases before som
tribunal less expensive In its operation
than our regular courts are and mu
> necessarily be. This course, we belie'
would be a great accommodation to I'll
business portion of our county, as wit
l. its rapid increase In population civil bu
: lness must necessarily be on the increa
d and the continuation of cases from teri
i TO term is both expensive and Vexatlol
!, to litigants, we believe by tie adopLiC
U of the plan recommended by us gre
u benefits woulI result. We assure Il
! court, as well as the publ at large ,thi
II there Is nothing agreeable TO graz
Inr who has business of his own th
calls for his personal atleution, aud WI
likewise has an eye To the economic
administration OF public ahairs, to :
= and listen to the story of one or mo
y y witnesses where the amonLt involv
!. is but a few cen s, or at mgst a few d.
= lars, and the palties charged with u
.e crimes are SO young that If convicted
' the erime with which they may
charged the court will not send them
the county jail, knowing full we'll Ii
the county jail is only school whe
youths learn nothing 90 d, aud il
mai irity Of ca es are turned out on I
H. community at the expiration Of til
term of Imprisonment morally wol
than they we're when convicted "a
y, sentenced.
OF If magistrates, instead of sending su
~ cases 10 court, as they now are compel
= to dc, hal some way provided by L
ne by which they could dispose Of them,
a feel that it would be lar better for I
of youths and themselves, as well as TO
a. community at large.
an We regret to be compelled to say Il
te the crimes committed iL our county u
ey have been brought to our notice are 0
50 much higher grade than usual, this
1 iuk lup hASb biiab RfiJ Wv s.
Jury iL our county has found five II
w 0ills against persons for which the pt
atty is death, and We hope 1t may be
last.
The foolish and very deadly pr
lice of carrying concealed deadly VI
at pons by persons not public officers {
les pears to be largely on the increase
our community, and the thanks of
on public at large we believe to be d
M ,bs aud we as grand Jurers heartily tent
=" |. q ours, to the last Legislature for
n passage of an act making it unlaw
,he to carry concealed deadly weapt
on and providing mode of punishm
lg, for such offenses. We believe
ap common practice with very ma
Lersons to carry concealed dea
weapons, such as pistols, razors /
dirk knives, which they in an
OF guarded moment use in an nnlaw
ant manner, to the injury of themselve,
~ well as their fe low-cit zens.
ere thanks are due to the attorney-gen,
or and his deputy for their earnest eff,
eeD to bring persons gnilty of the Violat
nj of chapter 5S3, vol. l6, Laws of De
to ware, to justice. The grand jury
visited the almshouse and carefl
examined its several deparLmol
The main building we found cleal
in good order. The sick inmates
lrSs attended by competent physicians
E' attentive nurses, while those who
eff, in go d health find their accomo
Inc tions and comfort of such chara
as to can.e them to speak in term
high prai e of he superintendent
L 1. f.,.