Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-06-18
COCHISE COUNTY.
Report of the Grand Jary.


 by the only newspaper of that county. To the Honorable District Court, First
 Judicial District, in and for the county
 of Cochise, Territory of Arizona:
 The Grand Jury would most respect fully beg to present the following re- port:
 We have examined into a great many cases that have been brought before us by the District Attorney and other par ties, and have found eighteen true bills and ignored three cases that have been presented by the District Attorney, be- sides many others that our attention was called to by others.
 One important case we were unable to investigate owing to the inability of the Sheriff to find the witnesses.
 We have made by committees a very thorough examInation into the affairs of the various county officers, an d in some instances we have found the books, papers and accounts, kept in proper manner, in others we found very much the reverse. We hereby append the re- ports of the various committees and would respectfully call your attention to them. We would also call the atten- tion of the Board of Supervisors to the insecure condition of the county jail, and suggest that some measures be taken to buildone more secure as well as require of the Sheriff that more responsible iailor and guards be en- ployed, inasmuch as all escapes are directly traceable to the negligence and inefiiciency of the iallor and prison guards. We cannot too strongly condemn the practice of employing disabled and inefficient men as guards of the prison where bad and desperate men are con- fined.
 With regard to county hospital, we find that the county made a contract with Dr. G. F. Goodfellow to take care of the county sick at the rate of S1.11 per diem for each patient while in the hospital but have failed to adopt any system that would enable them to dis cover when a patient was discharged, leaving the matter entirely with the contractor without any evidence or proof as to the time of discharge, which to say the least, IS a very loose way of doing business. We would respectfully sug- gest that some system, cheeks be adopt ed whereby the discharge of patient would become a matter of record and proof. The contractor does not keep any book of record whereby can be ascertained the date of patients en- trance to the hospital or when dis charged. It appears to us that there should be a book of this kind kept for inspection by the proper persons. In the matter of the amount of money paid for hospital purposes, Sl22Sl.33 in B months, 1t appears to us that amount Is largely in excess of what 1t should have been, although We are unable to make any specific charge owing to the absence of any records.
 sHERIFF's OFFICE.
 The committee appointed to examine the Sheriff-s office, report the papers of the office in a very disordered state SC much so that they deemed it necessary to employ an expert to assist them in the examination of the accounts of the office. We would respectfully call your atten- tion to their report.
 TRRAsURER's OFFICE.
 Our committee made a very thorough examination Of the books and papers of the county Treasurer and found the books to be kept very neatly, and so far as they could ascertain, correctly. We. also counted the funds of the county in the hands of the Treasurer and found the amount on hand that the books called for.
 CLERK OF DIsTICT COURT.
 The committee appointed to examine the Clerks office, found the books and papers of this office in correct and sys- tematic manner.
 Our attention was called to the matter offices, and upon examination We find that there are conflicting opinions as to the construction of the statutes touch ing the amount of fees legally charge able in certain instances. We would therefore respectfully suggest that the matter be brought before the Honorable Court and settled.
 In the escape of the wounded prisoner Ewing Hunt, from the County Hospital to which our attention was specially called by the Court, we would say that we made very searching, inquiry into the matter and from all the evidence wt have before us We cannot but conclude that his escape was owing to negligence of the Sheriff.
 We are of the opinion that this oficel entirely and inexcusably neglected tC take any meaures to prevent his escape or abduction.
 COUNTY BUILDING.
 We desire to call the attention of th' Supervisors to the fact that the count! is without any building of it's own, tha there is and has been for several months a large sum of money in the Count! Treasury to the credit of the building fund; that the county Is paying hesv. rents for insecure and incOnvenien buildings; is paying interest on thu bonds upon which this money was raise' for the purpose of building cOur house and jail, while the money 8, raised is lying idle in the vaults of local bank.
 All public records are in insecur buildings and liable to be destroyed a any time by fire or evil disposed per sons.
 We therefore deem it the imperativ, duty of the Supervisors to immedistel, take the necessary steps for the erection