The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-09-20
I'll RIVER PRESS.
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
Some Excellent Suggestions Offered by
that Body.

buae oO0ys
The following is the report OF the
grand jury, which was read III court
Tuesday morning, the jury having
been discharged the evening before:
Fort BENTON, CHoTEAU Co, M. Il,
September IL, 1882.
To the Hon. d. S. Wude, Judge Third
judicial District Court, Territory o.
Montana, an and for the County %
Cnoteuu:
Strive. the jurors Of the grand jury
empaneIled. sworn and charged at the
September term of the District court,
Third Judicial district, begun and holden
ut the town of Fort Benton and county
aforesaid, to inquire OF offences conf
mitted within the body OF the county,
respectfully report:
That we nave inquired into all OF the
offences brought to our notice n nave
returned true bills of Indictment III all
cases where the evidence u titled.
That we have examined the county
iaiI and found the same clean, and Ill as
good order as possible in the absence ii
tile iron cells, upon which X
were engaged in putting in place. we
| recommend that prisoners confined III
the jail, undergoing sentence, be EN-
| ployed in cleaning the streets OF Fort
Benton.
That we have visited the place in which
the INDECENT poor and sick are kept, and
found one patient very sick with Typhoid
lever, in a log building i'll an alley, used
| also DIS a store room Tor lumber AND ,ur-
niture, and surrounded by u filthy yard,
in which is the vault Of an old privy ex-
posed, and we cannot condemn LII too
strong language the II ia which
the party who has contracted Tor the
care OF INDECENT sick provides for them,
and the officers OF the people who per-
nit it.
In this connection, we recommendtha
the county commissioners purchase q
farm. either on the Teton or Shonkln,
not over five miles from town, and erect
suitable buildings Tor the acco1nInoda-
zion oil county wards. The farm should
be selected with q view for the occu-
pants to raise their own vegetables,
thereby being partially self-supporting.
We would recommend the boy Jimmy
Hanna be sent to 3 reiornlatory, either
in the territory or out. His case comes
up before each recurring grand jury
and if he has not been abused, there il
abundant evidence he has been sadly
neglected by all his guardians.
We have visited and examined the
offices Of the probate judge and county
recorder, and found proper books for al
records and accounts necessary to be ano
kept for such proposes, and the office Ii
provided with a fire-proof vault for tn
~safe-keeping of all deeds, papers ans
books pertaining to the county.
That IN examining the records W,
find, to the commentator of our presen
probate Judge and other officers, tina
from January 1881 to June 1882 the ex
penditures of the county has been re
, duced, from the previous seventeen
+ months, Sl1 ,84s. 80, and of this amour
: the reduction Of the criminal expense
t alone has been SIS, 086.5O.
We find the various alleys and bacl
yards in q most filthy condition, whic'
will ultimately result in malarial dis
eases. and we recommend that the prope
: officials look after this matter NOR
closely and see the same is kept clear
so as not to be a nuisance to the inhabi1
ants of the town. We also find ha
stacks inside the town limits, Withou
;; cover, which e%ndangers the same an
may result in a general eonhagration.
e We earnestly recommend that tn
e board of county commissioners TAX
e action Immediately to provide for MOI
t adequate means of egress and ingress
the town OF Fort Benton. and particula
It ly recommend that a good and substal
j. tial bridge be built across Belt creek, r
I. cognizing the fact that it will Wor
greatly to our disadvantage miles SON
proper and efficient action is taken 3
q our commissioners.
We lastly enjoin upon the officersto
Of vigilant In enforcing the law again
idlers, Migrants, and dissolute characte
g Of whatever sex or color, and also again
(. bawds and houses of prostitution upe
G. the most public thoroughfares, especis
" Main street.