The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-10-31
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY,
To the Honorable the Judge Of the Dis
trict Court Of the TwelM Judicial
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10 the honorable the Judge Of the Dis
rtct Court Of the TaueJM Judicial
District
We, the Grand Jurors, duly empan-
eled, sworn and charged to inquire in
and for the Parish of Rapides, having
concluded our labors, respectfully beg
leave to submit the following report !:
On entering upon our duties we
found that vast amount of business
had accumulated on account of no
Grand Jury at the Spring term of
Court, but we entered upon our ardu-
GUS task with a firm and earnest desire
to discharge Our duties to the State and
Parish without fear of reproach or hope
of reward, to the best of our ability
We have acted upon 1872 cases, and
presented for the action of your Hon
orable Court only such as in our judg-
ment merited prosecution to a fuller
extent some of these are for the small
lest offences known to the law. We
have examined them carefully and be-
lieve that few convictions will oper-
ate as healthy moral check upon
those who are disposed to commit
breaches of the law when they find that
their crimes will be followed by swirt
and certain punishment. We cannot
say we think that there is any improve
ment in the morals of our Parish for
the past year, but on the contrary that
there has been very perceptible in
crease of crimes and many cases of the
most horrid kind.
We have examined the Clerks Of
fee and find the Books and Records
well kept and in good order, and also
the Sheriff's office; but we find that
the Clerk has no safe place to keep the
valuable papers belonging to the Oh
fee. We would therefore recommend
that safe be purchased for the Clerks
Office for the future safety Of the valua-
bic documents belonging to the Office.
We would suggest to the Court the
employment of such means it may
deem necessary to maintain secrecy in
the matter of Bills of indictment after
they have reported, and before the
parties so indicted have been appre-
hended by the Sheriff, as we conceive
such exposure before the parties are
apprehended is calculated to defeat
the ends Of justice and reflect upon the
Grand Jury, whose deliberations and
actions are of the most inviolable Sc
cret nature.
We have examined the financial
condition Of the Parish and are pleas
ed to state that it is in better condition
than at any time since the war. This
satisfactory and healthy condition of
our finances is in a measure due to the
zeal displayed and manifested by our
present Collector, D. c. Paul, as we'll
as the Police Jury of our Parish, who
have assisted in economizing our fnan-
cial affairs. We are also pleased to
state that the taxes have been reduced
two mills, which we think is attribute
BILE to the united energy, economy and
zeal Of the above mentioned parties.
We proceeded in body to inspect
the Jail and its surroundings, and are
pleased to say that under the manage
ment of D. G. Paul, present Sheriff,
we found it in as good condition as
could be expected present circumstan-
ces; but owing to the great number Of
unfortunate persons confined therein,
we found the cells so much crowded
that we believe that long confinement
there would endanger the health of its
inmates, and would recommend that
the Police Jury have the lower part of
the jail repaired and fixed up especial
ly for prison cells, so that those who
are so unfortunate as to have to be i'm
prisoned, may not have their health
and possibly their life endangered by
such confinement. We found the pris-
oners very we'll satisfied with their
treatment, and also in quantity and
quality of their provisions. Some por-
tons of the Jail are giving way or de-
caying and we recommend that they be
repaired in order to secure the safety
of prisoners.
The garden and shrubbery and gen.
eral surroundings reflect great credit
on the good taste and Judgment Of the
present Sheriff. We would recon-
mend that additional water facilities
be added to the jail as the Sheriff is
frequently put to great inconvenience
on account of scarcity of water. We
would also recommend that the Police
Jury take steps for a more speedy dis
position of interdicted persons who,
under present arrangements, have to
be lodged in jail and sometimes wait
an unreaeonably long time for trial
We have examined the Overseers in
regard to the condition of the roads,
and from their statements are pleased
to state that the roads throughout the