The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-12-23

The grand jury of Leon county for The tsll
term of the Circuit Court for 1884 make the fol-
lowing general presentment: e
We find decentralization and great contempt
Of Jaw in many sections OF the county. ev iRsing
a growing disposition to resort tn violence Bsd q
nasty use of deadly weapons This is tbs saae
chiefly among our colored citizens, and we Stink
that much OF this is probably due to the tafis-
ness of suborfinates employed by the D&gfs-
trates OF the county.
In several cases brought before the jury the
cnnstables were found To be disorderiy, dryiaKen,
dishonest or violent men. and their fellow-@iii-
zens have found that neither life nor prsvserty
were safe IN the hands of these officers AID in
this connection, and also as a cause OF ti.sf de-
meralixation the jury presents what seems 70
them to be the evil which grows out of theteem-
mutation of sentence IN criminal cases.
A murderer fnund guilty by jury (wso i'm
der the snlemnity OF their oath, and with d r,p-
sciousness of the awful responsibility OF their
action, having patiently and faithfully weighed
and noted the testimony, have the frmrsst I'D
act upon their convicti0nsA after being CPL
demned To death, has tso often this enseEce
committed to Imprisonment for life which usssAns
IN this State Tin consequence Of the Wait. OF
proper establishments to carry out the inteat of
the senteDcej d speedy escape and the inf iGQon
OF q desperate on snme other community :.
The docixets OF the magistrates were lot
brought before Us, but we have evidence tiL4t In
several instances justices have entertained eaees
which were not within their jurisdiction. ka-
volvIng and exacting costs, and in one case
transferring II from Justice court Justice tsssft
with accommodating costs, until a third jIisfixe,
recognizing want OF jurisdiction, transtefrest II
to the grand jury =;
The jury also find that in the case of the con
stables of Magistrates Combs Conner aud Nan-
ming, there were In several instances NO hsseis
required or given ~
he tho
County Commissioners to the condition OF the
poor IN the county. and recommend that Eihd
be raised to be dispensed to the poor bs'she
County Commissioners at their discretion.
The attention Of the County CommissionsEfsis
Also called to the existence of old cDyhstxi
well, few feet and directly in front Of the ftnt
door of the court house, and recommend t,Istsit
be speedily filled in =
The grand jury report from information feht
the public roads are still IN d bad condJk<sa
especially those lying immediately aruuni <Ae
capital, and that the bridges on the JacatSpr
Bluff road, without exception, are all in SUIT u
condition rs TO render them exceedingly .hfn-
gcrous in crossing them with teams. Ill
There were twenty-one cases brought up:se
fore this jury, and several of them of q vervT se-
rious character, and ten true bills were founel,ta
The jury having visited tine jail, find the 4asae
neatly kept, and the prisoners appear to be stlss
Portable. VI.
The grand jury respectfully tender their th:sisks
to his Honor, Judge David s. Walker, for Ms
able charge and full explanation of the dsttes
devolving On grand jurics; to the District; b.
torney for valuable aid rendered and also til III.
Sheriff for services during the session n
Respectfully submitted, 3.
ROBERT GAMBLE, Foremost
l. 7. RANEY, RICHARD EpwAHps. e
L L DEMILLY, w. J. HAHrsvuLD,l q
Dawn ELLIS, W. E BRADEEx, .Sss,'
]. ID. PEfFER, / W. CRAWLING, ~.
]. f. DEMLLy, ]. H. BARrsx, vi
EDWARD ANDREws, NV ErPxs st..
JAMES MOODY, GEORGE DAMON, ~;
A. A. FISHER IL HARrsrfEIn S4