The Bossier banner., 1884-08-21
Grand Jury Report.


We, the Grand Jury for the said
parish, duly sworn and empaneled
for this, the August term of District
Court, respectfully make the follow
ing report:
Afterreceiving your honor's charge,
we repaired to our room and took up
the business before us and acted as
rapidly on same as fair and full in
vestigation of each case would adj
NIT. We thoroughly Investigated
every case brought to our knowledge,
where witnesses could be had, and
where the evidence warranted con-
viction we found true bill-otherwise
no bill. We have considered about
Al charges and found d true bills
The others were generally passed
over as frivolous, and testimony in
sufficient to make cases. OF the
number passed two were regularly
ignored We will state here, that by
reason of the District Attorney hav-
ing summonses issued to all witnesses
within his knowledge before hand
and the promptness of the Sheriff in
serving same and having witnesses
here ready to come before us, has
enabled us to dispatch business with
more rapidity than heretofore. The
main trouble we have experienced in
transacting business this session is
the neglect of Justices of the Peace
in furnishing this body with the pa
pers in all preliminary trials and Civ
ing list witnesses that should be sum
moned. We would suggest that the
different Justices of the Peace of the
Parish be required to send to the
Clerks Office the papers in every pre-
li1ninary trial, together with list wit
nesses and their recognizance to ap-
pear before the Grand Jury. This
would give much less trouble to the
Grand Jury and the officers of Court,
and save considerable expense to the
parish.
We next examined the jail. We
found it as cleanly and well kept as
is possible to do considering the
number of persons usually incar-
cerated therein. The Sheriff informs
us that the average number Of priso-
ners in Jail is about ten or twelve
We recommend the following work
on the jail house as essential: The
window on the north side of the low
er west cell to be fixed like the one
on the south side of said cell. All
the windows in the two upper rooms
should be repaired, as their present
condition is not considered secure
Upon the representation of the Sher-
iff and examination, we find the floors
in the lower cells need thorough re-
pairs, on account of the rotton con-
dition of the bottom timbers. A new
platform on the front or south side of
said Jail is badly needed, the present
one being rotten and unsafe, and the
steps leading up to same wants to be
better braced to render them safe.
The sash in the various windows of
the Court house need more or less
glazing for the better protection OF
the building and the comfort of the
officials, and several of the window
shutters to the lower rooms need re-
hanging; the fence around the Court
house should be rebuilt.
We find the roads in the parish
generally in yer. bad condition,
there being no reports against any
the former overseers we could take
no action against them. The present
oserseers have been so lately appoint
ed they have had no time to do any
work before this Court; in fact great
many have not received their COM
missions as yet, hence we could take
no action in the matter.
We examined the offices, books and
papers of the various parish officers
and found them kent in oood cnnd;.