Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-04-17
THE FEDERAL BUILDINGS
THE MISERABLE 1CCOMMODA-
TTOHS FOH WITNESSES.
The Unsatisfactory Way in Which
the Car Load OF Models is Scat
rered AbOut Showing the Great
Need OF New Building.

The urgent demand for new Federal
puildng in this city was fully justified at
the session of court yesterday week when
the lsok Of accommodation for both pri-
Foners ard jurors blocked the business Of
the court and retarded 1t for several
hours. In the post Office the crowded
condition Of things is always noticeable,
and the scsnty accommodations there
offered for the great amount Of business
transacted ia an inconvenience TO the
public aud an annoyance to the employees.
In the county court house there ia pro-
vision for separate accommodation Of male
and female witnesses, here they are all
huddled together. This Is not only in
convenient but scandslous. There are
no private offices either for the different
sexes. There is but one prison, a single
apartment in the third story men and
women, white and black, reputable and
otherwise, are liable to be locked up there
together over night. At this present
court there were three white men, two
colored men, and colored woman brought
here from New Castle to be tried
under IL separate indictments. Had
not the court succeeded in dis
posing of all these cases yesterday,
the fact WAS the residue would have to be
lOuhru III thhN khEIotj NhIltu stAtb
and races, Unfortunately huddled
together, without the most ordinary
Accommodations. The simple accident Of
the celebrity of court proceedings saved
the Federal court from such indignity The
highest officers of the United States court
also have really no office accommodation,
the district attorney has none whatever.
What is dignifed by calling 1t
his Office is C little Sx10 passage way, the
main thoroughtare or hallway between
tn msrshal's and clerks offices. There
is no room for the preliminary examina-
tion of the United States court commits
sioners. Those officials and the district
attorney are dependent for clerical and
office accommodations upon the courtesy
OF the marshal and the clerk OF the court.
A prominent lawyer In this city said that
during an experience of over 40 years at
the bar he never saw such state OF
things, so derogatory and undignifed
in connection with a body such as the
Federal court. The gentleman referred
to cited that instance where the grand
jnrymen were in deliberation occupying
the only jury room in the building, and
when the district attorney had to delay
court proceedings, foreseeing the diff
Guilty OF petit jury Cat the time sitting),
having simultaneous need Of the same
apartment. We're the msrshsl's room
used for the petit jury, the members OF
the bar would be necessarily preoluded
from the use Of records there, and would
be debarred of other necessary privi-
legss, q jury in deliberation having ex-
elusive and paramount right in the
premises IL occupies.
On Tuesday night the United States
rnaraha1 waa panaalitatad IN aaud
prisoner, oolored woman, over to the
police station, thus making the United
States courts dependent upon the
courtesies OF the city and county for
Federal prisoners.
There is collection of some 800 or 900
valuable law books, the nucleus of
United States court library, for which
there is very inadequate room. The
small apartment where they ere stored
has numbers of volumes stacked
upon the floor, with other
matter not of literary nature in
discriminstely mixed up with them in
fact the apartment seems a harborage for
a oonglOmeratioD OF customs records, post
office records and patent Office reports.
There is no room for patent exhibits,
models, accounts and books, objects daily
inspected and resorted to by lawyers
carrying on suits in bankruptcy
or equity. All these are
kept in odd corners wherever
available room can be found. The last
named, Of course, are liable to breakage,
&c., whils nobody can be properly
brought to account for that loss. The
clerk of the court states that there is a
car load of models lying around. There
ls 10 provision for the secretion of certain
valuable patent office records sent
monthly from the central office, Washing
ton, TO the United States court. The
clerk has also no room whatever
for additional file cases which are
continuously needed. Undue annoyance
and responsibility are caused the marshal
by the necessity of making his office
a reception room for court officers, semi
official sud otherwise. His tables and
dtsks are lounges for every one and there
is practically no privacy whatever. AS
regards the post office the needs of addi-
tioDal accommodation have increased 200
per cent. over what the present provisions
afford.