Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-09-20

blush Of shame to the cheeks of every
honest man and every friend OF good gov
eminent who reads it.
The Report I'm Full.
To the Hon. A. II. Douglass, Judge, Criminal
Court, Shelby county, Tenn:
Having completed cur labors as grand
jurors for the May, 1885, term, we ask
leave to make this our final report, and
beg to be discharged from further duty.
During this term we passed upon the
following number Of cases and found true
bills in same: For larceny, SO; house
breaking, 9; assisting to murder, IA; MUIR
der, A; rape, 4; fraudulent breach Of trust,
L; obtaining goods by false pretense, 2;
forgery, z; perjury, 4; malicious cutting,
A; enticiog females for prostitution, l; re-
ceiving stolen goods, 8; illegal cohabiting,
5; obstructing railroad, L; bigamy, l; as
sault and battery, 49,; carrying concealed
weapons, "a; lewdness, 2; gaming, 81; en-
bezzlement, /; vagrsncy, 8; keeping baw-
dy-houses, 4 selling lottery tickets, 8; nui-
sances, 8; malicious trespass, 8; retailing
liquors unlawfully, s. disturbing public
worship, /; obstructing highway, 1.
WORK OF THE GRAND JURY.
In addition to the above we passed
| upon seventy-nine bills, in which we
| found no "true bills" We also ignored
large number OF committat warrants sent
up By the committing magistrates, in
| which there was no merit and should
never have reached the grand jury-room.
| We feel safe in saying that, did the law
| only allow magistrates and other officers
fees in such cases as are prosecuted to con-
| viction, this class of small offense cases
would decrease from 60 to so per cent,
while under the present system their in
come, in large measure, depends on the
number of cases that can be worked up
by them. This is a shame and imposition
upon the State and county, and if there is
no law at present to stamp it out the next
Legislature should enact one during the
first week of its session.
| Weinspected the County Jail, City Hos
pital and County Poor-House and Asy-
lum. All were found to be in good cen
dition, neat, clean and, We think, well
managed.
| PooR-HoUsE AND INSANE ASYLUM.
| We would recommend to the County
Court that they have erected on the Poor
House and Asylum grounds a neat frame
| cottage, at an expense not exceeding $500.
for the use and occupancy of the superiu-
teGdent and physician, so that his con-
slant presence by night and day may be
had.
The average inmates in this institution
|
either demen ed or insane.
DIR. Duncan, the physician aud superin-
tendenr, seems to be the fright man in
the right place." and we think it impor-
tant, as well as matter of economy to the
county, that such building be erected, SO
that this institution may have the con-
stant supervision and attendance of its
superintendent and physician.
THE CALCUTTA HOLE.
Much has been written and said by pre-
vious grand juries regarding the Memphis
City Station House. On visiting this
noted institution we found it not to be the
Calcutta Hole," as heretofore described
While many improvements have been
made for the safety and comfort of pris-
oners, still it is not modern or model
prison, yet is in as coed condition as the
old buildings will admit of. There is n1
question of its unsuitableness for the pur.
poses used for, aud we trust our city
officials may soon see their way Gear tt
erect such building as the demands o.
Memphis require.
THE SHAW PERJURY CASE.
While the grand jurors disclaim all feel.
ing or wish to press the conviction Of any
party whose case may have come befort
their body, and do not, as grand jurors
undertake to pass upon the final guilt OF
innocence of any one. hearing as they dC
only the prosecution side OF the case, ye
many of the jury are constrained to say
in Justice to the public welfare, that aftel
having heard the testimony pro and cor
in the Ed Shaw case for perjury in tbs
BATTER Burton prosecution, and having
, called the attorney-generaPs attention II
their surprise at his abandonment of saiC
case, and alter hearing his explanation
we are still at Joss to account for his &C
4 ton in this matter and why it was he die
not at least let the jury pass upon the tes
timony as they heard it. There may hav
been some defect in the attorney-generai
= papers, or the law, but as we heard tn
{ evidence on which the jury were to decid
, it did seem TO US very clear case for tn
State, hence our great astonishment tha
Gen. Turner, representing the State, shoul,
: have announced to the court and jur
) then trying said case for perjury that b
, had failed to make out his case, and so dis
missed it from the docket.
BONDS OF OFFICIALS.
We have examined bonds of the variou
3 county officials, which we find satisfactory
: with the following exceptions, to wit:
r Cyrus Fields, J. p, bond expired.
George X. EFnew, j. P, bond expired.
=, b. W. Pryor, J. p, bond expired.
> John Graham, j. p, only one bOndsman ful
lane; Brett schedule Sy Sy
: W. II. Henry, j. P, no schedule by bondsmer
J. c. Page, y. P, one bOndsman dead and th
2 | other left the state iusoly vent,
The bond OF Justice Esnew has been nj ed sine
o | above, and Justice Pryor's does not expire unit
Il November 15ih.l
:. MAGIsTRATEs' D0cKKrs.
We examined the dockets of the count
u magistrates and found them all corre'
q aud all funds due the State and count
y paid as per their dockets. A few magi
8 trates failed - properly itemize the cost
:, aud fines, which we SO marked on the
books.
e Justice John Graham makes oath in dr
9 form OF law that on the night of Angus
q %, 1885, his house was pN7sislly destroye
by an incendiary, with a portion of b
= official papers, including both civil an
criminal papers and docket, and also s
y in United States currency, as revenue CO
e lected for both State and county. The s
= was paid over to the proper officers as p'
, vouchers.
u Road Commissioners.
u We find that the road commissioners
e the Eighth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thi