The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-10-31
DISTRICT COURT-REPORT OF THE
GRAND JURY.

MONDAY ana Is still IN session, with Judge
Galbraitt presiding. Good PROCESS is be.
Ing made in the dispatch Of business. A
Of cases have already been dispo- |
sed Of which will be published when the
court adjourns. Court will probably con.
tinue until the latter part Of next week.
The Grand Jury, after four days session,
during which it presented a number Of in.
reported to the Court and was
discharged. The following is the
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
DILLON, Montana, October 10TH. 1885,.
Hon. W. ]. Gabraith. Judge Of the Second judicial
District, Dillon. Beaverhead Co.. Montana:
DEAR Sir: The Grand Jury Of this
October, 1855, term bess leave to now make
ito final report to the Court.
We have carefully considered and acted
upon all the cases that have been present.
ed to us, and the results Of our labors have
from day to day been reported to your
Honor.
So far as we now know there is nothing
left undonc that demands our attention or
Investigation. We therefore ask that we
may be discharged.
We have visited the Jail and the Court
House, and made thorough examination
Of both. The daily management and con.
dition we consider we'll and credibly per.
formed, but desire to call your attention
more infinitely to their imperfect and in.
secure condition.
We indorsc economy In all public Off.
GERS and public expenditures, but where
economy is exercised at the expense and
sacrifice Of safety OF life to public officers,
humane treatment to prisoners, and secu.
rity Of public papers, and records, it can
not receive our Endorsement as a Grand
Jury, neither do we think that such econo.
my has or can have the Endorsement Of the
present enlightened and intelligent age and
people Of Beaverhead County.
We regard our present Jail insecure, un.
healthy and exceedingly dangerous. The
size Of our Jail now is :ox3o feet, built Of
logs and weatherboarded. Inside Of this
small and dangerous structure we have one
iron cage for prisoners, which is about thir.
teen feet square, and poorly ventilated
The Sheriff informed US that he has a,
times been forced to contine as high as
nineteen prisoners in the iron cage at one
time, and on account Of scarcity Of room
has sometimes been forced to let violators
Of the law 30 unarrested.
If our judgment and our hearts can be
made to submit; to placing guilty men into
such dangerous and unhealthy place
how can we justify our action through ou'
public officers in placing into the satn'
! filthy place men that are afterwards foune
innocent, at least SO far as any evidencs
shows. brought out by the examination O
the Grand Jury.
We consider the Jail in its present con
dition at the mercy Of any half dozen mer
that might join hands in the spiri: Of moi
violence. No officer in charge could resis
them. The ordinary board fence and ths
jailor's room can not for moment be con
sidered any safeguard against such spirit
The only reasonable safety we can claim il
the iron cage, and that is only safe SO long
as the spirit Of violence is wanting.
Our present Court House at best can on
ly be regarded as shell and fire.trap. Thu
court room is not fit place for a Judge Il
be forced to sit in sessions of one to foui
weeks at time, ten hours day, breathing
the foul air, because there is no possible
and safe way to ventilate the room. Thu
Grand Jury room is small, not ventilated
and into this unhealthy room we pack six
teen of our citizens and expect them t
perform hard work and hold long.Aou
sessions. The Petit Jury has no room a
at all, except they occupy the rooms O
county officers. The same may be said q
every room reserved for the County Treas
urer, Clerk and Probate Judge.
We therefore strongly recommend tina
that the County Commissioners submit tin
qucstion of erecting new Court Hous'
and County Jail combined to the lcga
voters OF Beaverhead County, to be votcs
upon at as early day as possible. Tina
the cost Of such structure shall not cX
coed $so,ooo-and that the Commissioner
shall appoint al least five Of the best met
in the County, known for their intelli
gence and integrity, who shall constitute
icommittee known as the "Court House ant
Jail Building Committee" This com
mittee shall have full power to commence
and complete this work within reason
able time, and their hooks, records. &C
counts and contracts shall at all times ~