Wichita eagle., 1888-05-20
GRAND JURY ADJOURNED.

The grand jury for the May term OF
court adjourned yesterday after session
of less than three weeks duration. Owing
| to ruling of Judge Reed that all cEimI-
nal cases must be first presented to the
grand jury a large amount Of business
came before the jury at the present term.
The grand jury seems to have rushed their
business, and the members were congratu-
lated by the crowd around the court house.
When the grand jury reported TO Judge
Reed that they had completed their work
he complimented them for their alacrity.
Commissioner Alley said the grand jury
had ''whacked' the county commits
sioners about the old jail,
but that the grand jury had
done more business and in less time than
any of their predecessor. He said the
entire expenses of the recent grand jury
would not reach six hundred dollars while
the one before this had cost twenty-five
hundred. Before adjournment the follow
resolution was adopted:
Resolved, That we as the grand jury
tender to G.. w. G.. Jones, county attorney,
vote of thanks for the courteous and
gentlemanly treatment we have received
at his hands and for the promptness with
us.
The grand jury also visited the county
jail and made the following report to the
county commissioners:
To the Board Of County Commissioners Of Sedg-
wick County, Kansas:
State of Kansas,
oedgwick Co., SIS
May 10, 1888.
We, the grand jury in and for Sedgwick
afp in Iaoe fa Of ritz
the May term of the district court in and
for sand county and state, charged by said
court as grand jury to inspect the county
Jail of said county and to determine for
ourselves what if anything, is needed for
the safety, convenience and proper repairs
of the same, and to submit to the board of
county commissioners by report such ex-
animation and result of the same, do
hereby report that we have made such ex-
animation and inspection, and do hereby
report the following facts and recon-
mendatiOnS
We fnd that forty-one men and five
boys are now confined in the county jail in
cells intended to accommodate twenty
four persons. Some of the prisoners
of age, and their baby eyes
peer through the same iron CRATES of mis-
cradle pens poorly ventilated, called for
the want of better name, cells" with
full grown men. Some of the men are
held by the United States authorities
charged with murder and other henious
offenses committed in the territory 1t is
the deliberate Judgment of this jury that
the present condition of affairs at the Jail
Is disgrace to the people of Sedgwick
county. The jail is overcrowded: it is
poorly ventilated and in the basement is
pool of stagnant water that we consider
endangers not only the health of the pris-
oners, but of the sheriff and his assistants
VINO are compelled to reside in the build
ing. We would recommend that the floor
in the cell room of the Jail be replaced
with new floor, and that large amount
OF lime or other Gisinfectant, be put under
the floor We would further recommend
that large amount of liquid matter re
posing under the eastern part of the Jail
be hauled out and deposited in the Arkan-
sas river, and that some fresh soil be put
in where said liquid substance now is
We would further call your attention to
the fact that it would be better to deposit
said offensive liquid matter in the Arkan-
saS river below the city. This grand jury
would further recommend that without
further delay you procure some place in
which the little boys now confined in the
jail may be held, and separated from older
persons. We would remind you that the |
lest recollection of this jury is that the !
people of Sedgwick county sometime dur
ing the year A. D. 1887, by vote, author !
Zed you to issue bonds and erect "a new /
Jail. We recommend you to build said |
lew Jail without further delay. 1t is our
opinion that the shameful condition in |
which we find the county jail is owing to !
he negligence of the county commission
rs.
Unanimously adopted:
e. II. LITZENBERG,
Foreman.