Daily Republican., 1889-09-21
NEARING THE END.
THE TRIAL OF PEo DRAWING
TO A CLOSE.
Yesterday Afternoon Devoted to Argu-
meDt-b1r. Harrington Makes Pow
erful Appeal for the Prisoner.
Report of the Grand
Jury.

The Court OF Oyer and TermIner recon
vened at o'clock yesterday afternoon
with Chief Justice ComeRys and Asso
ciate Judges Grubb and Paynter on the
bench.
Immediately after the opening Attor
ney General Biggs commenced the argu.
ment TO the jury for the State in the case
OF Samuel Peo, the Itslian, who 10 on trial
for the killing of the colored man, ,Samus
Edwards. He made g powerful address
TO the jury, and concluded at 8.5l
O'Clock.
Austin Harrington. Esq, then opened
for the defense and spoke until s sc
o'clock. He made strong appeal to the
jury to render q verdict Of acquittal, on
the ground OF self-defense.
The Grand Jury came In shortly after
o'clock and presented the following re-
port, which was read by Clerk Cochran
To the Honorable Judges OF the Court oi
General Sessions of the Peace and Jail
Delivery OF the State OF Delaware, In
and for New Castle County.
In compliance with your request we
have made q special inspection OF the jail
at New Castle and the cells In the base
ment Of the Court House used for the re-
tention OF prisoners awaiting trial. We
regret TO Inform you that We found both
In ceplorable condition. The Court
House cells have each q floor area of fifty
square feet; each cell contains small
single bedstead without mattress or GOV.
ering; the floors are paved with stone; q
number Of the bedstt ads are broken and
therefore useless.
In some cases six ard soven prisoners
are crowded In them; IL one prisoner &C.
cupies the bedstead the balance must
sleep or sit on cold. damp stones without
even blanket to protect them.
We also visited the jail at New Castle
and found q worse condition of affairs
there.
The physician in charge informed us
that there have been at times confined in
the jail over 200 prisoners, and that It's
maximum capacity 10 eighty.
No additions to this Jail have been
made since 1856, and what at that time
was sufficient for the needs of New
Castle county are now grossly inadequ quate.
Nearly all the cells there arc overcrowd-
ed, they have floor space of 1913 feet
and 10 ieet high. In one OF these we
counted seven people without bed or
bedding Of any kind. Prisoners there
who have been sentenced to long terms
OF imprisonment are provided with beds
and clothing; those for short terms with
neither.
The physician in charge informed us
that there were only two bath tubs in the
building and they were not In condition
to use. One room here, 10 feet wide and
48 feet long, 10 set apart for the imprison.
ment OF trampe; in this room there are
no beds, bedding, beaches or chairs. All
sleep or cit on the board floor. No cloth.
ing Ia provided Eve are informed) and
we found men there absolutely naked
above their waists, and others upon oul
approach gathered ragged garments
around them to avoid standing before u,
entirely naked. Directly under the fooi
OF this tramp room an open sewer extends
and conveys the refuse from the water
closets on one side of the building. We
doubted that such could be the case. but
the resident physician stated that IL was a
fact, had a loose board removed and
showed 1t to us. This room now contains
about forty people, but 1t has had
crowded into It seventy-five. No traps
10 waste pipes have been placed in any
part of the building. In consideration OF
the above facts the grand Jury respect
fully recommend to the Levy Court that
there should be an improvement made at
once In the plumbing throughout the jail.
Second. That a system be adopted by
which the prisoners shall be properly
clothed and kept clean.
Third. That there be two more war
dens employed for the proper guarding of
prisoners.
Fourth. That there be some provision
made for hospital purposes.
Fifth. That additional cell room be
provided at as moderate exponse as posi-
BILE.
Respectfully submitted.
WILLIAM CooCH, Foreman.
The Chief Justice directed that the re.
port should be entered upon the minutes,
aud copy sent to the Levy Court. He
also remarked that he did not consider
'uch a condition OF affairs creditable to
.he county.
About @ o'clock court took n recesa mn.