Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-01-25
COUNTY NEWS.


the best reports ever made by a grand
jury in this county:
IAN unusually large number of witnesses
(2l4 were examined, and numerous viola
tions of the laws which relate to the selling
of iuuor on Sunday were developed"
These Investigations disclosed in several
parts of the county numerous cases of Open
fragrant and shameless disregard of the law,
and it has been made painfully apparent to
the grand jury that many constituencies and
disreputable persons were licensed by the
State to engage in the liquor traffic.
The jury therefore recommends
that
Some standard of fitness besides the ability
to pay should be set up as a guide in the
matter of licensing drinking saloons"
The jury goes so far as to name
James II. Read, C. C. Hedges, Joseph
Snyder and Walker A. Felix, all of Cumber-
land and John Wahlbig, Regina Marchlnsky
and William Smith, all of Eckhart mines
AS persons who should not be licensed
to sell liquors.
The jury intimates that there may
be others of the same character in the
county, and expresses the hope that
The next grand inquest will be willing
and able to uncover them.
The jury pr"nouncrs the Act max
ing the purchase OF liquor by II minor
Il mlsdemeanur" as an denominations" )"
aud says II ''shuuld he repealed :"
1t renders the punishment for the sale of
| liquor to minors utterly impossible, and thus
help to swell the volume of drunkenness
everywhere"
Many trivial recognizances sent up
by magistrates were dismissed, and
rhe time -honored enlargement of
magisterial jurisdiction was recon-
wended as n measure of economy l..
ime aud expense.
The usual visits to the charitable
and penal institutions were made, but
the jury thinks such vlsitalions futile.
In the case of the asylum "thry can
not be discontinued too soon, if the
peace and quiet Of the afflicted people
con fined there are to be considered"
The jury found the almshouse,
farm and surroundings IN excellent
condition, and the inmates contentt d
in mind and cleanly in appearance:
"The report of the steward proves the UNI
usual efficiency of the present management,
and the prospective retirement of the present
overseer can only be contemplated with feel
ings of regret We also saw on every hand
the evidence of the presence of a panstaking,
energetic and thrifty matron and we can un-
hesitatingly pronounce Mr., Beall's manage
ment a credit to the county"
There are 81 inmates, one of whom,
| Phoebe Robinson, colored, evidently
insane, should be transferred to the
asylum. The 9ury discovered that
"The immediate predecessor Of the overseer
of the poor, at least tolerated and permitted,
if he did not encourage marriage between
these charges upon the county"
''Such proceedings" are denounced
as "snrely without precedent, and
should not have escaped the notice of
preceding grand juries:
OF the insane asylum the jury says
1--WE found an equally gratifying state of
affairs, everything being i'll perfect CON
dtion of order and cleanliness. The
various apartments, halls, etc, gave
every evidence of scrupuous care and
attention. and we believe Superintendent
Wckard is giving close and earnest atten-
ton to the comfort and health of those under
his charge.
''The presence of so considerable q body of
people at one time has an extremely bad eff
feet upon the more nervous and eXcltablc
patients and frequently arouses them to Il
condition of frenzy. We would recommend
that hereafter the court instruct the grand
Jury to make these visits of inspection by Il
committee of three or more to be appointed
by the foreman"
At the Jail the jury found
sheriff Walker to be considerate and con
sistent in his treatment of those IN his
custody, and we are satisfied from our inves-
tigation that the building Is kept i'll an eX'
cellent condition of cleanliness; the prisoners
efficiently guarded, and the discipline of the
institution to be in every way commended.' "
1t is plain that this grand jury had
some notions of its own--that the
States attorney did not constitute 100
per cent of its governing power. What
ever his prerogative may be after in
dictmeut, it would appear that his
ip$e dirH was not 50 potential as bcfore.
But we viii let the jury speak for IT.
self:
I'm the last hours of the session of the
grand jury we find that the States attorney,
to whom we are greatly indebted for cour-
teous attention and advice, has placed upon
the stet docket several cases of fragrant viol-
ations OF the license law developed by this
jury, which proceeding, III our Judgment,
was rather hasty, inasmuch as in one in
stance the offender had been selling liquor
for six years without license, and in the
other the offender had been violating the
license law for nearly three years. The
grand jury respectfully submit that it is the
extreme of folly for us to indict, if such cases
are to be settled as soon as they come up"
The report is signed by Irwin C.
Lambert, foreman, and T. F. McCar'
dell, clerk.