The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-17
CITY COURT.
oresentmsnts of the Grand Jury for
the November Term, 1899.

9reSentmentS or the Grand Jury for
the November Term, 1899.
TO His Honor ". D. Harden, Judge of
the City Court Of Savannah. Ca:
DEAR SIR: The grand jury beg to sub
nit the following report: We have exam
ned the books Of the sheriff's Office. and
ind them well kept We have made cara
ul examination of the Jail, and End il neat
md clean. The jailer's Office would be
made more comfortable by mat on the
door. The prisoners number IS in ALL
White woman. 6 white men, 2 colored
women, and "a colored men-23 of whom
are superior court prisoners; all in good
health. We think it would be we'll if the
die prisoners could be employed in culti-
waiting and identifying the premises.
After careful scrutiny of the office, work
and books of the clerk Of the'city court. we
feel we can hardly say too much in praise
Of the admirable manner in which every
thing is kept and the records and minutes
written up in advance aud indexed to date.
The prompt disposal of criminals in this
court meets our hearty appreciation, as it
curtails the expenses of the city and county
for the support of criminals in idleness.
furnishes labor for sanitary and other work,
Of value to every citizen.
We have visited the camp Of the chain
gang Camp No. 1, on the Waters road.
has 100 prisoners, SO males and IL females
of these 8 are white men, 2 Of whom are
in the hospital The camp is fairly healthy:
general appearance and locality good: :
water supply poor, artesian well barely
running; bathing and washing facilities
none. TIE water supply should be increased
even if that should necessitate deepening of
the we'll Prisoners should certainly have
some place provided where they can cleanse
themselves.
Drainage very bad, privy for guards be-
ing over an open ditch, and that ditch filling
up. The privy should be moved out into
the woods, or some decent arrangement
made that would carry off the filth and
the waste water from the wash house, etc.
Barracks dirty, bedding old, filthy; hospi-
tai, sad to say, no better. That is deplor-
able. Guards quarters not clean. TIE rear
of kitchen dirty, with slops and waste
water. General condition Of quarters and
barracks not good. Cooking arrangements
good and should be adopted by the other
camps. Rations fair, except rice, which
was poor and dirty. Fresh meat twice a
week is given, and coffee twice day.
Camp No. 2, in charge of Capt Allen,
near Bacon's mill on Central railroad prop
erty, prisoners numbered 60-56 males
females; all colored. General con.
dition of camp, grounds. barracks, hos
pital, quarters of officers, guards, prisoners,
very good in every way. Health of priso-
ners good. Water supply fair. No facili-
ties for washing or bathing. And we
recommend that such facilities be provided.
The city needs the extension of Bay street.
and we recommend that it be extended
across from the Augusta to the Louisville
road about three-Quarters of e mile, which
would be of material convenience to the
country people seeking our city in their
carts and wagons. The work now being
done there tsslifles TO the wisdom of grant
ing ample means to have this and other
needed improvements completed. There Is
hardly another city OF the population of
Savannah on this coast where there is not
some provision made for maintaining
public bath houses. In a climate like
ours there should be bathing houses-sOm9
place where the people, at a nominal ex-
pense, could have access to the water priv
neges, and we urge the city to move in that
matter There is a crying evil that pre-
sents itself in our method of dealing with
youthful transgressors. At present all
prisoners are incarcerated in a common
prison. Children, both male aud female, of
tender age, are thrust into the same wards
with the old and hardened criminals, and
at times into the wards with luuatics Some
provision should be made to avoid this and
to separate and care for those of tender
years. A reformatory or house Of refuge
should be established where children under
l6 years guilty of the lesser crimes and also
discretion of the court be sent, where, dur
ing the commitment, they could work either
IN the house or fields, be taught useful
trades and surrounded by some other inhu-
ence than crime in its most debasing FORMS
Such is the interest taken in this matter in
other states that not only does the state
step forward as a protector, but private
charities offer haven to young delinquents,
and the state grants per capita allowance
for such care and support, making them
the legal recipients Of those convicted of
crime under 16 years of age.
Should the state be dilatory in thus ex-
ercising benifcient care over its Maynard
children, why should not the city make the
effort to ameliorate this sad condition of
affairs. While we pack together young
girls and boys with the most debassd, white
and black, of our prisoners. the penal code
of another state, more just to its children
than our commonwealth, reads: mo child
under restraint or conviction, under Is
years of age, shall be placed In any prison,
court room or vehicle of transportation
in company with adults charged or con-
victed of crime"
Can we imagine a greater difference in
the care that we take of our young and the
supervision and the protection provided by
some other states?
We beg to submit that while our present
law does not expressly authorize the cree
uon or q reformatory, still the general
power of the county to erect jails would
seem to be sufficient to authorize the county
commissioners to provide reformatory as
an adjunct to, and constructively part of
the county Jail, but, then, if perchance this
should not be the law, this grand jury re-
commend that our representatives i'll our
legislature take steps to have the law so
amended that the county commissioners
may be clothed with the necessary power.
We believe that it is the duty of those in
power to change the present system, and
that it is crime against nature to herd to-
gether the youthful delinquent, capable of
reformation, and the veteran offender,
stepped in crime. Respectfully,
JOSEPH D. WEED, Foreman,
JOHN SULLIVAN, Secretary.
Sd0annh, Jan. 16. 1890.
The following named gentlemen composed
the grand inv of the CITY court for the