The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-11-05
REPORT OF GRAND JURY.
Hon. w. F. Blackman, Judge Twelfth
Judicial District:

Judicial District:
We respectfully submit the result of our
investigation as Grand Jurors of the Pa
rish of Rapides. We have investigated
III cases, with the following result: True
bills found 81; not true bills so; and sew
en- uninpOrtant ca SEES continued for want
of sufficient evidence, by reason of the
non-appearance of witnesses to tue pres
snt time to form a conclusion, and we
deem it unadvisable to prol0ng the SEES
sion of the Grand Jury on that account.
Number of true bills-three.. for murder.
two for manslaugbter, twelve for con-
cealed weapons, six for larceny, one for
rape, two for shooting into passenger
train, nine for assault and battery, six for
selling liquor without license, eight for
violating the Sunday law, one for shoot
ing into a church, one for killing etock,
two for resisting an officer, one for OBJ
structing the public road.
We find the Parish treasury to be in a
healthy condition, and the revenue will
be amply sufficient to meet the necessary
expenses for the year. We shave visited
and inspected the Parish Jail, and find
that there are now confined therein thir-
ty-three prisoners, twenty-one white and
twelve negroes, charged awith various
crimes and otfenses. They should be
broughc to speedy trial, as the accom-
modations are limited. No complaints
| were heard from the prisoners of their
treatment or fare. The premises are we'll
policed and the carpenters have compile
ted the repairs of the building authorized
by the Police Jury.
PUBLIC ROADS.
Having been specially charged to in
quire into the working of the same, we
regret to report that there has been nc
improvement. The same careless 'slip-
shod" manner of working the public roads
exists now as has been observed for the
past fifteen or twenty years. Nor can we
expect eny results so long as the present
imperfect system of working the roads is
continued. While no special complaints
have been lodged against any particular
road syndic, it is generally conceded that
all have done as little work as possible
and some none at all. Nature has beer
too generous to the low landers in provi
ding the beat of natural roads, and like
the experience of the Arkansas traveller
who rode up to man sitting on the gal
lery of rooflcss house playing the fiddle
and being asked why he sdid not cover
his house, replied, "when it is dry ant
the sun shines it does not require it, ant
when it is raining it is too wet"
So with our road syndics. During the
summer or dry season they do not feel thu
Importance of working the roads, and il
is only after protracted rains of the we
wet winter season that the necessity il
realized, and then it is too wet to werl
them.
Let us hope thrt better road law thar
the one we now have may be devised ant
inaugurated by the legislature.
We have endeavored to discharge tt
the best of our ability our duty to on
State and our parish Will the trial ju
rors do likewises We trust so, and purg
the court of the reproach, so long and 81
often cast upon it-that a man of position
and influence, with money to back him
cann,t be convicted in this parish, Ii
matter what otfanse may have been com
mitted against the law.
We thank your honor and all the OIL
GERS of the court for the uniform cOurtes
and consideration shown us during GU
term. +. b. PENDLEToN,
Foreman.