The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-24
A JAIL FULL OF FILTH.
FULTONS GRAND JURY MAKES
A SENSATIONAL REPORT.

The County Commissioners Severely
Censured for the Condition of At
fairs-The Cells ReeIxing With Yer
min and the Prisoners Without
Proper Sleeping Accommodation
The County Roads.
ATLANTA, GA. Jan. 23.-The grand jury
OF this county has created a sensation in
the general presentments it handed down
to-day. The county commissioners are
taken severely to task for the condition Of
the roads. Jail and court house. The jurors
say: 1.-THE county chain-Rang, to which
are sentenced persons convicted of misde~
meanor, is large, aud thousands and thou
sands of dollars are spent every year In
managing these convicts in their work;
had it been properly directed the public
roads of Fulton county would now be in
fine condition. But instead many new
roads have been opened for private ben
eft, aud there has been too much
work done to build up private
interests. This is wrong and should be
stopped. II there is no authority vested in
the courts to bring about a change in this
system the people will have to take the mat
ter in hand and right the wrong them
selves"
THE JAIL.
Then turning their attention TO the county
iail, they say: "We find that the dirt and
nth from year to year has been allowed 70
remain unremoved from closets. walls,
floors, window CRATE bars and cell doors,
and the same has been from time
TO time covered up by coats of
whitewash and lime until now
that accumulated is not only thick,
but nearly hides the rivet heads and covers
many of the metal bars. We further find
the bedding, ETC.. of the Jail to be i'm
pregnated with verrnin and the prisoners
sleeping upon the floors, there being no pro-
vision whatever for hammocks or cots.
The prisoners do not present a clean APP
pearance. The negroes and whites are
thrown promiscuously together, and there
appears to be a total lack Of discipline
throughout the whole Establishment. Some
one is certainly responsible for this condi-
tion, and the county commissioners, in our
judgment, have not been as careful in CIV
ing attention to matters connected there
with as the law requires they should"
APPEARANCE OF THE coNvICTs.
The jury declare that the general APP
pearance of the prisoners cannot be COM
pared favorably with that of the state con-
victs at the camps near Bolton, which is
said to be admirably kept, the convicts hav-
ing plenty Of wholesome food and clean
cots and quarters; while the labor Of the
men, though hard, is no more disagreeable
than free laborers would willingly engage
TO perform. As for the women, twenty
three of whom are confined at the Bolton
broom factory, the jurors say: THE
quarters are very comfortable, doubtless
more so than a majority of them had at
their homes Their fare is excellent and
they have every indication of being well
treated. They work only in the house"
On account of recent homicide commit
ted in Fulton county Jail it is recommended
that the prisoners hereafter be searched at
least twice a week. A case having been
brought to their notice of a minor getting
permission from his father to obtain liquor,
the jurors protest against allowing a parent
TO rob the law of its power to render that
protection to his child which he himself
Denies