The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-27
GRAND JURY INQUIRIES
Some Outrageous Cases
Found at the County
Jail.
MEN IMPRISONED FOR MONTHS
Without Any Opportunity For
Defense, and Some of Them
For Very Trivial Of
fenses-Prompt
Action.
MEN IMPRISONED FOB MONTHS

Grand Jury Investigations of the
county institutions generally mean moth
ing more in this county than delightful
coach ride to Snake Hill, sight seeing
visit to the importunate. and good din-
ner at the Penitentiary. The investigation
made by the Grand Jury on Wednes-
day differed somewhat from this
pleasant routine. and under the active
leadership of Foreman Lawrence Pagan,
some work was done that has brought TO
light condition of affairs that certainly
should not exist. They may be LEGAL
and doubtless are within the law. but
they are evils that should be extermin-
ated at once.
The first place visited by the Grands
Jury was the County Jail. Much dissat-
condition of this institution.
In the course OF the tour were found
prisoners waiting to be convicted on i'm
dictments found. others serving out sen-
| tences, and still others who were
innocent and being unable
as prisoners until the Grand Jury
had their cases presented to them and
their innocence made manifest and their
discharge granted.
a VERY QUEER CASE
During the inquiry the case of JUL ~
Renard, one of much hardship, but not
an unusual case, was brought to light.
This man had been arrested for petty
assault and was also charged with resist
ing an officer. complaint that five out
of six policemen make when they arrest
q drunken man. The offence was COM
mitted in Hoboken seventy-one days
before the visit of the Grand Jury, and
during the last weeks of the last term Of
court. The man had not been brought
before the Grand Jury, nor had mis- case
been presented to that body. An in-
stant examination of the case was
made, and the Grand Jury Indignantly
discharged the man from jail at once. II
he was innocent he had been treated in
most shameful manner, and IL he was
guilty of the offense charged. he had
served out as much time in jail as the
Judge would probably have sentenced
him to serve had he been tried immedi-
ately after his arrest.
THE RECORD.
The records of the County Jail show
that Renard was committed October %.
and it was said that the time between his
arrest and that date he had been out on
bail. The Grand Jury thought that
even IL this were true the man
should long ago have had an OPP
portunity to prove his innocence.
The next case that came to the notice OF
son, an unfortunate who has but one arm
He had been in the County jail seventy-
four days and his case mad never been pre-
sented to the Grand Jury. He was
charged with embezzlement in Hobo
ken. On one occasion the Grand Jury
had this case sent to them for investiga-
tion, but the witnesses for the State were
not produced and the inquiry could not
be made. The charge of embezzlement
being much more serious than the offence
Renard was charged with, the Grand
Jury did not take summary steps to dis
pose of 1t, but did give orders that the
evidence against him should be presented
next Tuesday.
Filled with Indignation at the condition
of things in the County Jail. the Grand
Jury went from prisoner to prisoner, and
AS result.d1rected the clerk OF the Grand
In quest to make memorandum of about
tw enty cases which it wanted to investl
gate Tuesday, and doubtless, If the evil
dence is not forthcoming on that day t.
indict the accused, they will be disc
charged.
The law permits the State to keep an
&C cused man locked up in jail for two
te rms of Court, which is about eight
III onths, and then, if he is not indicted,
he may applyto the Court to be discharged
at the close of the second term. AT the
close of nearly every term OF Court, udge
Lippincott discharges one or more just
such priso ners, and so far as the public
knows they have been locked up during
all this time on charges they were inno-
cent Of
At dinner, Wednesday afternoon, sew
eral members declared they would rather
be in the Penitentiary six months than in
the County Jail six days.
NO THANKSGIVING.
OF this institution it may be said right
here that it was the only institution in
Hudson County. charitable or other
wise, that arranged no special diet
for the inmates on Thanksgiving
Day. / asked one of the attendants
at the Jail what Mr.. BirdsalI had given
ner, and with look of blank amazement
on his face at the question he replied:---
''Why, the same grub they get every
day."
Didn't the prisoners have any luxu-
ries at allf"
Not thing except what their friends
brought them. You see we don't keep
Easter and then the prisoners have
feast. Each one gets three boiled eggs p
l thought when heard this that Jailer
Brdsall's extravaganza was fr1ghtful.
His profits as jaier are said TO bs SIS, ,00o
a year, and to spend Sc for eggs on Easter
for feast for two hundred people
must denote genuine heart.
and liberal hand. l have good seasons
for believing that the Grand Jury will
make presentment concerning the con-
diton of the County Jail All Of the other
institutions in the Countywhen examiners
by the Grand Jury received the CONNIE nd-
alton of that body, except the Asylum.
which is too crowded, but that will be
remedied by the new Asylum that is to be
built.
David O. Holsted Dead.