The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-03-19
V1ND1GAEED.
The County Commissioners Exener.
ated Of Anything Criminal BY
the Grand Jury.
The jail Cells according 10 Csntracl
and the Piece Of lrsn Exhibited
no Part Of Them.
The Report Of the Grand Jary.

~ ps ~ WV SsoNo WI
The Grand jury of Kootenai County
empaneled and sworn for the Marcl
term. A. ID. 1892. of the District Cour
Of the First Judicial District Of Ii,
state OF Idaho. respectfully report:
That they began their labos on tn,
first day Of March. 1892, and have re
manned In session continuously up Il
and including March 10Th, isss. tn,
date OF this report. sitting In session
fourteen days. During the session the
Grand jury transacted vast amour,
Of business. having examined - wit
witnesses in all. thirty seven Of whom
were sworn and examined la the course
OF the investigation Of the affairs Of the
county undertaken by the Grand
Jury. We have found sixteen true bills
Of indictment against twelve persons
and have dismissed six charges against
six persons.
The protracted session of the Grand
Jury, unexampled la the history Of the
county, Was neoessita;ed by the inses-
LEGATION made by US Of the affairs of
the county aud Ut the charges made
against the County Commissioners and
other officers of the county through the
public press. For months before the
session Of iiiis term of court. charges
against the County Commissioners of
maifraSince and corruption in Office
and extravaganza In the expenditure Of
county moneys. Of Doodle" and bribe
taking. OF corrupt bargains with per.
SONS furnishing supplies for the county,
Of the auditing Of excessive bills
agains; the county. and even of outrigh,
larceny of county property, and Of a
determined effort 10 pack the Grand
Jnry which was expected 10 investigate
this condition Of affairs. had been either
dlrrctly made or iusinuaied In terms
almost as direct rs a plain and open nc.
cuss,ioD. In public places through the
county and Ia two OF The newspapers
published In the county, 20 wit: the
kooirsiai Courier and the Post Falls
Post Through these rumors and re-
ports and, n the Grand Jury beiiey.
mainly through the publication Of thes..
ACCUSATIONS IN the two newspapers
named. the public mind became 81 In.
fa,ncd that petitions were circulated
through the county calling ON the
County Commissioners 10 resign their
offers, and a; least one public meeting
was held In the county. whcreai r,-solu.
tons were passed. ccnsuring the
County commissioners In unmeasured
terms and calling on them 10 resign
their Offices and appointing committee
I" circulate petitions calling upon
them 10 r~igi,.
In view Of this state Of facts the
1rond jury felt called upon "a make a
strict and thorough investigation into
these matters. regardless Of the expense
involved In the investigation. In order
that, II the charges were found 10 be
true. the guilty parties should he
brought 10 punishment. and IL found TO
he untrue. the public mind should he
appraised and justice should be public.
y done 10 the officers thus slsndercd
and riliiied. We now respectfully ne.
port our conclusions upon the several
charges NJ made against the County |
commissioners and investigated by us. |
THE COUNTY JAIL CELLS.
The charges In this respect. as we
them. were that such cells
we're made of inferior material. unfit
FOR the purpose for which It WAS de.
signed. and particularly that the ma
erial composing the ceiling and floors
VAS made of an inferior quality of
crap iron, through which a prisoner
would have but little difficulty in dig.
ng his way out, instead of being made
II steel. rs II was claimed they should
rave been made.
These charges, IL true. were of grave
Importance. not necessarily involving
my charge of criminality against the
'ounty Commissioners, unless It was
rue that they, or some Of them, con.
lived at the introduction into the cells
Il a poorer quality Of material than
hat contracted for. but certainly con.
letting them of gross carclessness In
he performance Of their duties. Upon
of the contract we find
hat no part Of the cells is required to
,e Of steel, save the bars and lattice
work. which are required to be of what
5 commonly called "chrome" steel. or a
Of soft carbonate steel aud
Iarl steel plates, rolled and welded
ogcther; the object being that the hard
teel should furnish resistance to saw.
While the soft stee, would furnish Nsis.
ance TO a blow from a sledge- hammer
r other heavy instrument. We find
hat such bars are according TO con
ract and good material. We also find
hat, according to contract the ceiling
boring and walls Of the cells were not
equircd to be of steel at all, but were
equircd to be of three sixteenths Jail
late. This Jail plate was proved to us
y the testimony Of irOn-workers and
lacksmiths located In this county, and
lso by the testimony Of Mr.. f.. NJ.
lloyd, an expert iron worker sum-