Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-04
THE GRAND JURY.
Its Final Report Submitted to Justice Brad
ley Today.

1
| NUMBER AND CLASS OF CASES coHsIpERHD-ruE
| MErzERorr HALL DIsAsrER-THE JAIL, AIMS
HOUSE AND WORK HOUSE VISITED AND REFoaMs
| nEcoMMZNDED-REPEAL OF THE ARMY AND
| NAVY POLICE CLAUSE ADVISED.
The grand jury today submitted thei- final
report and were discharged by Justice Bradley
| with the thanks of the court. They state that
! they investigated 126 cases, of which Is were
for HOUSEKEEPING, q assaults with intent to
kill; false pretenses, IA; larceny from the
person, 10; grand larccncy, u; murder, g. and
presented SO indictments, and II ignored
THE MUSIC HALL DISASTER.
The grand jury state that they visited the
Metzerott Music Hall building on November
q, tho day after it fell, and examined the evil
dcnce taken by the coroner. and "while we do
not believe the evidence was sufficient to sustain
ali Indictment if presented we believe that it
shows condition of things closely bordering
on criminslty and would recommend that the
building regulations be amended as to
the construction of walls in buildings of that
class defining the heighth of a story and re-
quiring proper brscings at stated intervals and
more rigid examination of plans and specif-
cations, SO that the lives of our citizens may
not be sacrificed or put in jeopardy by faulty
and cheap construction in the future.
RSFoRMs AT THE JAIL HEcoAMENDEp.
They state tina: they visited the Jail. Wash
ington Asylum and work house at their own
expense, and they find 'the management Of
affairs at the Jail to be about as good as possi-
OF the warden; the cells. &C., neat
and clean. The capacity, they say, should
be enlarged so that no necessity should exist
Ior confining more than one prisoner IN a cell
In .he treatment Of prisoners marked
discrimination user should be made o between
victed, but now all are reduced
to the same degrading conditions as those
under conviction and sentence. The law pre-
sumes man innocent until convicted, and
nence the injustice OF treating such as a con-
victed criminal. The bath tubs are
only four and half feet long,
and under regulations two prisoners are
required TO battle at the same time which. for
sanitary reasons well as decency, should not
be allowed or required, but the lack OF proper
faculties make 1t necessary.
They recommend 4 wall he built that the
prisoners may have exercise in the open air.
Ihey made an Investigation OF the charges in
THE STAR of December 26 OF cruel and inhu-
man treatment of Joseph Smith and found no
bruises on his person and but Sill ht abrasions
on his arms, and the punishment was not unduly
severe. and was only resorted to when milder
measures had failed. The rules are necessary,
and IN this case we're not improperly enforced.
They call attention to the fact that the salary
OF the physician is but $1,000, out Of which he
has to supply the drugs and medicines.
TIE AIMS HOUSE AID WORK EoUsE.
As to the aims house, the grand jury finds it
well kept, but calls attention to the fact that
no coffee boilers are provided in the kitchen.
but vegetable boilers are used. The kitchen
should he enlarged and also the hospital
building.
In the work house in some rooms are six men
and i'll others nine and the natural result is TO
confirm bad morals. They deprecate tho con-
hnement of a number of boys ranging from
eight to fifteen years who have the run OF the
buildings. and say while this is permitted there
Is no hope that they will dcyelope to anything
better than the worst class Of criminals.
THE POLICE ARMY AND NAVY CLAUSE.
They state that they have made some inyesti-
cations OF the police department and would
through the court call attention OF the District
Commissioners to the necessity for the repeal
OF the requirement for appointment ON the
force the honorable discharge from the army
or navy They state that the soldiers of the
late war the law was designed to ben
eht are no longer eligible; that the enlisted
men In the army and navy Of
late years are mostly of foreign birth, who in
most cases have not been here long enough to be
SO lmbued with the spirit of our institutions
zens, to say nothing of the RESPONSE
bility of officers, and the native-born who
enlist are not Of a class whose education and
moral character specially qualify them for
policemen; that the law provides for citizen
ship but one years residence when an honor
able discharge can be shown.
The present law prohibits the appointment
OF citizens, who from their residence &c. would
make good officers. In majority of the cut
ting and shooting cases examined whisky
or gambling were the accompaniment
and consequently police forco of men who
will discharge their duties and redeem our
fair city from the pestilential influence of such
evils should be procured. The appoint ting
power should be untrammeled' They
recommend the erection OF new building for
police headquarters. the present being. even il
In good repair. unfit and close, by reason of
an increase OF the number of tho force.
INDICTMENTS REPORTED.
The grand jury today reporteda number of
indictmeuts,as follows: Charles J. Meyers, MUIR
der of Officer James B. Slack November "a.
Officer Archibald Mellen, granddaughter, in
causing death Of Cas-. Lomax, December IA:
Albert Graham. James A. Gowans Nicholas
Woods, VIM. hickman, false pretenses: Alice
Wood Ramsay, Harry Yeatman, larceny;
James Weston. George Walker Daniel Myers
and Richard Lancaster. larceny from person;
Annie Jackson and Edward Addison, perjury;
Albert Stannard. gaming table; Edward
Walker, embezzlement; Richard Manly.
alias Meany; HOUSEKEEPING; Jorden
Jones and John Harris, alias John
Patsey. assault with intent to kill; Lewis VIII
Jams, Edward Kilgore and Samuel Mockabee,
robbery: David Bowen, Eliza Bowen. Francis
Clay and Joseph Clay, forcible entry end de-
tainor
They also presented Cyrus Posey, perjury:
Henry Whitfield and VIM. johnson. house-
breaking. and II. o. Grayson, embeZzlemcnt
They ignored the charges against Isaac
Brown and John Brown, grand larceny, and
Albert Miller for assault with intent to Kill.
PRESENTATIONS OF ANOTHER KIND
At the final meeting of the grand jury today
presentations were made to the fore
man. Mr.. Gerard Jenkins of a
Knights Templar and SP.RS. charm.
and to the secretary, Mr.. Robert j. Mclean of
q pair OF handsome diamond cuff buttons in
appreciation Of their services for the past
three months.
The Snow Comes Mt Last:
1t tried to snow yesterday. Occasionally
there was an instant when the air seemed well |
filed with flakes that scurried along before the
wind. but there was never enough to whiten |
the ground. This afternoon, however, about |
O'Clock. a real snow storm, the first OF the |
season, set in, ard in half an hour the ground |
was covered and there was no immediate pros |