The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-03-07
Report Of the
Grand Jury.

In the circuit court of the state OF
Oregon for Clatsop County.
I To the Hon. Thos. A. Mcbride, judge
of the above named court:
We, the undersigned grand jury for
the February. 1893, term of said court,
make the following as our final re-
port, and respectfully represent
| That we have carefully investigated
all charges of violation of law that
have been presented to us, and have
disposed of the same in such manner
as seemed to us justified by the evi-
dence..
We have learned that although the
tax levies for the last three years
have averaged over 20 mills, yet the
indebtedness of the county has been
increasing at the rate Of about $1,000
per year. We have also ascertained
that former grand juries have recon-
mended that the county court have
the books and accounts of the various
county offices exported, but that the
county court has failed to have the
same done and believing that the tax
payers Of the county should know how
the money collected has been expend-
ed, and. that the books and accounts of
the county officers should be exported
we have employed H. B. Ferguson to
expert the books of the sheriff, clerk,
treasurer and county school superin-
tendent, he to begin with the books and
accounts of said officers dated July 1st,
and to continue the examination of
said books and accounts to January
1st, 1893 and have contracted with him
to make thorough examination of said
books and accounts, to make an ex-
hibit thereof for publication and to re-
port to your honor at the next term of
this court. We therefore ask that you
ratify said appointment and direct that
he make a satisfactory report of the in
debtedness of the county and condi-
tion of the books and accounts of said
officers to you at the June, 1898, term
of this court.
We have carefully examined the re-
ports of road supervisors of this county
for the year 1892, and find many of
tory, they not itemizing the expendit-
ure of public money Since the county
court has adopted the method Of col
lecting the road taxes IN money each
road supervisor has become a dlsburs-
ing officer. We recommend that the
county court prescribe uniform blank
report and furnish each supervisor
with one. That each supervisor be re-
quired to file with the county clerk
verified report giving an itemized state
ment of all receipts and expenditures
of public money and with said report.
that receipts for all money expended be \
filed, and that said reports and re-
ceipts be kept on file in the county
clerks office.
We visited st. Mary's hospital, which
is the county hospital, and found it
well managed, neat, clean,and comfort
able. The patients are well cared for
and in every way the hospital is
WOTIny OIL COIllI1eHudllOIl.
We have visited the county and city
jails, and considering the condition of
the same, they are well kept and man
aged The county Jail and courthouse,
which were constructed thirty or forty
years ago, have for a number of years
been condemned by grand juries. The
floor in tie county Jail is rotten so
prisoners can escape without difficulty,
and as there is no immediate prospect
of the county getting a new jail, we
recommend that the county court pro-
ceed without further delay to put a |
new floor in the Jail and repair the |
same so it will hold prisoners. In our
opinion this can be done by removing |
the old floor, cementing cobble stones
for a distance of six feet from the
walls, and then putting in new string
ers and two inch flooring well spiked.
Sewer connection with the county |
Jail has been properly made, but the
cess pool at the rear of the Jail still re-
mains as a disease breeding nuisance,
AOt Ohly tiiC iCulIi VI |
prisoners, but of all persons residing |
within the vicinity of the Jail, and the
sewer connection at the courthouse is
imperfect.
We therefore recommend that the |
county court cause the cesspool at the !
Jail to be filled up and proper sewer
connections with the courthouse to be |
made at once I.iaLa ~
In the city Jail the cells are dark,
poorly ventilated. ana the sewerage is
bad. They are in their present con-
dition unfit for use. $780,. !,
These defects can be remedied by
cutting out a portion of the top of each
cell and covering the same with iron
bars and putting in closets connected
with the water works. s,.-s
And now having completed our la
bors we ask to be discharged.
w. H. TWILIGHT,
Foreman,
I. N. FOSTER.
THOMAS GRANGE,
w. ]. INGALLS,,
w. L. UHLENHART.
THOMAS BOYLE,
DENIED (,T csnNy