The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-21
The Court.

pie and has been conducting the busi-
ness of the court with dispatch, and
everything has been moving along
smoothly.
Judge Gary's charge to the grand
jury was short and to the point, and
covered their various duties Theirs
was not private duty. They were
officers of the court and occupied as
high and as importanta position as any
other officer Of the court. He called
their attention to the oath they had
taken, and impressed upon them the
fact that the peace and safety Of the
county largely depended upon the
faithfulness with which they discharged
their duties.
Mr.. H. G. Moseley was elected fore
man Of the grand jury. There was a
full grand jury, and they are all good
men and true, and the affairs of the
county will be faithfully and diligently
attended to by them.
The following bills were handed to
the grand jury:
Henry Werts-murder.
James Watts alias Dick Watts-mur-
der.
Peter misunderstanding.
Mark Wilson-assault and battery
intent to- kill
Robert Johnson-assault and battery
intent to kill.
Will Ropp alias Will Trapp--house-
breaking.
True bills were found in all the cases
except Peter Miller, in which mo billn
was returned.
Robert johnson was convicted Of
assault and battery with iItent to kill.
The case against Ed Young was con-
tinued.
Will Trapp pleaded guilty to house
breaking.
Jim Epps was put on trial for arson
on Monday afternoon. There was
mistrial in this case at the previous term
of court. He was defended by Cole. L.
Blease, and the jury rendered verdict
of not guilty.
Mark Wilson was tried yesterday
morning for assault and battery with
intent to kill, and resulted in verdict
of guilty Of assaults and battery of a
high and aggravated nature.
The Summers case and the other
murder cases were all continued, and
yesterday afternoon all the jury cases
on the criminal side of the court bad
been completed and the juries were
discharged.
The prisoners convicted at this term
will be sentenced this morning, and
the court will adjourn sine die.
PREsENTMENT OF GRAND JURY.
To rs Honor, Ernest Gary, Judge
Presiding:
On closing the duties required of us,
the grand jury would respectfully SUBJ
NIT the following as their report.
We would, first, beg to tender your
honor, and the honorable Solicitor our
thanks for the kindness shown US, and
for the valuable instruction given US,
which has aided us much in the dis
charge of our duties.
We find that certain much needed
work in the Jail yard and which was
recommended to be done by the last
grand jury, which work is required for
the health and comfort of the family
living on the lot, and which work is
greatly needed for the preservation Of
the property of the county, has re-
ceived no attention whatever from the
county commissioners. Now we do
not repeat the recommendation of the
former grand jury, but we ask that the
said county commissioners be required
to show cause why they have failed to
obey the plain directions of this court.
We would ask thatthe county COM
missioners be required to report to this
july at our noxt meeting, as to the
number of picks, shovels and other
tools that have been purchased by
them for the county and given out to
road overseers, and received from their
predecessors, what they paid for them,
and if they ever taken receipts for them
when taken out. We would further
ask that said commissioners be required
to report to this jury how much lum-
Der has been bought by them for the
use of the county, and if all such lum-
Der has been actually used for the ben
eft of the county, and if not, what has
become of the balance. And farther,
if any lumber paid for by the county
has been allowed to lie and rot on the
roadside.
We are of the opinion that in the
interest of the morals Of the county, the
law on our statute books in regard to
persons living in adultery and fornica-
ton should be so amended as to make
it less difficult to convict persons known
to be living in this way in open viola
ton of law and decency. Under the
technica lities of the law as now on our
statute books a conviction for those
offences is next to impossible, while it
is we'll known that the law in this par
ticular is being continually violated in
every section of the county.
Recurring to the Jail we would say
that the committees appointed to ex-
anime, reported that they found the
Jail clean and nicely kept, the prison
ers seemed 10 have been well cared for,
but the Jail building was found in bad
condition. Many repairs recommended
by former grand juries have not been
made. The cutters are out of repair,
and the rain water is thereby turned
against the wall and has done much
injury to the wall, the floor and plas-
tering. The windows have not been
repaired as was directed. The rain
blowing through the broken windows
is injuring the building.
We are informed that the board of
control of the Dispensary hold their
meetings in the grand jury room, and
that they use freely the stationery,
wood, ETC., belonging to, and paid for by
the county. We recommend that said
board be required to furnish all their
own supplies and pay for the same out
of the proceeds of their business.
The committee that examined the
court house reported that the ceiling
overhead in the jury room to the left
of his honor is in bad condition, and is
in need of repairs. The room is in gen.
eral bad condition and is not really fit
for decent person to enter. The room
has not been cleaned up, and the odor
therefrom is very offensive. There are
not sufficient chairs to seat jury.
The room is also crowded with boxes
so as to scarcely leave room for a jury
when in there. We recommend that
these boxes be removed and the room
be given a general cleaning, and that
the person employed receive no pay as
be has done no good.
The committee visiting the poor
l.