The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-09-29
District Court.


any one week for the last ten years,
and his honor Judge Wear and
District Attorney Milling are to be
congratulated for the remarkable
dispatch with which they have adj
ministered the law in the interest
of the public good.
Our young lawyers have all
been struting around this week like
ROSTERS with their first spurs. Mr..
o. N. o. Watts won his first case
in court, and lays claim to success
in four cases out of six, while ma
jor" Jno. A. Williams boasts of
winning five cases out of seven.
Esq. w. G. Roberts and Attorney
Henry Bernstein, being older in
the business, take their honors
with a certain amount of dignity,
which does not altogether conceal
the satisfaction they have enjoyed
in the matter of success and SEMI
ority at the bar.
The grand jury found it impossi-
BILE to get through with their bust
ness until noon on Wednesday,
when they came into court and
made the following report:
CoLFAx. La, Sept. 25. 1894.
To His Honor Judge George Wear, Judge of the
Fourth Judicial District Court
We, the Grand Jury impaneled for the
September term of court beg leave to
make this our final report: We have ex-
amined 166 cases, and found 66 indict-
ments. We find the commission of crime
somewhat on the decline, except the vile
and pernicious habit of carrying conceal
ed weapons, which is greatly ON the in
crease, and recommend to your honor, in
cases of conviction, to give them full
benefit of the law. We beg to call at
tention to the fact that the magistrates
of ward one are in the habit of issuing
warrants In great many minor cases
that cannot be sustained, and, notwitb-
standing the last grand jury called atten-
ton to this practice, yet it seems not to
have abated. We recommend that the
police jury allow pay only in cases where
indictments are found, as these little
cases cucumber the docket 30 heavily
the investigation of which consumes the
time of the grand jury to that-extent
that it might preclude a thorough inves-
tigation of crimes OF more importance;
and, further, we recommend that the
the magistrates in future use more care
and discretion in issuing warrants, and
thereby save the parish a great deal of
expense. In ward three we find one State
case has been compromised, and bond
and other papers destroyed. In this case
we appreciate the intention of the mag
istrate, but deplore the practice.
We have examined the parish treasur-
er's books, and find same correct. We
consider the school fund a very sacred
one, and have made a very careful inves-
tigation of same, and find our parish su-
perintendent's salary amply sufficient for
his services, and find that the law allows
him actual expenses while away in the
interest Of the schools: and find further
that he draws the patent price of $50 to
cover expenses to attend the superinten-
dents annual convention. For instance,
he draws $50 for his expenses to Lake
Charles, and like amount to Natchito-
ches. We believe that the trips can be
made for q great deal less money. We
find that he has been paid the sum of
S202 to cover the expenses of four trips
to these conventions, and we are certain
kou Il = h.,
trips for about one third OF the amount
drawn. Too much care and judgment
can not be used by the president IN
drawing his warrants, and we suggest
that an expense account be presented
before drawing his warrants. We also
suggest that the school board endeavor
to secure the services of competent Ex-
aminers who will discharge this duty
free of cost
We find about $1,000 Of State and par
ish licenses for the year 1894 that is due
the State and parish, OF which amount
only abont 5000 have been collected. We
therefore earnestly request the proper
officer to proceed at once to collect the
same. We find on the tax collectors
books about S1400 uncollected, in double
assessments, errors and litigations, and
about $165 due from parties for movable
property not found.
We have examined the Jail, and find
the conveniencies and security of same
very creditable to the police jury, and
also find the sanitary condition very
good. The prisoners report that they are
well cared for, but do not altogether APP
prove of making a corn crib of the Jail.
We would call the attention of the
school board to the per cent collected
by the clerk of the court, for deducting
poll tax from scrip proven up before him,
which amount is paid by the school
board. Ii there is no Jaw justifying this
fee that they refuse to pay it.
We find the public roads only fairly