The Opelousas courier., 1894-12-22

murder.
John Zacharie ct ais, cutting saddle.
Frank Daniels ct ais, assault and battery.
| McF. Briant, stabbing with intent to murder.
Laurent BOSNIAN ct ais, burglary.
". Miller, stabbing with intent to kill.
Jos. Allen, assault with intent to murder.
Sam Evans, assault and battery.
Bill Nugent ct AL, striking with intent to XIII.
Joseph Sicily, petty larceny.
Aristide sebastien and Isidore Frete, assault
and battery.
C. L. Phillips, shooting with intent to murder.
Jean 7. Vincent, riding horse OF another.
Joseph Johnson, burglary.
LOuaillier Flood, robbery.
Albert Singleton ct ais, disturbing a peace
able
Extract from special report filed Dec. ii, 1894.
Your Grand Jury find that one Rufus Stout
was incarcerated in the parish prison I'M
der charge of murder and of shooting with in
| tent to commit murder on the 9th day of March,
1898, and at the next session of the Grand Jury
he was regularly indicted under both charges
by that Hon. body. He has been tried and
| acquitted of the charge of murder on the Sd
| day of March, 1894, and is now in parish prison
awaiting trial under the other charge and un-
able to furnish the required security. Your
Grand Jury has ascertained that his incarcera-
ton is a mere fornaiity, he being a trlisty of
the prison with full opportunities to escape did
lie so desire. We therefore believe that this is
a case that falls within the scope of your Hon
or's discretionary powers, and that the In
\ terest of the public demands that your Honor
SO exercise that discretion as to admit to bail
upon his own recognizance for appearance at
the next regular term of your criminal court,
the said Rufus Stout. Your Grand Jury would
| further call to your Honor's attention the fact
\ that there are now in the parish prison, three
persons awaiting Introduction, to-wit: Paul
Mezi, Caroline Melancon and Alexandra Clause.
We find that these persons have been inear-
| cerated for a length of time without any action
being taken for their relief, and that %jnstice
and humanity require immediate action in their
behalf. We accordingly suggest that your Hon
| or call to the attention of the proper authori-
ties these facts, with instructions to proceed at
once in the promises.
| Final report filed Dec. 10, 1894.
judicial District Court of Louisiana, hold
ing session in and for the parish of st. Ian
dry.
The Grand Jury beg leave to submit their
| final report as follows, to-wit:
In accordance with the charge of his Honor,
we have investigated the affairs of the parish
under the administration of the Police Jury,
| but could not, at this session, give to the in
! vestigation the time required to make a full
and detailed report of parish affairs; yet we
find
their Presidents, TO report to the Auditor by
| April 18th of each year, a complete list of the
names and business OF persons paying licenses,
the amount of each license, and date of pay
| ment, as reported by the tax collector a com
plete statement of the financial condition of the
parish, the nature and amount Of Indebtedness,
cash on hand and rate of taxation and requir-
ing Police Juries to keep the Secretary OF State
advised of the names and Post Office addresses
of their respective Presidents and Secretaries.
And the law requiring Presidents of Police
Juries to report annually on or before Nov. 10th
of each year to the Auditor the names of all
persons who may have defaulted to the parish
and providing penalty for the failure or neglect
to perform this duty.
Neither of the laws seem to have been COM
piled with.
We respectfully submit that a strict compli-
ance with these avs will improve public SER
vice, as such compliance will necessitate, for
the protection Of the parish as well as of the
Presidents of the Police Jury, that the books of
all officers handling parish funds should be
carefully Investigated to ascertain whether
such defalcations if any do exist; and the re-
suit of such investigation should be published
in the official journal of the parish and the re-
quired reports forwarded to the Governor and
Auditor, as required by law.
The usual report Of the condition of affairs
showing the Indebtedness of the parish for the
fiscal year ending March 31st, 1894, has not been
published in accordance with the previous Gus
toms of the Police Jury and we recommend
that the report be made and caused to be pub
lished as soon as possible.
On Dec. 18th, 1893, the Police Jury adopted a
budget for the year 1894 and promulgated the
custom, and on June 18th, 1894, a resolution was
passed by the Police Jury changing the budget
by transferring from the existing debt the sum
Of $4,000 and placing the same to the credit of
the District Court witnesses for 1894.
1t was explained to us that the intention of
the Police Jury in passing the resolution was
u bU1IO 1loA Nv SAA5S14iS uOpU " luD lllit
being, as the witness fund was inadequate to
defray the amounts required, but that it was
the intention of the Police Jury to replace the
amount on final settlement, in order that the
rights of the holders Of claims against the ex-
listing debt fund would not be injured.
We submit that when the budget is promul-
rights of creditors, and that it is not in the
power of Police Juries to modify or change the
amounts set aside for any particular fund in
We do not doubt the intention of the Police |
Jury to return the amount to the rightful cred
itors, but consider the actual change in the
budget to be a bad precedent and should not be
Complaints have been made to us that par.
ties interested have been refused access to the
Police Jury books, and, on investigation, we
find that such has been the case, but the Clerk
of the Police Jury as well as the officers assure
us that they do permit any one who may have
an interest to look into the parish books, and
that they give the public all con-
corning the same and that the refusals We're
without warrant or order from the proper Off
GERS.
Jury, with the assistance of the District Attor-
new, was authorized to contract with the
Washington State Bank for a loan to be made
to the parish at q rae ae9.oolin interest," es,a OF one per
ton was modified on the following meeting of
the Police Jury on March 18th, 1894, changing
the rate OF interest or discount to a salary OF
per year, providing said salary does not
exceed one per centum discount.
We do not find in the published proceedings
Of the Police Jury that the contract was re-
ported back to the body for approval, nor that
the contract has ever been published.
We can only submit without comment to
you Hon. Court that the Police Jury has, under
contract, borrowed $25O0O.O 90 and subsequently
from the Washington State Bank at the
rate OF one per centum discount per month.
That we do not know, having no legal advice
on the subject, whether the Police Jury has the
power to borrow money for the purpose set
in the resolution and to pay such a rate
Of interest.
Under any circumstances the contract
have been read in Open session of the
Police Jury. approved at a regular or special
called for the purpose, and published.
It is clearly established that out of the
budget of 1894, which amounts to S42O5O.O0,
was only O saving to the parish on the
90 appropriated for the internal improve
nents by borrowing money to pay cash, as all
he other items in the budget are for salaries,
fixed by law or resolutions of the Police
fury.
We respectfully submit that we have examin-
ID all Justices of the Peace, in and for the par
sh Of st. Landry. They report, with only one
EXCEPTION, that the roads in their respective
wards are in good condition and that the road
are generally complying with the law;
hat the people in their respective wards are
and respect the laws.
We have instructed every Justice of the
oeace that it is their duty to report to the pro-
YER officers all violations of the law within
heir ward, charginge them specially rela-
i've to violations OF the laws relative to carry |