The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-03-01

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sioners, which has been looked into
! with as much care as possible under
the circumstances, indictments for
Messrs. Morrison, House, aud Delauter,
together with Mr.. Main, the accuser.
have been served, and bail offered by
! their friends. The matter has caused
widespread interest, AMI naturally a
variety of opinions are held AS to the
facts as charged. There is some posi-
bility that the case will not he tried
at the present term of court. The
doubt should be settled at once and
the true facts be made known to the
public.
THE JURY'S REPORT.
$40 the Honorable, the Judges of the
Circuit Court of Frederick County:
"rhe Grand Jury for the February
term of this court, 1895, respectfully
submit the following report:
During twenty days we have been
i'll session, we have examined two hun
dred aud one witnesses, found filty-
one presentments and true bills and
dismissed tweaty-seven cases. We made
| every endeavor To expedite business,
| but were unavOidably delayed by the
biockaded condition of the roads pre-
venting the prompt attendance of wit
/ neSses.
1--WE visited the Jail and found it
neatly and clearly kept, but would
suggest, in view of the fact that the
walls are very much smoked and dirty,
an appropriation for whltewashing
would very much improve them ana
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of the inmates. La consequence of in
quiry made as to the Responsibility for
the death of an insane patient 1T Mon
tevue Hospital this winter, the Jury
has made as thorough investigation as
| possible under existing circumstances
into the general conduct of this county
institution.
''Some of the results of the investiga-
ton are not satisfactory, owing largely
to the fact that an accurate auditing
and examination of accounts so large
and diverse can he properly done only
by an expert accountant. From our
! investigation we have no doubt that
all funds coming into the hands of the
present board of Charities and Correc-
tons are scrupulously accounted for.
1--WE find further that the Board OF
| Commissioners III the early part of the
| year 1898, assumed about $4,000 met
of the debts of the old Board of Chari-
! ties aud Corrections (sJme accounts be-
! ing of three years standing), and have
| to offset this the potential beGefit OF
| about 81 1926 ii worth of claims. Oh
| the accounts SO assumed the Board OF
| Commissioners know nothing.
las to the present system OF man
agement we desire to say that there are
several things that seem to us evil that
| should be remedied.
First The superintendent is with.
/ out authority TO enforce his orders to
the other employees and some com.
| plants of gross misconduct by minor
employees have not even been iuvesli.
gated; some one should be vested with
authority and corresponding response
bility imposed.
secondly. = When goods are
brought TO the institution on the order
of the superintendent, they are not
checked off before being placed in the
storerooni, 50 that it is impossible to tell
whether such goods reached MontevDe
"Thirdly.-The absence of inspec.
ton of accounts by the superintendent
and his certificatiou renders it difficult
for the Board of Charities and Correc-
lions to determine the correctness 0l
such accounts.
"Fourthly-The Clerk of the Board
of Charities and Corrections is notified
not to attend the quarterly meetings OF
the Board when the bids for supplies
are acted upon, and no record of such
bids (other than the successful ones,
is kept by the treasurer, so that it Is
impossible to tell whether such con
tracts are given to the lowest bidder.
"Fifthly-The number of waTden>
are grossly inadequate to the proper
care and supervision of the insane
each warden having an average OF ovel
twenty patients under his or her care
and being on active duty from $50 "a
III. to S or 9 o'clock p. M, and being
responsible for the ward for the whole
tWenty-four hours with no responsible
or paid assistant to relieve them.
"SiXthly.-A capable night nurse is
imperatively needed, that proper care
may me given the inmates.
"Seveuthly.- The report of the Board
of Charities aud Corrections as publish
ed gives an account of all monies re-
ceived and expended, making the to,a
receipts $24. 24S.l6, and expenditure.
for Montevue aud the Jail SD, 7lS.O2
whereas there was produced on the
farm and used Saving an expenditure
of like am0unt), products TO the value
of S2,6l9.l2, which should be placed on
both sides of the account, making the
receipts from all sources SIG, S67.3S and
expenditures S25. 337l7. The present
board has instituted reform in the line
of expenditures for canned asparagus
oysters, cigars, etc, which appear in
times past to have been unusually
heavy; the month of Decembr, 1892
alone, showing IA purchase of $50 worth
of whskey and rum.
"The facts wherever they exist,
seem to be the result of vicious sys
tenn, for we feel assured that the BOARD
seek to run the institution to the besl
advantage; but no institution can bt
properly run where there is no respon
sible head vested with authority and
where employees look alone to the
members of the Board who secured
their appointment.
"Such an institution, above all others
should oe absolutely divorced from pol
itics, from whatever source. Owing &c
charges hayiug having been laid before
our body, that the office of tax collec'
tor had been obtained 10y bribery and
corruption of officials, we have gone
into as thorough an investigation as
possible, and from the evidence adj
duced find that there is absolutely no
foundation for such charges, and thai
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