Evening journal., 1895-07-03
LEVYCOURT CALLS HALT
Sent Back Bills of Sheriff ellis
and Others,
TO BE CUT DOWN WITH AN AXE

All Hands Arc Charging the County More
Than II is Obliged to Pay-The Com
missioners Saved Several Hundred Dol
lars by the Discovery-sherin Gnlis
Sees His Mistake.
An adjourned meeting Of the Levy
Court Of New Castle county to-day was
one of the busiest of the season 1t
decided TO send back to Sheriff Gillis
his statement of commitments and other
charges for the month OF June and to
teetotally ignore a list Of 2S2 commit
ments submitted Ia the work OF Frank
y. Herbert, late mayor of New Castle. but
not signed by him.
IL Was discovered that Mr.. Herbert
had charged for committing the men
and feeding them. The eherif had
charged also for committing and feeding
the same men. Twenty cents was
charged for the meals served each man,
and SO cents for the commitment
In investigating the matter It was
found that the commitments would be
filed out by prisoner In the Jail, and
when a number had been collected they
would be signed by New Castles mayor
All OF the commitments we're for vag-
rants who had been sentenced for short
terms or had applied at the jail for
lodging
At yesterday afternoons session the
sheriff was represented by Phi ip Q
Churchman. The commissioners hunted
up the law on the case and found that a
destitute tramp or vagrant may be
committed to jail upon application to
the all commissioner, he to be the
sole Judge OF the applicants
need. The sheriff is entitled to fee
for board The members do not see how
Mr. Herbert c)uld be entitled to fees, as
be did not board, and in their opinion had
no right to commit prisoners
The sheriff SECS It's Wrong.
This morning the sheriff came before
the court and explsined that he did not
know that the Ball tramp act changed
the fees Of the sheriff. as his predecessors
had always charged the regulation fees
OF 90 cents for each prisoner whom he
locked In cell.
He was willing TO correct all mistakes
while In offioe and would take the bill
and revise II II the commissioners were
convinced as to how the charges should
be made
MIR. Gallagher Reads the Law.
Commissioner Gallagher read to the
court extracts from the codihed laws
including the act In relation to tramps.
He said that. according to the statutes
OF May 4, 1s03 the sheriff WAS entitled
Z TO but 10 cents for locking up
vagrant, and no commitment
II he had to arrest the offender-for nc
criminal act, however was entitled
10 10 oents, and the work Of bringing
the fellow to all was worth Just 10 cents
more But one dime was all that could
be paid q sheriff for merely receiving !
vaRrAnt from the jail commissioner.
by cutting down these items IN thl
sherlfIs bill the county will save ovel
5000. said President Scott as he handel
the bill back to Sheriff Gillis
The 2se unsigned commitments wer'
simply pushed aside as the law distinotl.
makes no provision for such legal paper
for simple vsgrant.
The Mayor OF New Castle.
From what knowledge the Lev
Q | Courtmen drew out OF q careful perusal
D OF the tramp law, the mayor OF New
+ Castle, 30 they stated, has not even tn
I authority to commit prisoner for har
labor.
d Another exception was taken In the rs
e port Of John r. Dolan. high constable
Q whose charges we're 20 cents and 10 cent
!, for certain legal processes wher
the Ball tramp law allows hu
Il5 and 10 cents This, however
was held over until next meeting to Rllo'
the commissioners to satisfy themselve
that the chiefs charges come under
special act regarding the Municipl
Court.
Levy Court adjourned to meet ne1
IA Tuesday wten the somewhat overfe
bills will again be wheeled In by Conn
e troller Stats.