The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-23

It's maj report and was discharged,
after receiving the thanks of Judge
Street, who acted in the absence of
Judge Hiles. The report reads as fol-
lows:
The grand jury. having concluded
its labors, beg leave to make the fol-
lowing report to your honor:
We were in session q days,
and during that time we investigated
20 cases, in which we examined % wit
nesses. We returned into court u in
dictments, of which nine were felonies
and three misdemeanors. In the
other cases investigated we deemed it
inexpedient to find indictments.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS INSPECTED
We inspected the county Jail of Salt
Lake county and found the same well
managed in every respect. Sheriff
Hardy and his employees deserve great
praise for their faithful performance
of duty. The county commissioners
should provide woman as matron to
attend female prisoners confined in said
jail.
We visited the county infirmary
The unfortunate inmates are well
cared for and made comfortable, and
| everything is conducted in a business
like manner. Salt Lake county is to
be congratulated on its efficient super
intendent, r. G. Lambert, of this in
stitution. The institution has become
| almost self-sustaining, by means of
raising farm products. Enough prod
ucts are raised on the infirmary
| grounds for the inmates of the institu-
! ton as well as a surplus of the same.
The county should build a second
story on the annex of the infirmarv to
be used as a hospital. At present pa
49, l.. l..
| City. This method entails a great
expense on the county, which could
be avoided by adopting the above sug
gestion.
We also visited the state peniten-
! tiary. This institution is in a most
excellent condition. Warden Dow has
brought this institution to a high
standard of perfection.
We made an inspection of the city
| Jail of Salt Lake City. The men in
charge do the best they can under the
adverse circumstances. This building
has been repeatedly condemned. 1t
has been STYLED the BLACK Hole of
Calcutta" No body of men can pro-
nounce it a fit place to confine human
beings. However. the city council
of Salt Lake City displays in this mat
ter an apathy which is criminal in a
moral sense, if not in legal sense.
We recommend TO YOUR honorable
court that your honor appoint a COM
mittee TO investigate the actions and
conduct of II. B. Watrous. an attor-
ney-at-law, in the case of the state of
Utah VS.. Guy Sandy, who was con-
victed of 2 misdemeanor on the 1st
day of September, 1896, in the Justices
court before w. II. Sells, justice of the
peace. Salt Lake City, Utah, to ascer-
tain whether Mr.. Watrous should not
be disbarred from the practice of law
for unprofeSSional conduct in the said
case.
OFFICIALS AND WITNESS FEES.
There is an existing evil in the pay
ment of certain classes of witnesses in
criminal cases. At present when city
or county officers appear in criminal
actions as witnesses, in accordance
with their duties, they are paid for
their services as such witnesses. In
almost every instance these persons
receive monthly salaries. No good
reason can be advanced why the state
should pay witnesses when they are
receiving regular salaries. OF course,
where such witnesses incur expenses
for travelling it is but just that they
should receive proper compensation.
We suggest to our legislature to pass
a law that will abolish this evil
BANKING LAWS.
The grand jury earnestly directs the
attention of our legislature to our
defective banking laws. We have a
statute making the secretary of state a
bank examiner of Incorporated banks
This statute should be amended so as
to include private banks as we'll as
those incorporated. There is no valid
reason why private banks should be
exempt from such inspection. Both in
corporated and unincorporated banks
should be subject to frequent and rigid
examinations We also further call the
legislatures attention to the statute
making il a crime for banks, after they
are insolvent. to receive deposits Sec
ton 1858 of the compiled laws of Utah. |
1888, provides as follows: Every
officer, agent, teller or clerk of any
bank, and every individual banker or
agent. teller or clerk of any individual
banker. who receives deposits. knowing
that such bank or association, or |
banker is insolYent, is guilty of a mis- |
demeanor." a misdemeanor is punish |
able under our laws by a fine of not |
less than $500. or Imprisonment in the |
county jail not exceeding six months, |
or by both. Bankers, or their repre- |
sentatives, after knowing their bank to |
be insolvent. can receive deposits from |
81 to S100. GOO, or a larger sum. and vet |
be subject only to the punishment of |
misdemeanor. For bank officials to |
receive deposits, knowing their bank |
to be insolvent. is crime akin to en- |
bezzlement The act of receiving de- |
posits by insolvent banks should be |
made felony. Many other states make |
such an offense a crime punishable by |
Imprisonment in the penitentiary.
CLAIRvOYANCE SwINDLING.
The grand jury also directs the at
tention of our legislature to a system
of swindling commonly known as
'-clairvoyance." This term is synony-
nous with robbery. 1t is a great sur
prise to what extent clairvoyants have
piled their vocations in this regard.
In most cases women have been vic
timized by these sharks. The clair
voyants work in such devious ways
that it is extremely doubtful whethe:
sufficient evidence in most cases could !
be obtained to secure d conviction on
the charge of obtaining money or prop
erty by false pretenses under our pres
ent statute. A statute should be en-
acted to protect the credulous and I'M
wary from this fraudulent imposition
All of which is respectfully SUBJ
nitted, this 22nd day of December. 1886.
ROBERT T. BURTON. JR.,
Foreman of Grand Jury
FRED c. BASSETT.
Clerk of Grand Jury.
NJ. j. KENNEDY.