Birmingham state herald., 1896-04-19
YESTERDAY IN THE COURTS
The following grand jury report was submitted by that body yesterday on taking recess until Monday, May 25:
 The State of Alabama,

submitted by that body yesterday on taking a recess until Monday, May 25:
 The State of Alabama,
 Jefferson County,
 Criminal Court of Jefferson County,
 April Term, 1896. To the Hon. Samuel E. Greene, Judge of the Criminal Court:
 We, the grand jury, empaneled at the April term, 1896, of the criminal court of Jefferson county, have concluded that the public good requires another session of this grand jury later in the term of this court, and we have therefore deter mined now to adjourn until Monday, the 25th day of May, 1S96
 Without attempting to make com plete report of our labors we wish to say:
 Jail and Aims House.
 | That we have examined the county jail and find it clean and the prisoners we'll fed and otherwise provided for; but we also find that many of the prisoners cots are old and very much worn and we recommend that they be replaced with new ones. We have also examined the county aims house and find the house well kept and the inmates well cared for
 County Roads.
 2 That many complaints have come to us about the condition of the public roads which the county commissioners have contracted to have worked and graded. We recommend that the com missioneTs. while this work is being done, see that the roads are kept in passable condition.
 Criticism Applied.
 g. The only information we can have about the cases coming to our body from committing magistrates is on the mitti- museS sent to the sheriff along with the prisoners. Justices of the peace usually enter an accurate and complete list of Vyif fha hoolyc ,f muses, as in duty bound; but the clerk of the inferior court of Birmingham al- most invariably indorses on the mitti- muses which he sends to us from that court an inaccurate and incomplete list of witnesses, and sometimes furnishes us with the names of no witnesses at all. This negle@ct of duty retardS and com plicates the work of the grand jury and results in injustice to the state, unnec- essary confinement in jail of the prisoner and unnecessary expense to the county.
 Insufficient Bonds.
 4. We have examined the bonds of the county officers and investigated the financial condition of their sureties. We find that the bonds of the following of- ficers are insufficient in security and rec ommend that the probate judge immedi- ately require new and sufficient bonds of them:
 W. A. J. Moore, justice of the peace, precinct 32; N.-P. O'Neill, justice of the ptdCe, pIetlllCl oU J. D. AIIflSlIOHB, COIl- stable, precinct 31 James O. Parsons, constable, precinct S6; H. T. Tollett, con- stable, precinct &; E. A. Paschal, notary public and ex-officio justice of the peace, precinct 22 w. T. Poe, notary public and eX-officio justice of the peace, ward No. g. city of Birmingham.
 We extend our thanks to your honor for your lucid and instructive charge. to Solicitors Ferguson and Bradley and Asa Sistant Solicitor Morrow for their cour- pnnonpfant a SGict a n body and to Bailiff Sexton for the faith full performance of his duties. Respect fully submitted,
 c. E. THOMAS. Foreman.
 Circuit Court
 Sharff Burnheimer Grocey company vS. M. A. Little; judgment for $1S5.07.
 Birmingham Dry Goods company vs. Little Warrior Coal company; judgment for $335.4S
 Sherman Shoe company vs Smith Shoe company; Judgment for $253.4S.
 Marriage Licenses.
 Jerry Fountain and Mrs. Lucy Mamie Smith
 Milton Ragsdale and Miss Hettie Thompson
 Edward Templeman and Miss Daisy o. Harper.
 A Second Mistrial. has resulted in the case of J. w. Howard vs. Mrs. Lizzie Dargin. Plaintiff is suing for damages on account of an alleged utterance by the defendant which, he claims reflected on his honesty and in- jured him in business. A m'strlal re- suited In the hearing of the case some weeks ago.
 A Big Coal Company.
 declaration of incorpora ton for mammoth mining corporation was filed yesterday in the probate court. The name of the corporation will be the Jefferson Coal and Railway company. This corpo- ration has acquired the property of the Mary Lee Coal and Railway company, and, as the projectors are capitalists, with abundant funds, it is confidently believed that the new organization will go to work on large scale in developing the extensive mineral properties of the Mary Lee company. Douglass H. Cor don and Henry s. Jenkins of Baltimore, Md, filed the declaration of incorpora- ton. The capital stock is to be $400,00O. Some time ago the property of the Ma " Lee Coal and Railway company was sold by order of court to satisfy judg- ment in favor of he Maryland Trust and Deposit company, who were trustees Of the bondholders of the Mary Lee compa- ny. The property was bought by D. H. Gordon, James Sloan, Jr., and J. w. Jen- kins. On the 11th of last January negoti- atons were completed between the pur- chasers, and the incorpora tors of the Jef- ferson company whereby the Mary Lee property was acquired by the latter. The stock will be preferred and com mon StOcK. portion or Wnlcn VIII go to the purchasers at the court sale, together with first and second mortgage bonds of the new company.
 For the Proponent.
 Late yesterday afternoon the jury in the Samuel Torrey will case returned verdict in favor of the proponent, relict of the testator who, onchis death some time ago, left all of his property to his wife The estate was conside ble, the estimated value being about $40, 900. The will was contested by son of the testa- tor. who was in Europe at the time of his fathers death It is probable that the case will be appealed.
 For Mayor.
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