The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-25
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GENERAL PREsEXTMENT
Grand Jury, Superior Court, Chat
ham County.

ham County.
Savannah. Feb 10, 1S96.-To His Honor
Robert Fallgant, judge of the superior
court, eastern judicial circuit. sir:
The grand jury of the superior court for
the December term, 1896, beg to submit the
following as their presentment, in compli-
ance with the injuncuons of your charge,
as well IS the general requirements of the
code. We have by committees examined
into the condition Of all public buildings,
inspected public roads and drainage, visi-
ted convict camps, examined magistrates
books and books of court officials.
Under the head OF public buildings we
have visited the various public schools
the county Jail and court house, and beg
to make the following report:
With some few exceptions, which we
will touch on later, We find the various
schools well kept, lighted and ventilated
with some of the class rooms somewhat
At the high school for want of room
Hunters hall has been divided with board
partitions, and these rooms are somewhat
At the Chatham Academy the majority
of the rooms are well lighted and ventila-
ted, but two of the interior rooms are so
much shaded by the ptazzas that in cloudy
weather the children are forced to con-
gregate at the windows in order to be
able to see. We would suggest that in
these two rooms gas be introduced so that
this difficulty can i'm a measure be over
come. = 80 taa q
all in order, only one of the junior classes
being too large, a basement room in a
dwelling opposite is being used, which
when the new school is opened this will
doubtless be relieved.
The Henry street school is a, well ap-
pointed and handsome school house, the
only. fault to find here is the subdividing
of the hall by board partitions which
makes it very trying to the different
teachers as the recitations are plainly
distinguishable in the other class rooms
The Cathedral school and st. Patrick's
school we found in good order, save. for
the need of a little paint on the ceilings
of some of the rooms.
The Massie school appears to be in good
only thing we see aniss is the closets and
umnals are too near the school building,
and we recommend their removal to the
further corners of the lot, and at as early
a date as possible.
NEGRO SCHOOLS.
At the East Broad street school we
found everything in fair shape with the
school rooms large and well ventilated,
some of the benches and desks should be
repaired or replaced.
The West Broad street school we found
in great part entirely untitled for school
purposes. The building erected in rear of
lot is good and well lighted with proper
ventilation, but the majority of the rooms
in the Old Homestead lacks light and ven
tilation. Some of these rooms with As to
so scholars, with one and two windows, in
them. The. building should be replaced
with a new and modern one, or else the
present building have more windows and
doors cut where it is possible to have
them so changed.
The Jail is in good condition and every
thing appears to be very clean and or
derly.
The court house is in good condition ex-
cept that the plastering in the ceilings is
badly in need of repairs, and we recon-
mend this work done at once, in order to
prevent a serious accident from falling
plaster.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
We have examined the books of the JUS
tices of the peace and notaries acting as
justices of the county and have gone over
the dockets carefully and found the
greater part of them in correct order and
show the legal charges correctly stated;
we find immense numbers of peace war
rants entered in all of them, as well as a
great number of cases for cheating and
swindling, and similar cases which were
dismissed for the want of a prosecutor.
We think no one should go before a mag
istrate and make oath to such a serious
charge without appearing to substantiate
so grave an offense.
brought for malice with the intention to
make the defendant pay the costs of
court not having at the time any inten-
ton to appear and prosecute the charge
law to make the plaintiff appear in such
cases and, if they could show no good
cause for the accusation, they should be
punished for the malicious prosecution.
We regret to state that we find in the
books of Justice Mcleod King a great
number of false entries. We find his
docket shows 1853 entries as papers turned
over the solicitor general, who inform us
that they were not turned over, as the
docket would indicate. Some ninety
eight papers ranging in date from last
July UP to-day were turned over to him
yesterday Feb. IS, 1896.
We also find some siXty-one different
papers of same nature not turned over
to him at any time.
Mr.. King says he is an Old man and at
time can not write and that his consta-
bic made the entries in his books.
From the above facts we find it our
duty as grand jurors to recommend that
owing to his careless way of keeping pa
pers and his physical infirmities that Mr..
Mcleod King be not reappointed as nota-
nv public and ex-officio justice of the
peace when his present term expires.
COUNTY OFFICIALS BOOKS.
We have examined the books of our
county officials. and beg to report that we
have examined the books of the tax col
lector, county treasurer, receiver of tax
returns, county commissioners, ordinary.
clerk of the superior court, county sheriff
and Tailor We have found all Of the
books of the above officials correct, as far
as we can Judge without making an ex-
haustive examination.
We highly commend the system and
neatness with which the books ere kept.
We failed to find any record of fines and
forfeftures in the clerk of the courts
books. We think that all moneys so col