The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-05
GRAND Jury TEA CUP TEMPEST.
Much of the Report Based on the Actions Of a
Lunatic. as Appears Below.
To the Bditor of The Ags+Heraid..

AT the time or the publication of the
special report of the United Sta.es grand
jury rejecting upon the management of
the county jain, over which l have con-
troll, awaited myself of the opportunity
afforded me by your represent. ative to
protest against the injustice done me in
said report.
I felt at the time that the charal1 er
of the report was such as to call for a
reply in my yindlcation, but I preferred
to seek such vindicatfon through official
channels. In view of this fact, 1 INVITED
Judge .Boarman to make personal in
vestigation of the matter. Owing to the
fact that the grand jury is a component
part of the court, with power in their
lime of duty equal to his own, the judge
was constrained, as a matter of proprie-=
ty, not to accede to my request.
1 further requested DR.. Sholl. pres-
dent of The Jefferson County Medical So
ciety and member of the stale board of
health, to make a thorough investiga-
ton of the charges. in his official ca
pacfty. Dr. Sholl promptly responded
by appofn ing a special committee of
ply sicians to conduct an examination of
the Jail, and the report of said commit
tee is hereto annexed.
1 assert that the grand jury which
made the report has not only done me
a grave injustice, but that they were
palpab1y careless fns disoharging a sol
enln responsibility. strikes me THAT as
the county Jail was a place of confne-
ment.for Unf.ed States prisoners, 1t was
the duty of the jury ITO make an ex-
haustive inspection and examination. not
only as no the mama cement, but as to
the SECURITY of the jail as well.
Now as to the facts:
The Jeff rson county Jail has white
department. with capacity of 200 p1ds-
oners, a colored department with a ca
pacity of 800 prisoners, a quarantine de-
partment with a capacity of twenty five
prisoners and a w0manS department
with a capacity elf thirty prisoners. And
yet the grand jury states that the JAN
was crowded, when the jail docket shows
that ON the day of their visit SO whites.
92 coqored and Is women were confined
in the jail.
The grand jury undertook the exarni-
nation and inspection of this jail i'm a
peadod of time ntst exceeding thirty mirl-
utes from the time they entered to the
time they depared J
Th grand jury confined themselves 70
passing inspection of the white and
colored departme nts, and ito questioning
the United States pniSonerS Probably
seven of the prisoners whose periods of
Incarceration ait the time of the visit
had ranged from two days 10 eleven days
made complaints and on the unlSuppoT't-
ed statements Of those prisoners the re-
port was evidently based Thu counter
Statements of the remaining inmates of
the Jail, THE most of whom have been
confined therein for psEiodS of from two
months to two years, were evidently not
cons idered.
The grand jury were invtIted to exam
inc this kitchen, store room and either
departments by my deputy. Mr.. Hill
house. The only II; egponSe ITO the invita-
ton was to the effect that they only eaIne
TO see this United States prisoners
The grand jury did not visit the kitch-
en- to inspect the cooking or the facilities
therefor. s,f,.t
The grand jury did not visit the Store
room. Had they done so thsy could
have judged for themselves of the whole
someness of the mear, meal flour, pota-
toes. peas ard molassAs stored therein
for the use of the prisoners
The grand jury did not Witt the quar-
antine department. or the hospital whore
in the sick prisoners arr confined and
treated
The grand jury did not visit THE bath
ing rooms of the JAIN, to ascertain the
extensive accommodations for bathing
PURPOSES, which the prisoners are re-
quhred ito literally pathonize.
The grand jury did not visit the boiler
|
heating arrangements, or to ascertain
any facts in relation to THE heating of the
Jail
The grand jury did mot visit the Jail
yard where the prisoners are exercised,
to ascertain its cleanliness.
To emphasize the injustice of the
grand jury report, l call special atten-
ton to the closing paragraph thereof,
wherein they demand the removal. of a.
trusty: 1--WE desire ito call attention to
frn CT LODI VIII
be in authority. We found him domi-
Ineering and abusive towards them
while the grand jury was seeking infor-
nation, and we recommend his removal
from any position of authority over
United States prisoners" If Mr.. Sam
M. Handy. foreman, before writing his
report had called my attention to the
above named prisoner, | could have in
formed him that the so-called trusty
was an insane prisoner, awaiting trans
portation to the insane asylum at Tusca-
loosa and that he was sent there the
evening of he day the grand jury WIS.,
ited the JAIN.
In reference to any of the matters of
which the report treats, the grand jury
sought no information from me or any
one connected with my department: NO
questions were asked and no explana-
lions requested.
TT IS true that some of the window
panes of the jail are out, but that fact
lis due solely ITO misdhievous prisoners.
Only recently has it been decided to use
heavy ducl1ing in place of glass In the
sash to save the constant expense OIL
renlacinec broken windows and this
change is now in progress
AS to the mana cement and condition
of the Jail. ask my fellow citizens to
consider the statements hereinafter 'ap-
| nearing, made by gentlemen of h 9Th
standing in the community, who have
| examined and know whereof they speak,
as a REPUTATION of the report of the
| grand jury. Respectfully,
FRANK p. OBRlEN.
birmingham, Dec. A. ..aaif
STATEMENT OFF COUNTY PHYSI-
CHAM.
Frank p. O'Brien, Sheriff:
Dear Sir:-Having read the special ne
port of the United States GRAND jury on
ith,e condition of the county jail and the
treatment of the prisoners connned tnere-
irn desire, as a matt err of Justice to you,
70 ma lx.a the following statame Mt 1T