Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-09-09

Prospective STORMs.-The season of the
year is upon us when the great cyclonic
storms that generate in the Caribbean Sea
and the Gulf of Mexico pass northward,
sometimes overlapping the land, more fire.
quenty being felt principally some hundreds
of miles east of the coast line They may be
predicted with certainty during the month
of September and the first half of October,
so we risk very little when we prcdict one or
more of these Atlantic coast storms within
the next three or four weeks.
GRAND JURY REPORT grand jury
ended their labors on Wednesday last and
submitted their report to the court. They
were then discharged. The court has been
in session recently and occupied with gen
cral minor cases. The criminal docket will
soon be taken up and contains some impor'
tant cases.
The grand jury report Is as follows:
ITO the honorable, the Judges of the Circuit
Court for Frederick County:
The grand Jurors tor the August term of
the Circuit Court make the following report
of the duties performed during their session:
of fifteen days:
We examined two hundred and eighty
nine witnesses, carefully considered and
acted on 147 cases, of which we dismissed 90
and found 4S presentmcnts and true bills of
indictment, which have Lecn Gully handed
TO the court
We visited the county Jail, which, under
the careful and prudent management OF the
sheriff is under excellent condition, There
are now in his custody II State prisoners,
all of which are males.
We believe that it would be beneficial to
the interests Of the taxpayers as well as to
the prisoners themselves, if some means
could be devised by which the prisoners in
the Jail could be regularly employed and
thus kept out Of idleness, and at the same
time earn something towards paying the
expense of their keeping.
We also Visited Montevue Hospital and
Aims House and were very much gratitied
with the condition of the buildings and
grounds, as also the inmates. Everything
that is possible appears to be done to alleyi.
ate the condition Of these unfortunatcs, and
reflects great credit upon the management
of this noble charity Of the county. There
arc at present 22G inmates divided rs follows:
white male, 20; white female, IS; co.ored
males, Sc; colorcd females 81; white children
6; coorcu children, 3; tramps, "A male and l
female.
From experience and observation during
our session, we cannot refrain from calling
the attention Of the court to the uubuslness
like methods in which cases are presented
for the consideration of the grand jury. The
loose manner in which cases are sent up
! from some of the magistrates, in some cases
no witnesses at all, in others of the most
triliing character, from four to six witnesses,
who often know nothing Of the cases, pre-.
| sent themsel yes for examination, summoned
| by some authority unknown to the jurors,
when not single name appears on the
docket in the case, either shows gross neglect
or culpable ignorance somewhere.
What grand jury wants is the principal
witness (,he party aggrieved) in all cases,
and then they can determine what further
evidence they need, If any, and we therefore
suggest that some form be adopted and some
rule of instruction issued to magistrates
presenting cases for the consideration OF
grand jures, This would very much cXpe
dite their work and save to taxpayers of the
county hundreds of dollars.
Having finished the duties assigned US
| to the best of our ability, we submit our
report and respectfully ask to be discharged
Lewis S. Clingan,
Foreman of the Grand Jury OF Frederick
County.
August Term, Sept |, 1897"