Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-06-25
HE MAJORITY REPORT.

We, your Rfand jury, uTdNH lOI Juue
term Of court beg leave to submit the
following report.
We have examined all cases that
have been bound over, and in each
case have returned a true bill, or not
a true bill as the case may be.
J We have examined the various Of
fees and find the books kept in sys-
tematic order. We also examined the
county Jail aud find everything neat
and orderly.
We have examined the improve
ments made in the court house and
numerous expenditures, as to the true
value Of said mprOvements, also the
county commissioners as to the agree
ment between the county court and
said contractors; have extended nu-
merous invitations TO Judge Terrell,
inviting him to come before the grand
Jury aud to make statement eXcul
batting himself from the charge OF
/ jObbery, and said invitation was uni
formly declined. The grand jury
have concluded as follows:
| !. That scarcely any of these i'm
I prOvements made were necessary.
g That ii is our opinion that the
entire improvement could have been
done for $3.50 and leave fair profit
to the contractors.
3. That it is our opinion the bus
| mess of the county is conducted in a
very loose and unSystematic manner.
1. That Judge Terrell has ordered
| bills paid, without sanction Of and
under protest from the county COM
missiOnerS.
5. We find the county judge of this
county is guilty Of criminal negli-
gence in allowing eXOrbitant charges
TO be made against the county, we
also find that said judge altered the
bill presented 10y Pugh Il Gray
for court house improvements by in
serting the figure before $50 in one
item, making it read $29.S0; also in
serting the figure before the figures
65c in another item, making it read
$5.65 instead OF 60 cents; also FOR
raising the bill Of one A. Mason for
| improving Il road East OF GerVais
| FROM $3.50 to 1925.
6. That the county commissioners
while not criminally culpable, have
shown a lamentable want Of tirmnesS
in opposing the eXtra7agano ideas OF
the Judge.
I. That in view of the existing
hard times and the scarcity OF
money we utterly cOndem the action
OF Judge IeTIell.
8. That before arriving at these con-
clusions, we have carefully examined
all witnesses who knew anything per-
tanning to said charges, we have also
examined all records OF various i'm
provements and find these matters TO
exist as above stated, and we have
presented all the facts relatye to the
court house Improvements and altera-
| tlon of records to the circuit judge by
way OF pTesentment and find from the
! facts and law given to us 10y said
court that crime was committed in
altering and forging the records of
the county. In conclusion we cam
not but praise District AttOr-
ney S. l.. Hayden and his deputy John
| IL. McNary for their able assistance,
and uniform courtesy to the grand
| Jury in assisting in the various inves-
| legations. We also consider it a de-
plorable state of affairs that the peo-
pie of this county have no protection.
b. j. Grim, foreman, Aurora.
Jas. p. Feller, clerk, Butteyille.
VIM. Murphy, st. Paul.
John ii. Wehrum, Fairfield.
MINORITY REPORT.
To the Hon. Geo. III. Burnett, judge
Of the circuit court of Marion Co:
We the undersigned grand jurors
| beg leave TO report that we concur in
the report OF the majority Of the
lgrand jury, except as TO that portion
| thereof relating TO the management
of the county business by the clerk
and Judge and commissioners OF the
county court,
As to the charge of the squander-
ing of county funds and mismanage-
ment OF the county business, we are
OF opinion chat all evidence produced
showed nothing more blameworthy
| than injudiciouS action and want OF
discretion on the part Of those Otli-
cials. We do censure the clerk for
| failing to put the proper date of
| filing upon bills when pre-
sented, aud we think the
county Judge is censureable for
| trausacting county business as III
IL were his own private affairs, with
| out consulting the county commits
sioners. We do specifically md from
| the evidence produced before us that
neither the clerk nor judge has perpe-
trated any fraud, and we do hereby
eXonerate both OF them from the
charge.
We recommend that no county bust.
ness be transacted except in open
| court before majority OF the mem-
hers Of the court and that all bills be
] first read In open court, and on a sub
seQuent day audited and the order OF
allowance or rejection thereof signed
by at least two of the members OF the
court, and that the clerk should not
draw any warrants except upon or
ders OF the court first duly entered OF
record Ia the journals of the court.
Respectfully submitted,
Henry Helmke, Turner,
Daniel Humphreys, WOOdbuTn.
Thomas Townsend, Salem,
Salem, Ore, June 25, 1897.
JURY TAKE A VOTE.
After receiving the courts inter-