The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-11
THE GRAND JURY REPORT
The Grand Jury OF the Criminal Court Re.
port and are Dtscharged-Procsedisgs Of
h Last D>y of the Regular Term pee
ial Term Coavenes Tomorrow

ial Term Convenes Tomorrow
The regular term OF the criminal
court was adjourned yesterday after
noon At 4:30 O'Clock. but the same
will IN special term toEnor-
row morning at 10 O'Clock.
The case against Chief OF Police John
r. Melton and Policeman c. o. Knox.
Rowan Green and Frank P. Toomer
tcolored), charged with assaulting De-
putty Sheriff Guion, coiored, was called
during the morning session of the court
yesterday. The alleged assault was
committed about four weeks ago and
was the placing in the guard house OF
Deputy Guion by Policemen Knox and
Green, acting under orders from Chief
Melton, after Guion had refused TO
move from inside the railing in the
court room at the city hall, while The
police court was in session, when COM
manded 20 do so by Policeman Knox,
who was acting in accord with an order
issued some time previous to that time
by Mayor Wright.
The defendants were represented by
Messrs. Bellamy & Bellamy, and Her
bert McClammy, Esq. and c. P.
Jockey, Esq, assisted Solicitor Rich
ardson in representing the state.
The counsel for the defense con-
tended that the defendants had a per-
fect right to act in the name in which
they did as Mayor Wright had issue a
certain order which Guion had viola
ted; on the contrary counsel for the
prosecution contended that if Guion
violated an order of the court he COM
united contempt and the matter should
have at once been brought to the courts
arrested and Immediately thereafter
locked UP the defendants were guilty
of assault and battery,
All the witnesses summoned were ex-
amined, but the court decided hat the
defendants had acted right and in ac-
cord with Mayor Wright's order, and
therefore did 10 permit the case to go
to the jury, n ordered a verdict of
not guilty entered and the defendants
discharged.
Sam Livingstone, colored, charged
with secretly assaulting "A. B. Lamb,
also colored, with a pistol, was found
guilty and was let off upon payment of
costs.
During the afternoon session the
grand jury came into the court room
and filed their report, after which they
were discharged.
Judge Sutton complimented the jury
highly upon their careful and intelli-
gent report, which was as follows:
To THE Honorable Thomas H. Sutton,
Judge Circuit Criminal Court New
Hanover County.
We, the grand jury, for the regular
January term, "A. D. 1898, of your hon
orable court, beg to submit our report
as follows:
Eighty-seven bills have been before
us fer our consid GRAFTON, Of which we
have returned fifty-seven true bills and
ten rot rue bills.
we have examined the court house,
Jail and the home for the aged and
infirm. We inspected the court house
rom basement Ito cupola and found
the building in good repair, with the
following exceptions: There is needed
slight repairs to some of the window
blinds and repairs to deck roof of
cupola; two wood columnes on deck
| roof should be o~verfashed and other
| flashing in walls put in place and well
! painted, and the roof painted in one
coat of best metallic paint. We recon-
mend that the white coating formed on
the face Of the exterior brick walls be
washed off, if possible to do so. We
fouid each and every o in the build
| ing dirty and dusty and hung with
| c~ob-we'bs; the window glass and gas
fixtures are dirty, and a portion of the
| yard filthy. We respectfully ec0m
| mend the above be attended to.
COUNTY JAIL.
| We have inspected the County Jail
| building and found same in fair con-
| dition. We, however, recommend that
| broken glass in windows be replaced
| with other glass; leaks in roof he stop
ped, and front iron gate post be re-
| paired and three columns to froni
| piazza be repaired. We also recon-
mend hat the spring in the back yard
be filled up or a drain pipe be laid
i uUil tLt SpIVIlS W. ScWSI, dlfu lllt pies
emit ditch filled up, and all trash piles
be hauled away and the yard thorough
ly cleaned; the small shanty house in
the yard be removed, all brick and
other fences white washed; stable and
shed also white washed; trees trimmed
up and same white washed; Old wire
on hand rail OF steps be removed. AND
we further recommend that a com
pulSory bath pool be built in h base
ment of the Jail, large enough for a.
least six persons to battle at one time
and same to be supplied with hot anG
cold water from sDrinklers overhead
and to have proper sanitary onne
lions. The pool should also be in.
closed.
HOME OF THE AGED AND TNFTRN
We have also inspected the home fol
the aged and infirm. We first inspect
ed a neat brick building containing
our rooms n a hall. This building i
used for kitchen, laundry room. a stor'
room and office room. The Interior o
this presents rather a bad appearance