The age-herald., 1898-03-13
CRIMINAL COURT
 GRAND JURY Made Its Final Report Yesterday and Was Discharged. INVESTIGATED 233 CASES Finding One Hundred and Fiity-liVe IndiCt- m0ntS-S Seventeen Days f0jSiCn. REC OMMENDED A REF0RMAT0RY For Youthful Criminals, and That the Bonds of the County Officers Be Examined
 Substantial Appreciation ofServi-
 ces of Assistant Solicitor.
RECOMMENDED A REFORMATOR,

The criminal court grand jury which was organized on Monday, February 21, concluded it's labors yesterday and render ed a final report and was discharged
 Several recommendations were embodied in the report one of which recommended that the county commissioners employ suitable and competent person to make a thorough examination of the bonds of all that reformatory be established for the confinement of youthful criminals.
 A noticeable exception to the usual grand jury report was the absence of compliments for everybody who turned a finger" The valuable services of Assist ant Solicitor Hugh Morrow, who aided the jury in it's Investigations was made the subject of a more substantial compliment than mere words. He was presented with a box of fine cigars.
 The Report
 Birmingham, Ala, March 12, 1898. To the Honorable Samuel E. Greene, Judge of the Criminal Court of Jefferson Coun- ty:
 Your grand jury, empaneled for the January term, 1s9S of Your Honorable court beg leave to submit the following as their final report:
 We have been in session seventeen days, have examined SS4 witnesses, have investi- gated 293 cases presented for consid- eraton have found 155 true bills of in- dctments, have found no bills in ffty-sfx cases, have dismissed four cases for want of jurisdiction and have continued eighteen cases where the defendants are not in jail for want of witnesses, but in no case have we continued a case where the defendant is confined in jail.
 In obedience to your honors instructions we have inspected the jail and find the same in good condition, safe, neat and clean, and no complaint as to food except by two inmates We found the food wholesome and sufficient in quality and quantity.
 County Almshouse
 We have also inspected the aims house and find 1t neatly kept and in good order; the inmates doing well, humanely treated and well provided for and the farm in good repair.
 We make the following recommendations: That the water tank be enlarged and raised; that fire plug be placed in suit able position and provided with hose at tachment of sufficient length and size to extinguish fires; that the rooms be cal somined or whitewashed on the inside, and piastering repaired where broken and that the two white male idiots and the insane negro now confined there be sent to the insane asylum.
 Examination Of Bonds
 We entered upon the duty of inspecting the bonds of the county officials and found that that work alone, df thoroughly dis charged, would occupy our time at least twenty days We reported this fact orally to your honor in open court, and your honor, in view of the saving to the county ef some $500, permitted us to make a rec ommendatfon in reference thereto, which now do.
 ya Rad n1Ir nf Wi hours work that the grand jury cannot make such an investigation satisfactorily without such experience and recommend that the county commissioners employ a suitable and competent person to examine these bonds, not only to the assessed value of the property of each surety there on, but also to the mortgages or other encumbrances, and make a report in writ ing to the next grand jury of this county, setting out list of the suretes each and all of said bonds, the amount of prop erty both real and personal assessed to each and all encumbrances.
 No Jurisdiction
 We find further that this grand jury has no jurisdiction of misdemeanors com mitted in Beats 21 and 37, of the city of Birmingham, save violations of the rev enue laws
 This want of Jurisdiction has prevented us from Investigating crimes and crimn- als that have been brought to our notice, but dismissed for such want of jurisdic- tion.
 There are certain classes of offenses that strike at the morals of the community offenses against person and property which cannot be arrested and stopped nor can they be inquired into, because it is necessary for some individual to start the prosecution by affidavit and warrant and evidence which should and could be ob- tained before the grand jury cannot, of necessity, be had in this way.
 We, therefore. earnestly recommend that our representatives be urged to enact such laws, as will give the grand juries of your honorable court concurrent Jurisdiction with the inferior criminal court of Bir- mingham.
 We also further recommend that re- formatory be established for the confine- ment and correction of the young crim- inals of this county.
 Respectfully submitted, V. T. MEADE, Foreman.