Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-04-08
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.

REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
Strong Paper Containing Sensible sugges-
Before its discharge last Wednesday
afternoon, the grand jury submitted
the following, signed by John A. Shur-
ley, foreman, as its final presentment:
l. We have passed upon all bills of
indictment submitted to US by the cir
cult solicitor and returned the same to
the court with our findings thereon.
2. A committee of our number Wis
tied the county Jail and investigated
the same. Although the weather was
damp and cold, we found no fires had
been started for heating the building.
Deputy Harshaw explained that this
omission was due to defective pipe,
and stated that the, trouble would be
remedied at once. The comfort, as
we'll as the health, of the prisoners,
demand that the heating apparatus be
kept as far as possible in perfect order,
and we recommend that the sheriff
give special attention to this important
matter. In this connection, DR.. NJ. J.
Walker, the county physician, recon-
mends the following, which we hearth
ly endorse. 81 will ask that the ante
room be set apart in case of sickness,
as a hospital, to be used as such only
during sickness, and supplied with cots
and few other articles of furniture
that are absolutely necessary, with
some "trusty" among the prisoners as
a nurse for the patients. And in case
of the county chaingang, should con-
vict be confined with serious sickness
and of more than few days dura-
ton, that have the right to move any
such case to the room in the county
Jail for treatment until able to 60 back
to work."
8. A committee of our body visited
the County Home, and we make the
following suggestions and recommen-
dations We found the premises gener-
ally in very good condition, consider
ing the extreme continued wet and in
clement weather. There are % in
mates-12 white and II colored. One
white sick and one colored also unwell,
and all of whom are seemingly cared
for about as we'll as the superintendent
can care for them under the circum-
stances. We beg leave, however, to
make the following recommendations:
That the houses in which the inmates
are living be made more comfortable,
which can be done at very small ex-
pense. Also, that house be built
upon the premises, to be used as hos.
pilal, with room for the whites and
one for the colored inmates, and that
the county physician be consulted in
regard to the construction and ventila-
ton, furniture, etc., of the proposed
hospital. Under the present arrange
ment, we find the sick lying in a room
where there are five or six other
paupers who, at times, are very noisy,
to the great detrimenL of the patients.
We recommend further that the super
intendent be instructed to hire suit
able nurse to take care Of the sick
when there is no one among the in
mates able to perform such duty. Also,
that the white inmates be not required
to nurse and wait upon the colored
sick paupers, as is the case now.
4. The condition of the public roads
of York county is matter that has
received very serious consideration
from US, and we confess that the situa-
ton presents problems that are per.
picking. Existing road laws are, per-
haps, good as far as they go but they
do not and cannot give US roads that
will prove equal to our requirements.
We are convinced of the paramount
Importance of building throughout our
county permanent macadamized roads.
In our opinion no other public work
is calculated to better promote the
comfort, progress or prosperity OF
the present generation, and we are
unable to conceive of heritage that
is in the power of our people to
hand down to posterity that ought
to be more acceptable. We realize
fully that permanent roads cannot be
constructed except at great expense,
and that our people can meet the ex-
pense only by going down into their
pockets. Notwithstanding the great
expense, however, compared with the
benefits to be derived, the immediate
outlay will be insignificant. Without
to discuss the numerous
plans and expedients that have from
time to time been suggested by differ
ent people looking to road improve
ment, we beg to say that, in our judg-