The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-14
THE REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY
THEIR WORK CONCLUDED and JUDGE
DISMISSED THEM WITH THANKS
They Acted on Ninety-Nfne Bills.
Finding Ninety Four True. and Made
seventeen Presentments-They Make
Recommendations as to sale of Lager
Beer Cases Tried In Court Yester-
day.

Owe criminal court will adjourn sine
die some time this forenoon. the term
being limited to one week
The grand jury completed their work
yesterday afternoon and submitted
their report which was read and COM
plimented by Judge Moore before he
dismissed them with the thanks OF h
court for their faithful and efficient
work. The report was as follows
To His Honor A. NJ. Moore, Judge Pre-
siding:
The grand jury for August term
eastern district criminal court of New
Hanover county beg TO submit their
report.
we ave acted upon SO bills, ind
ing "a true bills 5 not true bills.
Have made II presentments. Have re-
turned II warrants Enacted upon for
want of witnesses, and we are inform
I'd and believe that many of these wit
nesses have removed from the county
permanently.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
Having made full report on public
Institutions at July term, have only TO
repeat the recommendations then
made, and TO call the attention of the
cOuIl COlIlllllSSlOISIS " III loCl liol
none of these suggestions have been
acted upon, and further, that the Jail
roof is in need of repairs. AS pointed
out in our former report the absence
of electric fans for certain departments
of the court house renders the dis
charge of public duties very onerouS,
and sensibly impedes the dispatch Of
business. The grand jury is supposed
to reflect public sentiment, and We
think that their recommendations
should receive prompt n respectful
| attention at the hands of the commits
sionerS.
RICE BEER.
w are informed and believe that
there is no real or actual difference
between lager beer and the rice beer
sold in this county. Unlike the city,
the county imposes no tax on the sale
of rice beer, n the sale of this drink
without tax is open to the twofold OBJ
| lection that the county loses rightful
| revenue, n that disorders and
breecheS of the peace occur as a direct
| result of it's sale, without rendering the
vendors liable for maintaining disor-
| derby saloons. We are informed that
it is a common thing for both lager
and rice beer to be sold from the same
I keg-the initiated" getting the Ia
| GER and the stranger the rice. We
believe that the abuse can be remedied
and the revenue of the county in
creased if the county commissioners
will have the so-called rice beer an
allied. and we recommend that they do
SO.
STENOGRAPHER.
1--WE recommend that the county
commissioners supply the grand jury
with a stenographer. There is much
material evidence that comes before the
grand jury which can be preserved
only by the aid of a S~tenographer, and
such information put in proper form
could be availed of by the solicitor to
further the ends of justice. The So
licitor thus equipped would procure
conviction in the great majority of
cases, as the liability to indictment
for perjury would deter false swearing
by state witnesses. The chairman of
he board of county commissioners ac-
quiesced very readily in our request for
a stenographer at this term, and his
services have been invaluable.
I'VE recommend lat a s~tenOgrapher
be a part of the regular equipment of
the grand jury.
PRESENTMENTS.
I'VE repeat our recommendation
that warrants drawn on presentments
be returned to the grand jury with
whom the preSentmentS originate. In
the July report we urged this and sub
1llllCo SdSOllS III us SUP
port, and as additional reasons we de
sire to note that some warrants drawn
on preSentmentS made at the last term
and returned at this term have been
Enacted on from the fact that some of
h witnesses have removed from the
county. and others have apparently
gone into voluntary Punishment tenn
porarily. In our judgment the matter
is Of sufficient Importance to justify
the county commissioners to authOriZ
h solicitor to employ competent as
sistance when necessary I o carry out
this recommendation.
COUNTY TREASURER.
1T is our opinion that the offices of
county treasurer and sheriff could be
consolidated with h saving to the
county OF the O s Of maintaining the
office of treasurer. The sheriff is alone
responsible for the collection of taxes,
and gives bond in a fiduciary capacity,
and it would SEEM, therefore, that the
office of treasurer is wholly superflu-
Gus. We recommend that our repre-
s~entatives in the legislature enact leg
fslation to this end, with the provision
that the act become effective after the
expiration of the term for which the
present incumbent was recently re-
elected.
A. TAYLOR. Foreman.
"P. PEARSALL. Clerk"
Cases disposed Of during yesterdays
session of tie court were as follows:
Elisha Brown, ARRAY, not guilty.
James Spencer, ARRAY, not guilty.
anne Kelley, assault and battery
with deadly weapon, guilty. months
on the county roads.
owen Ounce, assault and battery
with deadly weapon, continued.
Mary Fisher, Fannie Williams and
Mary Garfield, continued.
Charles Pitman, assault and battery
with deadly weapon Judgment sus-
pended on b payment of costs.
j. M. MCGOWAN, m~alfeasance in Of
flee, continued.
George w. Price, Jr., embezzlement.
not guilty.
Bert Green, assault and battery.
guilty-6 months on the county road.
The petit Jurors were DISCHARGED for
tL- term yesterday and the court took
a recess until 10 o'clock when a short
session will be held to wind up the dds
and ends Of the docket, pass sentence
in several cases, adjust matters "a