The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-07-13
GRAND JURY REPORT.

TO his Honor, r. x. Ransdell, Judge 9th
District Court
Ne, the grand jury, duly empaneled
and sworn and drawn. to serve for this
term of the court, beg to make his our
report.
We have examined in all twenty-five
cases ard have returned ten true bills.
as specially charged BY your honor.
we have made special endeavor to
inquire into the unlawful practice of
carrying concealed weapons and viola
ton of the game law. We have found
five bills for the former offense and
none for the latter.
We haye examined the Jail. the only
public property, except the unfinished
court house.
We would recommend TO tho proper
authorities the necessity of having a
hole or ditch dug in the Jail yard, in
which the excrement from the Jail
could be dumped. and that this hole or.
ditch be provided with covering. and
that dislnfectants be freely used.
The place where these excretions are
now dumped has been used for this
purpose for years. and Is filled up with
in few inches of the surface.
There is one room in the jail used as
both a bed room for the old pauper
Alfred Ord, and as kitchen. where the
meals for the prisoners are prepared.
This room is in very unsanitary con-
dition and should be cleaned up.
We fluid also that through some
defect in the roof or guttering, the in
side walls are being ruined from ram
water, which comes down through the
roof, and we strongly urge that imme-
diate steps be taken to make the me-
cessary repairs.
The upstairs, where the prisoners
are confined. the sanitation is better,
though we would recommend the free
use of dislnfectants and whitewash.
We have summoned before us the
justices of the peace of the several
wards. We find that some of them
keep clean and correct dockets, and
the showing they make deserves our
highest commentator. Some of them,
however, we regret TO say, have not
kept their dockets correctly, and one
had no docket at all. Our inyestiga-
ton of these justices dockets devel-
oped the fact that violations of the law
are made by some of them-that char
ges have been collected from persons
in criminal cases illegally. We be-
lieve these offenses are due to a lack
of In lodi n m haf bs, lou
quires. and we pass them by with the
advice to them that hereafter they in
form themselves as to what their duties
and powers are.
Complaint is made IN the first and
third wards that the constables have
not attended TO their duties in six
months. The constable for the first
ward it seems has not been a resident
of that ward in which he holds his
commission and draws his salary of
constable for nearly year; therefore,
the magistrate in that ward has no one
to wait on the court
There seems to be tendency to
bring to the justices courts in the
third ward frivolous cases that have
been ignored by justices in other wards
much to the inconvenience to the plant
ers and the expense of the parish.
Our attention has been called to the
dangerous condition of the Tensas
bridge. We are informed that the
Honorable Police jury has, some six
months ago. awarded contract for
building same. We would insist on
there having contractor begin work on
same and hurry it to completion.
We wish to acknowledge the many
courtesies extended to this body by the
District Attorney and to your honor
for advices given
L. j. POWELL, Foreman.
Lake Providence, La, July 9. 1901.