The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-09-28
Advertiser Bureau.

Selma, Sept. 2.
 The following is the report of the grand jury. which has been in session for two weeks, and which made its final report today at noon:
 To Hon. A. H. Aston, Judge Presiding
 Having finished our labors, we beg leays to make this, our final report
 We have Investigated 13S cases, exam ined 375 witnesses and returned S1 true bills. at a cost to the county of $S60.H.
 We have given a cursory examination to the books, vouchers and accounts of the county officers. As far as we can see from the limited examination made. their books, etc. ,are correct and in good shape.
 The bonds of the county officers are, in our opinion, in good and sufficient sure ties, except the following which by req son of the death of bondsmen and for other causes we find to be insufficient and recommend that they be required to file additional bonds, to wit: Justices Of the peace, J. Wiley Day, T. J. McHugh, N. S. Stanfill. J. w. Day. Allen Davis and R. l.. Simonton; Notaries Public, w. B. Alexander and J. F. Buhler.
 We find the county jail we'll adapted to the safe keeping of prisoners. It is clean and it's sanitary condition Is all right. The prisoners are amply fed. We recom- mend the following repairs: the roof of the gallows tower and also leak in the jail roof, the gutters should be clean- ed out and repaired, the lock levers to the cells, the iron back gate should be re- paired, ten new window glasses, the building of a coal house. The brick foun- dation of the iron fence about the jail on the side and front should be repaired with hard brick and cement. The back yard of the jail should be cleaned out well and Timed.
 We have ascertained with some difi- culty, but accurately. we think. that the new court house and fixtures cost the county the sum of $52.976.91, as shown by report of a committee of the Board of Revenue, which does. not include small amount of about $75, now in dis pute. We discovered a leak in the roof over the grand jury room and we know that there are other leaks about the building which are doing damage to the property and should not be suffered to go unrepaired. |"
 The arrangement of the court room. in our opinion, could not be worse. The Judges stand is on the west side of the house. There are no blinds on the win dows and the shades have a glare which is very injurious to the eyes and com-. fort of all occupants of the room, espe- cially in the afternoon. We suggest and recommend that it be entirely changed; that the Judges bench be put on the north end or side of the room; that blinds to put on tn ewindows, and that shades of a different color be put in.
 The public roads in the county are re- ported to be in fairly good condition. with three exceptions, to wit: a place just this side of Beech Creek on the Evansville road which should be fenced in from ha oh place on the Range Line road in a similar condition just beyond the resi- dence of Dr. w. C. Phillips and a short road leading from Marion Junction to | Waves, which Is reported to be entirely | too narrow and poorly kept up. The ap- proach to the west end of the Cahaba River bridge at Saltmarsh Hill is re- | ported to be in bad condition and should be repaired at once. There are two bridges on the road leading from MT. Flu gene Johnson's residence to Plantersville. which are reported to be in very bad con- diton and should be repaired without de- lay. The approach on the south side of the Alabama River bridge at Selma needs some repairs; the rest of it seems to be in fairly good condition.
 | In this connection, we wish to state that we find that there have been created by the Board of Revenue the offices of bridge superintendent at $75 per month, road supervisor or superintendent at $6O and bridge keeper at $35 per month flor the creation of which offices we know of no authority under the law, and for not one of which are the people allowed to vote.
 We wish to state that instead of mul- tiplying the courts in the county, in our opinion, we have two courts too many in Dallas County now. We believe that one court properly orga 1ized, with more fre- qucnt return days, could more speedily, efficiently and economically administer the law. both civil and criminal. We be- lieve that the Judge of the one court, and the clerk thereof. as well as every other officer in the county. should be elected by the people and paid a salary commensurate with the services each renders the public.
 We believe in good roads, and to this end we earnestly recommend that the county convicts be worked on the public | roads; and that the law be so made that | prisoners in jail awaiting indictment and | trial can be worKed on the roads from the day of their imprisonment, to be paid | for their time, if acquitted, or credited with it is scOnVicted inSIirinO SufT7ciapt