The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-22
BEFORE GRAND JURY
COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO Ex.
ANIME RECORDS.
CALLED UP MAGISTRATES.
COUNTY BUILDINGS ALSO INSPECT.
ED YESTERDAY.

Their Records Found i'm Good
tee Pleased with Jail and Court
HOuse-VentiIntion of Jail Com
mented On-Expcrt Accountants
Still Engaged with County Rec
Ords-Grand Jury Will Prepare
Presentments Monday.
The committees of the grand jury,
appointed at it's meeting on last Sat
urday, were engaged yesterday after
noon in examinations of the various
county offices. and will to-day prepare
their reports, to be incorporated in
the general presentments, which will
be returned into court on Tuesday.
For the purpose of submitting their
reports, and including them in the
presentment the grand jury will hold
a special session Monday afternoon.
The chairman of each of the commit
tees WILL at that time, have his report
prepared, and it is not thought that
the session will be a long one.
The committees met in the grand
important of these committees was
that to examine the records of the
justices of the peace in the several
militia districts in the county. The
Public Buildings Committee was pres
ent, and during the afternoon, made
tour of inspection through the coun-
ty Jail and the Court House. The
committee appointed to examine the
records of the county officers made no
report, it's duties not yet being fin
ished.
In First Class Condition.
The committee which examined the
records of the justices of the peace
and notary public and ex-officia JUS
tees of the peace, found the books in
excellent condition. 1t began its
examination shortly after O'clock
and were busy until dark. The work
was by no means an easy one, there
being not less than forty records to
be gone over. Nor were the records
examined in a cursory manner. The
committee is often provided with
memoranda of complaints and alleged
discrepancies for which it searches the
records of" the magistrate. In one
instance a discrepancy of IL cents was
found in the summing up of a bill of
costs in one of the suits. The COM
mittee called upon the magistrate for
an explanation. and he admitted his
error. He was forthwith instructed to
refund the IL cents to the proper par
ties, and on his promise so to do, was
relieved from further examination.
All of the justices were present as
We're the ex-officia justices. There
were fifteen of them, and each had
a set of books for examination. Nor
was this the worst of the proposition,
for no two of the magistrates keep
| their records alike. One officer as
| signed but one case to a page. and
| another had as many as a dozen.
| Some keep both civil and criminal
| dockets, while others have no criminal
| docket at all.
| Fifteen Magistrates Examined.
The committee which conducted the
examination will report favorably
| thereon to the grand jury on Monday.
| This committee is composed of Messrs.
Lee G.. Armstrong, William N. Pratt,
| A. L. Reese and P. F. Gleason. The
names of the justices who appeared be-
fore the committee to submit their rec
ords for examination were: First dis
trict, r. Wickham, ]. P; G.. Bevans,
ex-officio; Second district, ]. R. Nath-
| ans, ]. P; G. Noble Jones, eX-off1cio;
Third district, M Lawton, ]. P;
Charles V. Hohenstein, ex-officio;
Fourth district, Samuel Reynolds, j. P.
| ]. r. Saussy, Jr., ex-officio; Fifth dis
| trict, Benjamin Hesling, ]. P; ]. P
Brown, ex-officio; Sixth district, va
cant, w. H. Mendell, ex-off1cio; Sew
| enth district, T. e. Bourquin, J. P, w
]. Cleary, ex-oficio; Eighth district
w. H. Fisher, j. P; r. Van Winkler
ex-officio.
/ The magistrates reported at the Sher-
| ifs office and submitted their records
| You didn't show 'em all you done, on
your docket remarked a rural justice
to his urbanic brother You did" re-
torted his friend, land it didn't take
you but a minute, either"
Examined Public buildings.
The Committee on Public Buildings
composed of Mr.. Clayton r. Woods
and Mr.. ]. e. Burgess, made an exam
ination of Dthe county Jail and the
Court House. Owing to the recent i'm
provements of both buildings, the
committee found little except to praise
in regard to their condition. The Jail
said one of the committee, is the best
| ventilated prison l have ever seen.
The committee appointed to examine
the county records will be ready with
its report Monday. Mr.. j. NJ. Bar
| nard chairman of the committee, will
| probably receive tonight the reports
| of the expert accountants, Messrs. Ty-
son and Gaudry, who were engaged to
| make the examination. They have
been at work nearly two weeks, and
| have examined the records of the
county treasurer, tax collector, tax re-
ceiver, County Commissioners and
1 sheriff.
The Commute on Schools of the
grand jury, consisting of Mr. A. S
Nichols, chairman; Mr.. A E. Smith
and John Derst. has spent the past
two days in visiting the public schools
So far those inspected are the Ander.
son Street School, Henry Street School
Thirty-eighth Street School, Barnard
Street School. Chatham Academy
ST. Patricks School and Cathedra
School. The others. 1t is expected, viii