Newport daily independent., 1902-07-26
GRAND JURY REPORT.

To His Honor, F. D. Fulkerson, Judge of the
 Jackson County Circuit Court, July Term, 1902:
 We, the Grand Jury, beg to submit the fol- lowing as brief report of our actions as grand jury for the July term 1902.
 Being dulyHempaneled we perfected our or ganization by the selection of J. c. Walker as clerk, and entered upon our duties by inves- tigating all cases that came before us.
 First cases where accused were in jail; next those that were under bond, and then such cases as came before us, exercising care and ce1erity to the best of our abilities to investigate all charges for felonies and misdemeanors, by ex- amining 78 summoned witnesses (not one of whom was entitled to more than one days at tendance, and number of witnesses who ap- peared voluntarily before the jury Some of them gave evidence that satisfied the jury that violations of the law were probable, others only succeeded in convincing the jury that they desired their help to vent petty spite, and the jury took such action as was in consonance with the instructions of the court, and their understanding of the law.
 Your jury found IA indictments for felony, and 2S indictments for misdemeanors ofEvarious kinds, those for the illegal sale of whisky pre- dominating The jury. did not consider it good policy to pursue the illegal sale of whisky to such an extent so as to entail excessive cost on the county, nor to heap indictments to a degree that would create public sympathy for the offenders.
 Your jury is forced to admit that the accounts of various public officers have not been ex- anined, for the reason that the commissioners of accounts had not completed their report. The jury having completed their labors, deem it best not to wait for the completion of this report
 The jury have made inquiries as to the con dition of the public roads and regret to say that many of the roads not cassed as first class roads are not maintained in good condition because road overseers claim that no work should be done in their respective districts, except upon those of the 6rst-class, and that they were not liable to indictment for the failure to keep all public roads at least passable. In view of the misunderstanding of the law, the jury have not felt justified to bring any indictments at the present term, but made mention only to ad- monish overseers that the law does not absolve them from liability in case they fail to main tain all public roads at least passable.
 The grand jury in body, visited the county jail aud found that the improvements made have added to the safety as well as to the maintaining of good sanitary conditions. The prisoners all ex pressed themselves being we'll treated and well enough fed.
 A committee from the grand jury, appointed to investigate the county poor farm, reports that there were inmates, females and males. All indicated that they were being taken care of as well as conditions would allow, and that MT | Grant and his family took especial care to make the inmates as comfortable as possible. The | committee also reported that they found the
 
 MT. Grant lives needs repairing very badly, the weatherboarding is all rotten, and needs paint ing very badly, and the pauper house is in very bad condition-new blocks are needed, the ceiling is falling down and the windows doors and floors are in very bad repair. The jury would recommend that these repairs be attended to at once while the appropriation has been made for these repairs, nothing has been ac- under it. The jury would also that if the property is not insured that it be insured for nominal sum at least.
 Your jury regret hatthey are constrained to fthe action of the Hon. Prosecuting Attorney, who covertly, if not overtly, imputes misconduct in finding an indictment for mur- der in the second degree against one of the prisoners in the jail of the county, instead of an indictment for murder in the first degree. The basis of our complaint is contained in mo ton to suspend proceedings in said indictment, and consists of the following language;
 That the grand jury, or members thereof, while the said charge has been pending before them have been counselled as to the facts and law of said case by the friends or counsel of ac- cused and outside of the grand jury room
 That while said charge has been pending be fore said grand jury, said body procured the 56th Ark Reports and examined the case of Simpson vs. the State, erroneously making their own of the law applicable to the ev- idence, instead of taking the law from the court, under the courts direction as provided by Sec ton 2o57 of $. & H Digest"
 The jury jointly and severally deny that any action of theirs, or the friends or counsel of Johnson warrant the allegations made, and strongly protest against the implied imputatons upon their characters as grand jurors of the county, and honestly court inquiry into their conduct as such jurors.
 The jury does not consider it within their