The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-26
WILL LESSEN CRIME
GRAND JURY'S WARNING AS TO
YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.
REFORMATORY RECOMMENDED
JURORsWANT THE QUESTION LEFT
TO VOTE OF PEOPLE.

General Presentments of the Grand
Jury of the Superior Court Re-
turned-RecOmme me n datiOn az to Re-
fOrmatOry Received From the
Bench the Approval and the
Thanks of the COurt-JudGe Bar
row Says Condition of Things is
HorribIe-Chatham COunty's Place
in Pension Payments Again the
Subject of Scathing Comment.
High in Taxes Paid, Low in PEN
siOns Received.
The general presentments of the
grand jury of the December term of
the Superior Court were returned yes
terday afternoon Their most import
ant recommendation was that for the
establishment of a reformatory in
Chatham county-a recommendation
that received from the bench the high
Endorsement of Judge Barrows.
This recommendation was made
part of the grand jury's discussion of
the Jail and chaingang. On this sub
ject the presentments say:
Very young prisoners are found
quartered with older prisoners and it
is recommended that a change in this
respect be made. In the opinion of the
grand jury the county should have a
reformatory, where young criminals
can be confined, and it is recommended
that the County Commissioners SUBJ
NIT this matter to a vote of the peo-
pie"
1t could be seen that this recon-
mendation particularly impressed
Judge Barrow, and when Foreman
Bloodworth had concluded reading the
presentments the court addressed the
grand jury, making this recommended
tion the text of his praise and congrat-
ulations upon the manner in which it
had performed it's duties.
i think you are entitled to the
thanks of the people of this county,"
said Judge Barrow. Personally 1
want to thank you for the high char
acter of the recommendations you have
made. L want especially to thank you
for your recommendation for a reform
atory, for to my mind the condition
of affairs that at present exists, when
young children are held in confinement
In close association and company with
old and hardened criminals, is horrible
beyond expression. On this subject
your recommendation exhibits a high
order of citizenship.
1T is a deplorable state of affairs
that children should be made to asso-
clate, to eat and sleep with these con-
hrmed Offenders. Certainly, if it is
not the duty of the state to make chill
dren better, it is it's duty not to make
them worse. Yet this is what is be-
ing accomplished under the operation
of the present system"
1t Is possible that the recommends
tion OF the grand jury will revive the
agitation in favor of the establishment
OF a reformatory that was begun a
year or more ago, but afterwards suf-
fered to die out. 1t is prac-
tlcally certain that the question
VIII be discussed by Judge
Barrow, in the course of the charge he
VIII deliver to the grand jury of the
March term of court next Monday.
Chatham Gets Few Pensions
Possibly the next most important
matter discussed in the presentments
was the question of pensions from the
state to crippled and INDECENT Confed-
crate soldiers and their widows. The
grand jury emphasizes what has often
already been statedz-that in this mat
ter Chatham county seems to be get
ting decidedly the worst of it. The
presentfnents say:
THE Committee ON Pensions calls
attention in its report to the small
amount paid pensioners in this coun-
ty, as compared with other counties.
The following table will show that
either the old veterans are better cared
for in Chatham or that less care
is elsewhere bestowed in the inspection
of the pension list