The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-10-04
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
Bad Plan of Supporting Prisoners in Jail
Train Riders Boarding at the
COunty's Expense, etc.


To the Honorable Circuit Court for baltimore
County We, the Grand Jury for the SepteT-
Der term, 1902, herewith beg leave to make the
the neriod az eleven davs' We have examined
Y cases and 303 witnesses, and found 80 present
ments and 80 indictments and 81 dismissals. We
have referred one case to the next Grand jury.
Hereto attached we respectfully submit tne
report of the committee appointed to examine
a Committee appointed to visit the jail In ad-
dition to the latter report we beg leave to state
that we recommend telephone communication
be established between the Jail and Court House.
We also, as set forth in the report of our COM
mittee, believe that the Jail is too small, insani-
tary and generally inadequate for the needs OF
Baltimore county, but at the same time, we
wish to be clearly understood that we in no wise
base our opinion that the Jail is too small upon
its present overcrowded condition, as we fully
recognize that said oyercrowded condition arises
from peculiarly overzealous system OF arrest
and conviction of class of unfortunates known
as train-riders-men stealing rides on freight
trains. These men, arrested by railroad detec-
tiyes are generally arrested either at Parkton,
N. G. r.. r., or at Bayview Junction, and are IN
nearly every case trying to reach Baltimore
city, or some point farther removed from Balti-
more city than any point in Baltimore county
We find that these train-riders are committed
to our county Jail and that said commitments are
issued by only few of our magistrates, very
large percentage (over 70 per cent? being issued
by one particular magistrate said magistrate or
magistrates having the right, under the law, 10
| commit in these cases either to the House OIL
Correction or to the county jail.
! We beg leave to state that. in our Judgment,
this system of committing this class of unfor-
Inmates to our county jail is direct injustice to
| our taxpayer the Sheriff charging thirty cents
| per head per day for the maintenance of each
and every prisoner confined in the jail. we
| further find these men and boys, known as train
riders to be serving terms of seven. thirty. sixty
and, in some cases, even longer periods of time.
The law in regard to train riding allows mag
| istrate to send the committed man, as before
said to either the Jail or to the House of Cor
rection. The Jail is supported by the taxpayers
of Baltimore inn county only; the House Of Cor
Upon visit of this body to Jail. on Septem-
Der nth instant, we found it as above stated, in
an overcrOwded condition. "a prisoners being
confined therein. the majority of the inmates
being men and youths committed for train-rid-
ing. We were surprised to find them mostly
able bodied and of an appearance denoting men
tai and moral condition far above the hardened
criminal and the shiftless tramp. We found
them, old and young. felon, tramp and train
under the influences of idleness and in the con-
tagion of crime.
residents of Maryland and not one per cent.
of them from Baltimore county, and, as the
cost of their maintenance in our Jail falls only
upon the taxpayers of our county, we earnestly
pray that your honors. the Court, and that our
citizens in general will demand at proper time
that the Ubiquitous law giving railroad detec-
tives the right to arrest for train-riding within
the limits of Baltimore county be repealed
and we further beg the support of our fellow
citizens looking forward to the enactment of a
law which will, provided man be arrested for
train-riding by Baltimore county officer and
not by railroad detective. and provided the
arrested man is not a resident of Baltimore coun-
ty, provide that said arrested man, upon convic-
ton and upon non payment of fine, be commit
ted to the House of Correction. or some other
work, and not to the Baltimore county jail
wherein he must remain in idleness.
For the maintenance of prisoners in Jail the
Sheriff receives, under the law, 30 cents per day
for each and every prisoner confined therein.
BY an agreement made by the Board of County
Commissioners the predecessor of the present
Sheriff was paid for the annual support OF
all prisoners in Jail the lump sum of $780,
Under the present Sheriff the Jail is overcrowd-
ed under his predecessor comparatively empty
On the first of September, 1901 under the prede-
cessor of the present Sheriff, there We're in jail
for all offences 81 prisoners. On September LIST
1902 under the present Sheriff. there were in
Jail SO.
We are informed that the County Commission
ers have offered the present Sheriff $4,000 for
the annual support of prisoners and that he has
refused said sum.
Tt has been ascertained by us, with the train
riding law in existence and in consideration oil
) the fruitfulness with which it can be worked
that at 30 cents per day per head for prisoners IN
i the present law a sum largely in excess of the
lump sum paid to the predecessor of the pres
ent Sheriff for the annual maintenance of pris
oners.
We are informed that the gambling slot-ma-
chine-evil prevails to large extent in our
county, but as the police force and our special
officers seem unable to procure sufficient evil
dence, we remain powerless to suppress the
evil. We therefore urgently recommend that
".
violation of law their earnest attention.
We recommend that hereafter cases be dock
eted on the Grand Jury's docket books for only
the first and second day of Grand Jury's SEES
sion and that all succeeding cases be docketeC
from the original papers in each case by the
Grand Jury itself, and further recommend
that the witnesses for the first and second day
of each Grand Jury's term be summoned prol
to the session of the Grand Jury to appear or
the first and second day of said term. and thai
all other witnesses be summoned from the origi
nal papers in the case by the Grand Jury from
the Grand Jury room.
We find. taking into consideration our prox
ifHf mn ffnfntf
nifty from the evil deeds of the transgressor al
far as can be reasonably expected.
And now, having performed our duty to the
discharged. CHAs. B. ROGERS, Foreman.