The Natchitoches enterprise., 1903-06-18
THURSDAY. JUNE 10. 1903.
GRAND JURY REPORT.
Natcbitocnes, La, June 10, l

Natcbitocnes, La, June 10, 1903
To the Hon. Judge of the Eleventh Dis
trict Court in and for the Parish o
Match toches. State of Louisiana.
We your Grand Jurors beg leave t.
submit this our final report Of our la
bOrs. We. have been diligently at work
since being impaneled and have exam
ined carefully into all matters brought
before IT,, having investigated total OF
1919 cases. finding l03 true bills and lg-
nOring SO charges.
A careful consideration induces the
conclusion that the crimes of s"rious
character as compared to the work OF
former grand juries has decreased to
some extent in our parish, but we lind
no dimminutIOn of crimes of lighter
especially mis( emeanOrs A most fruit
ful source of law violation is the Illicit
sale of whIskeV. We have returned
more true bills for the violation of this
law than any other grand jury preceding
us. Carefully considering the cOndl-
tiOns, we believe that if your Honor
were more severe in imposing penalties
for violations of this character as well
as other mIsdemeanOrs imposing larger
fines and sentencing the criminal to work
on the public roads to the extent that
the law will permit, in each case, we
believe that it would have more effect
than short terms of sentence 10 the par
ish Jail or work upon the public roads.
We find some disprOportiOn in the mat
ter of penalties. which may perhaps be
the fault Of the law and not your hon
Or's, and we merely desire TO call yOar
honOr's attention to the subject; for in
stance where man is sentenced to pay
q fine OI fifty or seyenty-tive dollars or
IN default thirty days IN jail, If possible
under the Law, we would advise that the
Jail sentence should be at least four
months where such amounts of fine a
imposed, an eopor-
fine is ind En9th
OF sentence to i'm VI WOrS on Tue public
highways be increased.
In this connection we wish to say
something about the public roads We
are glad 10 say that the Police Jury of
the parish have entered upon new de-
parture in this parish in road working.
We believe this to be wise and are graft
fed al this exhibition of progress and
enterprise on part of that honorable
body. Recently The Police Jury have
Invested SOM two or three Thousand
dollars IN mules, and improved road
machines, and under the able and skill
full management of the Honorable &. w.
Kile, president of the Police Jury. the
road between here ard Grand EcOre and
west towards Provencal anu Rnbeline,
has been splendidly worked which de-
;nOnsrrates cOnclusiYelv that the roads
of this parish can be made tirst-cldss IN
every particular. We have Visited the
road worked 10y Mr.. kile, saw the ma
cnine in operation, and we feel satisfied
hat it is no longer an experiment bur |
hat the parish has adopted the correct
solution of this VeXatIous problem. The |
machine has only been in operation a |
lew weeks and many serious obstacles |
had to be overcome IN commencing upe- |
ratiuns: that Mr.. kile has succeeded in |
SystamatiZing the method and has re-
duced the expenses to minimum and |
we feel satisfied that in course of time
he principal roads in each ward of the
parish will be placed in splendid con
ditiOn. We cannot say 100 much to i'm
press upon the Police Jury the impOr-
lance to the people of this parish that
good roads are 1t Is the event of pros
peritY 10 the farmer, III our judgment, |
he easy and cheap transportation of the |
product TO market with a minimum of |
danger TO his team and wagon and |
finally solves many of the cOmpli- |
Gated questions If the parish. We urge
The Police Jury to further this work |
along these lines TO the utmost of their |
ability. and feel satisfied that the tax
payers of the parish realizing the inn
proved conditions of the road for The |
money thus expended will heartily ap-
prove their action.
We have examined the Jail AMI regret |
exceedingly to report that 1t is filthy
ind its condition in every respect is an
outrage and reproach and shame to the
parish of n dtchitOches The sheriff and
mis- deputies keep it as clean and 10 as
good sanitary condition as pos
slble, but even that condition is an
outrage uDon the people of the Parish
VI NatchiIOcheS In not providing a bet
Ter pace, one more secure. more COM
more healthy for the criminals
Df the parish. A criminal is not beast
pr inhuman, and we owe 1t to ourselves
and to our country to take better care OF
The criminals OF this parish and treat
them as human beings aud not animals.
We refrain from going into particulars
about the condition OF the cells. the
boarding OF white and black prisoners
lO$CbAVl III sue uusduildIy anu unhealthy
condition of the place but content our
selves with asserting under our oath as
Grand Jurors that sthe Police Jury of {
his parish, representing the people of {
.he parish, AS proud and as moral a peo- 5
pie as exists in the world, owe 1t to
themselves and to the people to;build
1ew jail at once. We sincerely hope
his view meets with the appreciation of
your Honor, a. we know 1t will meet the {
APPRECIATION of every (icd fearing man I {
hid woman in the parish -
We have examined the sherfff's office ,
rs well as the clerks office and found
hat those public offices Of the parish are
guarded by most efficient Of |
fcers. We found that their offices were /
we'll Kept. In reference to the clerks /
'ftice we urge immediate action be taken, ]
~ the proper authorities, towards re- il
ndeXlng the archives of the parish and q
or the protection of the books which d
.re tnYalusole; this matter should not I