The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-16
PRAISED THE BOARD
GRAND JURY COMMENDs FRUITFUL
EFFORTS OF COMMISSIONERS.
COUNTY is PROGRESSING.
PRESENTMENTs SHOW IMPROVED
CONDITIONS EVERYWHERE.

CONDITIONS EVERY WHERE.
Members of Grand Jury Believe That
the Excellent HyEeuic Condition
Resulting From the Intelligent
Work of the County Commission
ers Will BE an Important Factor
in Greater Savannah Movement.
Recommended New Negro school.
Had Something to Say of Policy
Playing.
The general presentments of the
March term grand jury, which were
returned yesterday, indicate mat all
of the departments of the county are
in the best condition in which they
have been for years. The grand jurors
expressed it as their belief that the
hygenic condition, resulting from the
untiring work of the County Commits
sioners in drainage and other improve
ments conducive TO health, would be
an important factor in the Greater Sa-
vannah movement.
For the first time in many terms
of the court the Committee on Roads
and Bridges did not find it necessary
to make any recommendation for i'm
provement, but rather confined itself
to a favorable report on the condition
in which the public highways were
found, and to request the County Com
missioners to vigorously continue their
earnest and intelligent work in that
direction.
Recommended Another school.
Touching the question Of a new
school for the colored youth the follow
ing recommendation was made: I'VE
are reliably informed that the present
school room capacity for colored chill
dren is not sufficient to accommodate
many who want to avail themselves of
a common school education, number
ing about 1000; we therefore recon-
mend to the honorable County Conn
nissioners to provide school room for
these children, believing it our moral
duty to assist in the education of that
class of citizens to the full extent OF
the fund available for school purposes,
without encroaching upon the advan-
tages of our white children. we
leave the matter with the County COM
rnfssioners for them in their wise judg-
ment to devise the ways and means to
carry out this recommendation.
"Under your charge relative to the
suppression of gambling, we respectful
" submit that a careful investigation
revealed a state of affairs that was as
founding" read the presentments, on
the policy question. I'VE found the
game known as policy openly conducted
in dens located in all sections of the
city. We have indicted those brought
xnbn
farious business, and notwithstanding
their indictment, continue to carry on
this game of petty gambling in deh-
ance of law, court, grand jury and all
others in authority. There seems TO be
no fear of punishment from this or any
other court and, with the means at
our disposal, we are constrained to EN-
body in this presentment that our eff
forts to have those punished who are
conducting this infamous game has
been a signal failure. 1t is needless TO
repeat what other grand juries have
already stated, further than we believe
that this class of violators of the law
should be punished by Imprisonment"
The grand jurors thanked the judge,
solicitor general and other officers OF
the court for their courteous and con-
siderate treatment. The presentments
were read by Foreman A. c. Harmon.
Judge BarrOw's Reply.
At the conclusion of their reading
Judge Barrow said that he was glad
that the grand jury had called the at
tention of the County Commissioners
to the fact that the water supply in
the third story of the Court House was
inadequate. He reminded them that
the June term of the court extended
into the dog days and that juries, aft
er being charged with a case, espe-
cially criminal cases, had to be locked
up in the jury room and were not al
lowed to come down into the lower
part of the building. He said that in
cold weather 1t was not so bad, but
in the sultry nights of July it was a
cruelty to imprison twelve jurors in a
room under the conditions which exist
in the third story of the Court House.
In connection with the presentments
of the grand jury upon the subject of
the prevalence of gambling, Judge
Barrow said that he approved of every
effort to suppress violations of the
law and had only one suggestion to
make, and that was, a regret that the
methods pointed out by law for inves-
tigating the existence of crime by
grand juries had not been pursued in
every case. He said on this subject:
DisnpprOved of Methods.
''Whenever it comes to the knowledge
of a grand juror, or the grand jury as
a body, that any person in the county
knows the fact that crime has been
committed the law makes it the sworn
duty of the grand jury to summon that
person, by subpoena, and bring him be
fore them, administer the oath and
compel him to testify to the facts in
the presence of the whole grand jury
not less than eighteen, and in the pres
ence of no one else. This law is i'm.
perative. 1t is not a compliance with
the law to interview, privately, a per.
son who processes 10 know of the ex.
istence of crime and take his state
ment, not under oath. The law ever
goes so far as to point out, in words
the oath that the grand jury is required
TO administer to him. 1t is to be re-
GREETED that the course pointed out by
law has not been pursued"
..sa. 49, -nAa sazaa-a-