The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-21
GRAND JURY REPORT IS COMPL ELEMENTARY Books of County Officials Are
 Neat and Well Kept 284 TRUE BILLS RETURNED It Is Recommended That Police Off cers Keep Record of the Facts In
 Arrests, as Many of Them
 Forget Circumstances.
284 TRUE BILLS RETURNED

The county grand jury, which has been in session for several weeks, adjourned yesterday morning and submitted the fol- lowing report to Judge Samuel E. Greene of the criminal court:
 ITO Hon. Samuel E. Greene. Senior Judge of the Criminal Court:
 "The grand jury organized at the pres ent term of your honor's court, ask leave to make our final report, as follows:
 I've have been in session forty-one working days, and have docketed 454 cases, which we have investigated with few exceptions; have examined about 1893 witnesses and returned into court 2S4 true bills, many of them. we regret to say, of a serious character
 Books We'll Kept
 "We have examined as best we could the bonds of the different county officers, and, in our judgment. they are good and sufficient.
 We have examined the books of the various county officers as best we could, and as far as we can ascertain they are neatly and correctly kept. We have ex- amined the feed book of the sheriff for feeding prisoners and, as far as we can ascertain, the accounts are correct. In a county like Jefferson, where there are so many records, it is difficult matter for the grand jury, in its limited time, to give careful examination to such volumn- ous work, and in view of the fact that under existing laws these accounts are carefully examined by the county auditor and state examiners, we deem it unneces- sary to go into an extensive examination of said books.
 Jail Is Neatly Kept.
 We examined the condition of the county jail and find it as neat, comforta- ble and well kept, in our judgment, as conditions will admit. We find also that the prisoners have a suffciency of whole some food. In this connection we desire to recommend the building of a separate ward for white female prisoners in the county Jail, and also the installation of an elevator in the court house. We also desire to further recommend that sash be placed in the windows of the jail in order that the inmates may be made more com fortable during cold weather.
 AImshouse a Credit.
 "We have carefully examined into the condition of the county aims house, and ldht III SdyliB that US SDltlulu management reflects credit on the coun ty and those to whom the management is intrusted The only recommendations we have to make in this regard Is that a larger and more complete laundry be built and either build a new or improve present barn as soon as practicable. We also desire to recommend a colored ma tron to look after the inmates of the col ored wards, to be subject to the orders n 10 m oan1aOt We nn- mend that a modern operating table be installed at the hospital at the aims house.
 Want Records Kept.
 'We recommend that police officers of the county be required to keep a record of facts and dates concerning parties ar rested. and further that the attention of the chiefs of police of the various cities and towns in Jefferson county be directed to this recommendation. We make this recommendation in view of the fact that so many officers come before the grand jury, and, not having kept memorandums are utterly unable to give the grand jury sufficient facts concerning the cases in which they are witnesses.
 "There has been some complaint made in regard to some of the railroad cross ings in Jefferson county, and we desire to call the attention of the board of rev. enue to the same.
 Expressions of Thanks.
 Finally, we desire to thank your honor for the clear and explicit charge given and the interpretation of the law. We desire to extend our thanks to MT John T. Hefiin, our efficient assistant solicitor. for his constant and helpful assistance and his efforts to bring to light the yio- lations of the law. To MT. c. D. Eber- sole and MT. E. Shepherd, members of the grand jury, our efficient clerks is due, in a great measure, the Tightening of our many labors, and to them we ex- press our thanks. for their services. To Mir. Jack T. Stallings, our proficient stem ographer, for the correct and accurate account of all of the testimony before us and to our faithful and obliging bailiff MT. Reeves, for courtesies extended
 And now. having fully performed the duties for which we were called into ses- sion, we respectfully request that we be discharged.
 Respectfully submitted,
 (Signed) CT. G. MACKEY, Foreman of the grand jury, September term, 1903"