The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-15

has just been submitted to Judge Dan A. Greene has met with considerable fa- vorable comment, both because it shows the large amount of work the grand jury has done and because of the useful and valuable recommendations 1t makes. The report is as follows:
 To the Hon. D. A. Greene, Junior Judge
 of the Criminal Court of Jefferson County.
 The grand jury empaneled by your honor for the April term of the Criminal court having now been in session six weeks, beg leave to submit to your honor the report of our acts and doings as such jury.
 We desire to thank your honor for the able and explicit charge given us in refer ence to the law governing our duties, which we assure you has aided us in the discharge of our duties beyond our abll- ity to explain.
 We have examined about 376 cases, examined HOO witnesses and as a result of our labors in this behalf we have re- turned 236 true bills, many of which be- ing cases of unusual importance.
 We take occasion to say that during our deliberations the utmost harmony has prevailed, and for the most part our findings have been unanimous, without one serious disagreement.
 Briefly reviewing the work done by us, we call the attention of your honor to the fact of the unusual number of misde- meanor cases docketed, the majority of which cases are absolutely brought through spite and malice. We wish to recommend in this connection, and we have emphasized the fact by our find ings, that the grand jury docket In no case should be burdened by these petty and trihing cases which can and ought to be tried before our justices of the peace, and it is our honest opinion that for the benefit of Jefferson county and her citi- zens, and to enable the county to, in manner, place herself within the scope as to enable the payment by her of wit nesses their fees in cash, that such laws should be passed giving to the justices of the peace final jurisdiction in all mis- demeanor cases
 We also find that a great many of our justices issue warrants In misdemeanor cases binding the defendant over to the grand jury and committing him to jail, when as a matter of fact the warrant should be made returnable to the Crimi- nal court and tried by that court instead of mourning the additional expense be- fore the grand jury.
 In finding bills for carrying concealed weapons 1t has been our earnest endeavor to arrive at the facts in each case. We would, however recommend in this con- nection that a change In the law be made so as not to shield the tough and hard ened criminal and the menacing of law abiding citizens; the criminal knows he will sooner or later arrive in jail, having no regard for law, thereby making the law-abiding citizen a target for his ne- farious trade. We earnestly recommend to our representatives in the legislature to lend their every effort in behalf of measures looking to a thorough regula- tion of the carrying of concealed weapons.
 While we have docketed a good many crimes, we wish to say that Jefferson county is to be congratulated upon the unusually small number of embezzle- ments, considering the number of mer- cantile and other establishments whose employees are practically the bulk of the population.
 We have had before us the county audi tor and examined him with reference to the status of the county, both financially I and otherwise We find the county finan- oially, with the exception of the fine and forfeiture fund,as shown by the auditor books and reports, to be in good and | healthy condition, and with economy practiced in all branches will see the 
 out the necessity of borrowing money to tide it over until taxes become due.
 With reference to the fine and forfeit ure fund, the ability of the auditor was clearly shown in his handling of the same before us and of the need of legs- lation for thorough regulation and re- vision of the same. To us the arrearage in this fund seems to be unusually large so much so as to be menacing to the welfare of the county.
 We would recommend: First that the per diem of witnesses and officers in the criminal cases be approximately reduced so as to place it within the ability of the | county to pay these claims In cash, and | to further this end we additionally recommend that our legislature jointly confer with the auditor of our county with reference to such legislation as will remedy this evil.
 l We further recommend that the local laws of Jefferson county be amended | with reference to the expenditure oi monies in the treasury as that instead oi 1 opening up new avenues to our treasury they will close some of them already open
 If seems to us from the auditors figures that the light and water bill for the coun- ty are exceptionally large, and in this con- nection our earnest recommendation to the honorable board of revenue of this county | Is that the county lnstdii US oWh hbhtihh and water plant for the court house and 1 jaiI believing in this recommendation we voice the sentiments of every tax payer l in Jefferson county, and that the same can be maintained at a much less cost than at present In our opinion an ele- vator in the court house would be money we'll spent and such we recommend. Sanitary Commission. We called upon the auditor for reports and figures in reference to the operation of the Jefferson County Sanitary Commis- sion, which he furnished us, and explained the same satisfactorily to us. On this line we desire to say, that in our opinion. this work could not have been handled in A more reckless manner, and the ex- penditure of the monies belonging to the public could not have been greater for such little work, or actual construction. as is known to have been performed. For instance. salaries were paid at the rate of anywhere from $40 to $6O per month, when same could have been had for not exceeding one dollar per diem. We desire to enter our protest and unanimous con- demnation of any such handling of pub lie funds.
 The county is to be congratulated upon having such officers as Messrs. Patton and Bodeker, who have done more to un- earth crimes and bring to justice criminals than any other officers in the county. With reference to our duty under the law in examining the books of the county of ficers we desire to say that we have made the examination of said books, as we'll as the bonds of all officers, and find that the