The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-09
GRAND JURY MAKES
A VIGOROUS REPORT
Deals with Disregard of Life
in Jefferson
CONCERNING FOOD IN JAIL
Crane Jury Talks Plainly of Conditions
at Brookslde-Bateh of True Bills
Turned in to Clerk Of
Criminal Court.
CONCERNING FOOD IN JAIL

The grand jury of Jefferson county or
ganized for the April term having COM
pleted its work has reported to Hon.
Samuel E. Greene, Judge of the criminal
court of Jefferson county, and has been
discharged The final report Of the grand
jury which was handed In yesterday at
noon signed by James A. Allen foreman,
is an exceptionally vigorous document.
Disregard for human life in jefferson
county is dealt with in the report, while
attention is called TO the f'most appal-
making the laws of the state a vehicle
for persecution and oppression coming
to us from the community of Brookside."
With the final report a batch of true
bills were turned over to the clerk of
the criminal court by the grand jury.
George s. Gullett was indicted on the
charge of burglary and grand larceny,
1t being charged that he broke into the
safe of the Florence hotel, where he was
employed as a night clerk, and took
therefrom $500 belonging TO the Atlanta
baseball team then guests Of the hotel.
Gullett was arrested in New Orleans and
brought back to Birmingham. He is now
out on bail.
William A. Black was indicted on the
charge of embezzlement Dave Jones for
for 1as In
the second degree; Dock Galloway for
murder and Robert Williams for forg-
cry.
The report of the grand jury follows:
To the Hon. s. E. Greene Senior Judge
Of the Criminal Court Of Jefferson
County:
We, the grand jury. empannelled by
your honor on the 4th day OF April, 1904,
beg to make this, our final report:
We held sessions continuously until the
2Sth day of April, on which date by your
honor's permission. we took recess I'M
til Monday May %, when we again as
sembled and have been in session until
now.
We have examined approximately 100
witnesses, have found 220 true bills ex-
amined into 1865 cases that have been
uoCheleu, anu DttduSe Oh d failure TO Sc
cure witnesses have been forced to ask
your honor to continue II Of the cases
for consideration by future grand juries,
The County Jail.
We have visited the county jail, and
while we found much to commend, we
recommend that your honor direct that a
more abundant supply of food be fur
nished the prisoners. and that the food be
i la L..
sanitary condition of the jail is not what
1t should be.
We have examined into the condition
Of the aims house and find everything
there to be kept In satisfactory man
ner. The average number of inmates "
about rs, and there are ample accommo-
dations
Little Less Than a Farce"
We have gone through the customary
form of examining the books of the coun-
ty officers, which the law requires us to
examine, which examination is little less
than farce For the grand jury to inves-
tigate the books thoroughly would re-
quire each member of the grand Jury to
be an expert accountant, and would give
them employment In that branch of their
duties for more than a year. However,
we did carefully examine into the bonds
of the various county officers. and be-
iieve them to he ample and secure. We
had before us the county auditor, and
under oath he states that so far as he
had examined the books of all the coun-
ty officers were neatly and correctly kept,
but he did not claim to have made a thor
ough and complete investigation of the
books of any officer except those of the
county treasurer, nor did the law ex-
piicitly require him to do So The statute
creating the office of auditor is defective
in this. that his duties are not clearly de-
fined. nor are many of his duties are not
clearly defined, nor are many of his
duties made mandatory. It will be seen
that the administration of this office is
of little practical benefit to the county
at large unless his duties are more clear
~ defined. and he be given help sufficient
to make the office what 1t was intended to
be. While we in no wise have any critf-
cism to make Of our present efficient aud
itor, we believe no one can even approx
mately check up the enormous business OF
this county
A Practice Criticised.
We find that It is a practice to have
some officer swear out a warrant against
prisoners put in Jail by order OF the coro-
ner before that officer can make return.
This Is especially customary when the
warrants OF the coroner are re-
turnable before justice OF the
peace In the district where the crime had
been committed. This practice Is working
a great hardship as 1t forces witnesses