The Natchitoches enterprise., 1904-06-30
SIANA, THURSDAY JUNE 80 1904
GRAND JURY REPORT,

tendance of witnesses we have be
forced to continued 20 cases.
We haYe examined the 4 narish Tres
urer's books and find same neatly Al
accurately kept showing the exa
amount of funds belonging to the pari
on hand and which talles exactly wi
The cash to the credit of tie parish. "
! found our Treasurer meg elegant oAl
TENN, courteous and OAiging, and read
20 render the assistance Within his nov
e. in oilF work which lessened our labo
and greatly facilitated US in the di,
charge of the duty IMPOSED upon us.
We, as directed by YOU, investigate
the EherIff's books and his2Office and fin
hing In first ella condition. Th
!. saeriH has faithfully cekseted the take
and has made prompt Set elements wit
the State Auditor and the Parish Treas
urer. He and his able deputies hay
-been very energetic and unrelenting II
, erYing warrants aud capturing pris
Oners. The law is faithfully and hon
estly upheld by hun and his assistant!
so far as lies within thaG payer, IL
find the quarters of that official rather
uncomfortable. Exposed to the even.
ing sun it is almost unbearable on ac-
count Of the intense heat and therefore
suggest that provisions be made
therefor by The P0hce Jnry. True il is
small matter but as we understand if
it is the duty of the P11ish to provide
and maintain that office and therefore
awning ought to be- PLACED there at the
expense of the Parish.
We were dIsagreeablY surprised TO
learn that the Police Jury has done
nothing whatever towards proyidin0
more comfortable and safer quarters for
prisoners. The jail is ip such conaI-
ton of decay and ruin that it does NOT
longer serve its purpose aad a Jail deliv-
cry may be expected at any time, We
learn that since The adjournment of our
last criminal court IN December several
desperate criminals have escaped there.
from and are now enjoying their liberty
and are simply meraca to tlle civil
lied community that thevmay b. liViny
i'll. We need ii place where criminals
can be safely held and society protected
from the practice of laWiessness In us |
present condition the surer way to Sc
cure the presence of a prisoner to an. |
swer the charges preferred against him |
is to place him under bond His suretv |
being interested will watch him and in |
most cases procure his presence at court,
The OILY safe means ot securely hold |
ing prisoners now is to lock them in the
narrow cells IN the jail which are not
much more than sufficient to hold three
or four people, yet, often fifteen or
wenty prisoners are crowded into The
small cells. This is simply cruel and
does not become civilized and progress
sive people. The health of the prison
Ell becomes shattered by such confine
ment and the sheriff bgieelao e the i'm
laees hSrT-vr-r~s1
in the walls outside of the cell, called
the ''rnn around" and then liberty is
easily obtained by the prisoner, because
he does not need pick axe and crow
bar to remove the brick and make an
Aperture sufficient to enable him to es-
cape. Indeed from the outside of this
jail building wagon can be easily load
ed with brick and in fact the task could
be accomplished in our opinion about as
easily as wagon could be loaded with
brick out Of kiln. We may be appeal
ing in vain to The Police Jury of this
Parish to provide other quarters for prs
Oners as other Grand Juries have done
yet we feel we would be guilty of dere-
lction were we to fail to mention the
of the jail and of our Jail build
ng and earnestly call uDon the Police
Jury out spirit of humanity and from
l good business standpoint to act in this
natter as early as compatible with safe
business methods and principles.
The Clerks Office has an efficient Of
icer at its head and able assistants who
ire always at their post of duty ready to
erve and accommodate the public and !
while this office is also well kept and
presents reat appearance we find that '
here is badly needed rev file cases and
hat the old wooden cases should be re-
moved. In the event of a fire many {
-aluabie records would be destroyed and
We are deeply impressed that good busi- I
less policy requires the placing of such 6
lies that would protect the records in
ase of fire. In other parishes provi-
ions has been made against such con- t
ingency by the replacing of the old /
wooden cases by new steel cases. We t
'ere glad to learn tnat the Police jury !
AS since last December made an appro- 3
rlation for fifty covers of the record
Ooks but which we find is not enough. l
fifty more such covers should be pur- t
hased at once. The books are badly a
7Orn and provisions should he made at Il
nee for their protection. 1t occurs to s
on account of the incaIcuIable value
these records the Police jury ought 0
IFS earliest opportunity have all them q
abound To do this it is not practical n
lie to send them away, because of the K
Onsiant use of them by the public.
lerefore we recommend that the work tl
done here. 1t is very easy and not "
expensive to have book binder to do
he work right here in the town of Nateh-
oches.
The Normal School, one of the Jewels
Louisiana, has bad our attention. We
ere met by Prof. Caldwell, the Presi-
ent OF this Institution, and Shown al
trough 1t by him. We find that its V,
inter session closed the latter part of N,
ay after most successful years work. - "
is equipped with an able corps of D'
achers who are thoroughly alive to &C
e wants and needs of the Normal and gt
e determined to maintain its prestage d.
an institution of learning. Youths ci
om all parts of the State are ENJOYING al
e advantages offered by thi: school and bl
nee the enrolment is so large that the tb
esent appropriation by the State is NOT pl
fficient for its actual needs, we. there.
re, earnestly request our representa-
es to use their best efforts in securing
ch an appropriation as is necessary t0
able the Normal to continue its grand
d magnificent work. In this conneo- tn
y we beg to say that we examined the w
oks of the Treasurer of the Normal to
:. j. A Ducournau, and found every. sh
ng correct. fr1
We, as Is usual, examined the poor trC
m aud found only two inmates. Thev do
pressed themselves as being we'll fed Ter
! seemed TO have fairly comfortable ter
irters. inn