Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-09-30
Tells of Friehtful COndit-
ions Existing at the
County Jail.
SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENTS
Jail is Inadequate and Court
House Badly in Need
Of Repairs.
DISAGREED AS TO SUNDAY CLOSING

After having been in session for
eleven days, the territorial grand jury
submitted it's final report to Judge Alb
bott at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon and
was discharged.
The report of the grand jury, which
is herewith printed in full, contains
many things of interest to the public.
The jury made an investigation of the
county Jail and reports conditions ex-
listing there as frightful and makes
recommendations for the immediate
remedying of the same. The jury could
not agree on Sunday closing.
The report of the jury follows:
Report of Grand Jury.
In the District Court. County of Ber-
nalillo, September term, 1905.
To the Hon. Ira A. Abbott, Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court of
New Mexico, and Judge of said dis
trict court:
Sir-We, the grand jury of the terri
tory, at said term of court, submit
this as our final report:
We have been in session eleven
days, prior to today, during which
time we have had before us more
than 140 witnesses, and have pre-
sented to the court fifty indictments
and three mo bills" In a number of
cases investigated by us, no present
ments have been made to the court
because the accused persons were not
in custody nor under bond, and it
would have been unjust to them to
put upon the public records anything
to indicate tnat they had even been
accused.
We have given close and conscien-
tious attention to the discharge of our
duties, have found indictments only
when the evidence presented clearly
required such action, and believe that
we can take just pride in the amount
of work which we have been able TO
accomplish in the limited time at our
disposal
We have been unable to make any
extended or careful examination OF
the various county offices, but in such
Investigations as we have made, we
have not found any subject of serious
criticism. We cannot refrain from
saying that it has appealed to us as
probable that the refusal of recently
displaced county officers to deliver
the books, papers and records of their
offices to their successors, may have
been due to some apprehension that
they would be open to more searching
investigation by the grand jury than
would be possible while they retained
possession.
We find that the vault in use in the
Office of the clerk of the district court,
is so small that it is insufficient to
accommodate all of the records and
papers which ought to be kept there
There is nothing of greater import
ance to the public than the safe pres
ervation of the files and records OF
this court 1t is unnecessary for us
to say anything as to the widespread
disastrous effect upon varied inter
ests of all kinds which would result
from the destruction of such records
and we earnestly recommend to the
county commissioners the enlargement
of this vault to at least double its
present capacity. 1t appears to us
that an addition can be made to il
on the north side, without seriously
interfering with anything else in the
court house.
We have made some examination
of the court house and Jail, and are
nat at all satisfied with either Court
house is generally. and especially in
its exterior, and in the halls and base
ment rooms dingy, repulsiye and un
attractive, for which we can see nc
reasonable excuse. In the basement
where we have held our sessions, the
building needs repairs, particularly as
to the floor of the main hallway
which is in very bad shape, and also
as to the water closet at the moth
end which is ia an unsanitary condi
tion and diffuses vile OdOrs through a
large portion of the premises. These
things should be remedted.
The grounds about the court house
are so limited i'm extent that it ought
not TO be difficult to keep them in good
order. yet they show signs of neglect
which is painful With a jail full OF
prisoners it would seem to be an easy
task to properly care for the public
buildings and grounds.
We are informed that the tower on
the court house, which is so construct
ed as TO he open 10 winged creatures
has become the abode of numbers OF
owls and bats. with a consequent &C
cumulation of filth, which is diagreea
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