Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-10-07
GRAND JURY
EXPOSES SCANDAL.
Tells Of FrlghtfuI 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

eleven days. the territorial grand Jury
submitted lls final report % Judge Al.
bolt at 2.30 o'clock this afternoon and
wac discharged.
The report OF the grand jury, which
ls herewith printed IN full. contains
many things ~ interest 20 the public.
The Jury made an investigation u the
county jail and reports conditions ex-
iatlng there AS frlghtful aud makes
recommended ions for the Immediate
remodying ~ the same The jury could
not agree on sunday closing
The report o. the jury follow;
Report Of Grand Jury.
In the District Court, County Of Der.
nalillo. September term, 1906.
To he Hon. Ira A. Abbott. Associate
Justice Of the Supreme Court OF
New Mexico. and Judge Of said dis.
trlct court
Strive. the grand fury OF The terri.
l tory, az said term OF court, submit
this as our hnal report
We have been la session eleven
days, prior TO Today during when
time We have had before rs more
/ than 40 Witnesses, and have pre-.
scented TO the court ATTY indictments
and three mo bills" In a number OF
cases Investigated by ms, no present
ments have been made 10 the court
because the accused persons we're not
| Ia custody nor under bond. and Il
would have been unjust 10 them %
put upon the public records anything
to indicate tnat they had even been
/ accused
We have given close and cOnsclen.
tinus attention 10 the discharge of our
duties. have found indictments only
when the evidence presented clearly
required such action. and believe that
we can take lust pride I'm the amount
OF work which we have been able to
| accomplish in the limited time az our
disposal.
We have been unable 20 make any
extended or careful examination Of
/ the various county Offices. but In such
| investigations a. we have made, we
have not found any subject Of serious
/ criticism We cannot refrain from
saying that Il has appealed to rs as
probable that the refusal OF recently
displaced county officers TO deliver
the books. papers and records Of their
efices 10 tholr successors. may have
been due TO some apprehension that
they would ho open % more searching
Investigation by the grand jury than
would bee possible while they etalned
| possession.
We find that the vault In use In the
ONCE Of thp clerk Of the district court
/ is 80 small that Il Ia insufficient 20
/ accommodate All OF the records and
papers which ought TO boz kept there.
There Is nothing OF greater import
ance 10 the public than the safe pres
ervatiun 0i the files and records Of
this court Il IL unnecessary for as
TO say anything as 10 the widespread.
disastrous eject upon varied inter.
csts OF an kinds which would result
from the destruction OF such records.
and we earnestly recommend so the
county commissioners the enlargement
OF this vault to at least double its
present capacity. II appears TO us
that an addition can boz maue TO Il
ON the north side. without seriously
interfering with anything else In the
court house.
We nave made some examination
OF the court house and Jail. and are
nat az an satisfied with either Court
house Is generally. and especially IN
It's exterior, and IN the halls and base
mcnt rooms. dingy. repuslye aud IN
attractive for which We can see no
reasonable excuse. IN The basement
where We have held our sessions. the
building needs repairs. particularly a.
% the floor OF the main hallway
which Is In very bad shape. and also
as 20 the water closet at the north
asfkN saN a.. al
ton aud difiuseE vile od0rs through q
large norton of the premises. Thee
things should bee remedied.
The grounds about ihD court house
are 30 limited IN extent that Il ought
not 20 be- dlfilcult 10 keap hem In good
order yet they show sIrna " neglect
which is painful With a inil full OF
prisoners i would seem o be an easy
task To- properly care fur the public
buildings and grounds
We ave informed thai The tower on
the court house which is 80 construct
ga as 10 Dee open 10 winged creatures,
has become The abode o' numbers 0l
owls and bats, with o consequent &c
cumuiatlon Of Nth, which Is dlagroea-
Bile. and perhaps dangerous 10 health.
This place should DE cleaned and puri-
fed and precautions taken 80 as 10
make 10 impossible foT such conei-
lions 10 recur.
As 10 the jail we End it place en-
tirely inadequate for the requirements
OF this county. There are az present.
only about twenty prisoners, which
number we are told. is much less than
usual, there having bCfg al times. a.
many as forty, but even twenty Us
more than can ho properly cared for
IN such limited quarters This should
be remediod AZ the earliest practical
bic moment.
We feel compelled 10 advert 10 the
careiesanoss and negliga uslfe the
mlldeSt terms possible u Justices OF
The peace IN sendlng iu papers reia.
tive 10 persons held o. await the ac-
ton o. sho grand jury IN Que case
presented 20 as. tno alleged ofonse
was committed Ia June, 1904, and i'm.
medlately thereafter me accused per
son gave bond for bis appearance to
await the action Of the grand jury
and yet the papers reached the dis
irlct attorney only a short time be-
fore the present term 81 the court, and
after the death Of mo principal wit,
ness, We are unable t0 fnd au indici.
meat upon lie evidences presented,
but the result might have been dlier.
ont had the papers been sent IN
promptly, before the death above men
toned.
IN another SUIT, eight men Ia May.
last, were By n Justice, put under bond
TO await the action Of the grand jury.