The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-12-17
PRESEN 7 MEM
Of THE GRAND
JURY

JUnl
CONTINUED from First Page)
ease. We do not know who was cor
I rect or who incorrect and shall not
/ attempt to determine this fact
Per Diem Of Commissioners.
] We examined the report Of the state
auditor filed in the clerks Office some
months since and from a reading of
4 same we see that he reports that-sOme
/ Of the county commissioners had
prior 70 his examination drawn money
/ in excess Of that allowed By law. We
I are informed that the auditor held that
a county commissioner was only en-
! titled 10 draw mileage for his actual
and necessary trips in attending to
his duties as COUNTY commissioner,
f and the per diem allowed him By law,
and that no commissioner should draw
more than allowed him by law. and
+ that no commissioner should draw
more than one hundred dollars for
I per diem in any one year. The state
attorney who has been with us during
our investigations is entirely In &C
/ cord with the auditor on this point
We also had the county attorney be
I fore US and there is some difference
I Of opinion as to the duties of county
/ commissioners, and TO their compensa-
/ ton. We have determined under the
circumstances to recommend that the
/ county commissioners draw nothing
I except their mileage and per diem as
allowed by law, not to exceed one
hundred dollars in any one year, un-
less the attorney general should give
an opinion to the contrary
Cruelty to ConViets.
Incident 20 our inquiry into certain
matters it came to our knowledge that
cOnvicts in the charge Of Warn Bros,
who are sublessees, have been sub
/ jected to unusual cruelty and inhu-
man treatment, and that in one case
+ at least and perhaps more, death re-
suited from such inhuman and cruel
/ treatment. We strongly urge that
/ the proper state or county officials in
I Vestigate these matters and see that
7 the unfOrtunates who are confined in
prison camps whether white or black.
be not abused or inhumanly treated
! In the case Of death referred to we
found that a pretended inquest was
/ held and verdict of justification re-
turned, but further inquiry and invss-
tigatiOn developed the remarkable
1 fact that the inquest was presided
over by ]. d. Trammsn, Jr that said
Trammell was not a justice of the
/ peace and had no authority to hold in
I quest; thar his only official capacity
/ was notary public We further
found that the said Trammell was a
practicing physician, and that he was
F frequently if not regularly I'm the en-
/ plOy Of the said Warn Bros: we fur
Their found that the pretended jury Of
inquest was composed of six persons.
\ four Of whom we're in the employ of
/ the said Warn Bros; we further failed
+ to find any report Of said pretended
inquest on file in the Office Of the clerk
of the circuit court.
With reference to the eOnvicts work
I ing on the public roads under Captain
T Davis, We find no cause for complaint.
and i'm fact some of the convictg in his
+ charge were before us and we are as
sured that they are we'll cared for and
/ humanely treated.
Court House Annex.
The annex to the court house is in
bad condition and has been so report
ed so often by proceeding grand juries
+ that it seems almost folly for us to
1 make report or recommendation. We
viii say that when we were organiz-
/ ed and ready for business that the
weather was quite cool, that we had
no room wherein to meet where we
could have a fire and that the wit
nesses in attendance to go before our
I body were in even a worse plight as
their only place Of refuge was in the
open hall We did finally succeed in
getting a small stove in one room for
/ our necessary comfort and a like one
In another room for the witnesses.
and after so doing were in a position
/ TO enter upon our labors. We earn
estly urge that the commissioners at
their next meeting go in a body to the
annex and make a careful investiga-
ton Of same and act in accordance
with their judgment and cause the
/ necessary repairs to be made. The
/ second floor of the annex seems TO
4 nave been abandoned to the sDarrows
and we found it in very bad shape.
/ straw scattered over the floor and
( otherwise IN bad condition by reason
/ Of the occupancy Of the sparrows. We
/ suggest that a wire netting be placed
on the inside of the cupOla and so fix
ed that the birds viii be kept out.
County Treasurer.
We have examined the books Of the
county officers ana report as follows
+ thereon.
Treasurer; His books are nesflv
and apparently correctly kept and cor
respond with the books of other conn
4 ty officers with reference TO receipts
and disbursements. When the pres-
+ ent treasurer went into Office there
was a deficit in the fine and forfeiture
fund; there is still a deficit but same
Z has been materially reduced. We also
{ find that when the present treasurer
went into Office that warrants on the
+ fine and forfeiture fund were at a dis
count, and we hni that now under an
arrangement made by the treasurer
I that these warrants are paid dollar for
dollar when presented and this with