The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-18
GRAND JURY MAKES
ITS FINAL REPORT
CensureS Practices of Justices
of the Peace
FINES AND FORFElTURfS
Jury Does Not Favor the Script sys-
tem-Reoommen4s Death Pen.
atty for Hghwaymen-vir-
enia Mine Disaster.
FINES AND FORFEITURES

1He Sidllu jury Which mas Deen III con-
tinuous session since May %. yesterday
afternoon at o'clock submitted their
final report to Judge Weaver
The report touches on the justice of the
peace question, condemning the alleged
practice of an Avondale justice of the
peace, and of many other justices. The
hne and forfeiture fund is also discussed,
and recommendations made for more
legislation concerning the care of mines
IN the state. The jury also recommends
In its report that the alleged highw.
robbers be given the severe penalty OF
the law. and that an example be made
of their cases The jury disapproves Of
the removal of the coroner's office from
the court house. and recommends that it
be re-established in the court house or
near by, where 1t win be ,asf.
sible.
The report with few minor omissions
follows:
I'VE have docketed 1868 cases, examined
about 1870 witnesses, and returned 226
true bills. and by reason of our inability
to get material witnesses before us in
certain cases, we are forced to ack that
consideration by the September grand
jury.
I'VE have made an examination of the
various officers of the county and their
records, as required by law, and have
made the same as thorough as 1t was
possible for the grand jury to make in
the limited time allowed us for this pur-
pose and in view of the fact that County
Auditor Robert A. Norris has supervision
ave Ia &c afatfr na at flaat
the state examiners of public accounts
also check these officers, we deem 1t
unnecessary to go into an extensive ex-
animation of same We find the books
and records of the various officers neatly
kept, and have no special suggestions to
offer along this line.
Justices of Peace.
MANY of the justices of the peace have
produced their dockets before us for ex-
animation and inspection, as required by
law, and in most cases we find their
books In good shape and properly kept
I'm some cases they seem to have ig-
nored the limit of their beats, and have
allowed parties to bring a great many
suits against defendants not living In
their beat, anG on contracts not made
within their jurisdiction. This is evident
ly done for the purpose of harassing
poor and defenseless defendants and
compelling them to pay unjust and fic-
titious debts. rather than go to the ex-
pense and delay of defending these vex-
atious suits-it is cheaper to pay than
litigate. We find this to be especially true
of the Justice court of w. b. Roebuck Of
Avondale He allows one. C. c. Bates, to
enter a great many of such suits. and in
many instances no docket or record Of
the cases are kept as the law requires.
Justice RoebuclS permits the said Bates to
keep a private docket on which Bates
cases are supposed to be entered and
many of the entries and judgments are
entered by Bates himself Such action
creates disrespect for the law and con-
tempt for its officers
Pay of Witnesses.
1T Is a matter Oh common knowledge
that the fine and forfeiture fund of this
county is badly behind and has been for
many years. The board of revenue seems
to be doing what they can to liquidate
this debt. We believe. that witness who
is compelled by process to attend court
and lose time from his work or business
should be paid the same as others who
render public service. AS 1t is now,
large majority of the script which is Is
sired by the grand jury falls into the
hands OF spectators at a very small
cost TO them, rs parties to whom this Is
issued had rather take a few cents for
Il now than to wait fxe or six years and
he mt to tho trouble nf registering and
collecting their pay. We think some ar
should he made whereby all
narties who are compolled TO attend court
as Witnesses on behalf Of the state should
be paid their per diem and mileage In
money As the system is now. a great
debt Is being accumulated AGAINST the
county. and the narties who perform the
services for the county have rotten nrac-
tieallv nothing, and the script buyers have
got II all.
Mninu Laws.
I'VE have made an extensive examina-
ton into the terrible disaster at the Vir-
ginla mines, which resulted in the I'M
timely death of so many of our worthy
fellow citizens We find from the evil
dence before us that the mine operators
or persons in charge Of said mines we're
lenient In enforcing the rules and regula-
lions agreed upon and adopted by the
miners and the operators, and in many
cases that the miners working IN said
mines were not as careful as they should
have been in the manner of mining the
coal. considering the fact that this was
very dusty NINE and that there was
great probability of a dust explosion
from a windy shot. We found IN some
instances that the miners did not observe
the rules which were adopted Tor the