Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-11-30
Report of the Grand Jury.
To the Honorable the judges of the Circuit
Court for Montgomery county:

To the Honorable the Judges of the Circul
Court for Montgomery county:
The Grand Jury for the November Tern
of Court, 1906, respectfully begs leave Il
report as follows:
We have examined 345 witnesses ant
found 116 indictments.
A committee of our body visited the Aims
House on November 23rd and found 90 In
mates-9 white males, white females, IL
whites; colored males, 8 colored females
z colored. We find great need OF hen
house, that the basement floor needs to be
renewed, the porch needs repairs, and the
house repainting. We also recommend
ten.foot concrete pavement between
back of house and the new garden fence,
which is needed In place OF the old one.
The place Is clean and In most excellent
shape, and worthy of most favorable COM
ment. There were found on the farm 20
cords of wood, 25 tons of coal, 1870 barrels OF
corn, barrels of fish, lot OF cabbage, patch
of kale, 80 bushels OF turnips, 20 killing hogs,
15 shoats, SOW, boar, excellent work
horses, 5 cows, l bull, 4 head OF young stock.
A committee appointed to look into the
injury to the walls of the Register OF Wills
Office finds that the flashing between the ga
BILE wall and the slate roofing is insufficient.
They think the tin rotten, several pieces OF
broken slate are found. They also find that
the lightning rod is rusted out.
In visiting the Jail the Grand Jury found
the hall walls recently whitewashed and
clean. The prisoners appeared generally
cheerful-probably at the sight of many new
faces-no complaints of Ill treatment were
made.
Inspecting closely the jury finds fault with
the quality of food, as prepared, especially
the sour, dark, soggy and iudigestible look
ing corn bread seen there, and which we
learn forms the greater part OF the prison fare.
We see loose management and slovenly
housekeeping In throwing from a down
stairs window into the Jail yard what the
taller called "only water" but which APP
peared to be dish water and the water from
soaked fish, as the window sill and wall d.
rectly under 1t are stained and discolored ,evi
IDENTIFY from this long established misuse and
also the finding OF wet ground Uttered with
fish scales and, at least, one rotting fish, this
being In the prison yard, directly under the
cell windows; odors cannot fail to rise and,
If possible, increase the stencil and the dan
ger of q pestilential outbreak, which con
tinually threatens from the constant presence
of the Jail slop cart--an uncovered metallic
receptacle-of probably to 9 barrels ca.
pacity, for receiving the night soil and filth
of the establishment, which is unutterably
nauseous, horrible and disgusting. The
constant and serious danger 1t presents OF
an epidemic of fever and disease extends
beyond the Jail to the grounds and houses
around This cart, we learn, Is removed
and emptied bimonthly, and sometimes
oitener depending on tho number OF prls-
oners, but not until we'll filled. IT. as is said
the civilization and refinement of a comma
nifty are measured by the toilet facilities, un
friendly critics might well call our people
The health authorities or the
County Commissioners should certainly de
wise some different means and provide de-
cent accommodation. The county, or pos
sbly the county aud village OF Rockville
Jointly, might we'll go TO considerable ex
pense to remedy this menacng evil which
smells aloud.
We found ia the prison yard pole
which, we learned, aided one prisoner to
escape, and we insist that everything un-
necessary be removed. In one corner was
heap of ashes, in another a pile OF many
tons of hard coal, maybe six or eight feet
high, which might aid in wall scaling, but
occupies considerable OF the limit
ed area of the prison yard. We suggest
heavier and closer meshed cross bars for the
cell windows over the prison yard, like
those on opposite side OF Jail; also, metal
awning OF eulclu, impOSSloiO VI grasp w
overhang the windows, making escape more
difficult. We further add that the jail roof
needs a general overhauling, and In AT least
two spots renewal. We find inside the
most meager arrangements for feeding the
prisoners, aud the food we saw, as prepared,
wac unfit Tor any one. The bedding was
filthy aud entirely inadequate. Because of
insufficient bedding, apparently, the prison
ers were crowded four and i've together in
very small cells, which we consider most
unsanitary and liable to produce tubercu-
losis, dlphtheria and other diseases. We
consider it most debasing to the prisoners
to be treated in this way.
The impression the jailer made on the
Grand Jury was that he was totally unfit
for his place.
Having performed all duties brought TO
our attention we respectfully ask to be dis
charged.
FRANCIS q. HUTTON,
Foreman.