The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-27
GRAND JURY ENDS
 ITS LONG SESSION Examines 2026 Witnesses and
 OecketS 584 Cases NEGROES ARE COMMENDED Other Members of the Race Urged To Follow the Example of Those Who
 Caught the AsssiIant of
 Mrs. Litterst.
NEGROES ARE COMMENDED D

The grand jury empanneled for the September term, 1907, made it's final re- port to Judge Samuel L. Weaver yester- day afternoon. The body reports that it held continuous session from September ? until September 2S, after which it ad- journed and reassembled on November 4. The work completed by the grand jury was of great volume, and the members received the thanks of the court for their efficient work.
 During the term 2026 witnesses were ex- amined, and 5S4 cases docketed. The jury found IF no bills and returned S56 true bills. On account of the inability to pro- cure the attendance of certain material witnesses they requested that 51 cases be continued for consideration by the next grand jury
 The body calls attention to the fact that large balances of county funds are held in the bank without interest, on daily bal ances, and request that, if within the law, interest be paid on the balances with the bank deposited. It is the sense of the grand jury, however, as contained in the report, that taxes be, reduced so that there will not be such large balances.
 Jail Is overcrowded.
 The grand jury also reports that it ex- amned into. the condition of the county jail in regard to it's sufficiency for the safekeeping of prisoners, and finds that the hospital facilities are inadequate and the plumbing defective. The report states that the jail has accommodations for 14i prisoners, while it is occupied by PA.
 Sheriff Higdon is highly commended for the neatness and cleanliness of the iail, and for the qualify and quantity of food given the prisoners.
 In the report, Columbus Fisher. Will Fisher, John McGhee. and Rosa Will Hams, all negroes, are commended Tor their assistance to theNofficers in the ap- prehension of Frank Howard, colored, who assaulted and robbed Mrs. Irene Lit terst and also for the recovery of the valuables taken from her person. It also calls attention to the fact that if all of the members of the negro race would take like view of their responsibility as citizens it would be great factor in their betterment.
 The body also recommends that addi- tional help be given the county auditor on account of the increased amount of his work.
 The report of the grand jury In full follows:
 Text of the Report.
 Hon. S. L. Weaver, Judge of Criminal
 Court:
 We, the grand jury empanneled and 1,lu hxy tcmber term, 1907, after receiving your clear, expressive and able charge as to our duties. assisted by John Abbott, Frank Smith, assistant solicitors, and G. P. Montgomery, official stenogra pher, beg to submit this our final report:
 We held session from the 2d day of Sep telnber, 1907, continuously until the Sti. day of September. 1907, when we found that we had practically cleared the docket of cases before us for considera- ton, and, in accordance with your honor s suggestions, that the grand jury hold an adjourned session in this term, we ad- journed after first having obtained per mission of the court on the 18th day of September and reassembled on the 4th day of November 1907.
 We found on reassemblng a large num- Der of new cases on the docket for our consideration and it has required three weeks of incessant labor to complete the business before us; and, even then, there are some cases still on the docket which we are unable to dispose of on account of our inability to secure all the wit nesses.
 During the term we have examiner 2026 witnesses docketed 5S4 cases found IF no bills and returned 356 true bills, and, on account of our inability to procure the attendance of certain material witnesses. we ask your honor to continue 51 cases for fdar ion hxyf Ia nc ayt
 Arresting Officers Careless.
 We would respectfully call your honor's attention to the great expense upon the county in many cases sent up from the preliminary courts by the committing of fcers. In a great many cases the ar resting officers, when they come before the grand jury, are unable to tell any facts about the cases for the reason that they have no data from which to refresh their recollection. And in some cases that have come before us the committing officer has even been so careless as to fail to give any state witnesses at all. Recognizing the fact that a great many of the arresting officers in the county make so many arrests, especially the police officers of Birmingham, and the other large municipalities in the county. that it is next to impossible for them to remember every arrest, we would sug- gest that these officers keep a small pocket diary or docket of the arrests they make for the purpose of refreshing their memories on the facts in such cases when they appear before the grand jury. It is quite frequent that the proper names of the witnesses are not given, and some of the Birmingham police officers names are given aS Jones No. 1 or No. a." when it would be much better sto give Jones initials or Christian name where there are several officers by the same name on the police force.
 If the clerk of the inferior court, pre- sided over by Judge Feagln, and the jus tices of the peace throughout the county, as well as the coroner would be more f.ar raf, in rtrp ha