Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-09
JAIL IN POOR CONDITION
Grand Jury Says it is a Menace to
Health of Inmates.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE INDICTED
-Four of These Made Public and
None of Them Are Of Cases Of
Great Public Import

The district court grand jury reported
twelve indietn,ents yesterday afternoon
untl December z. In the absence OF Judge
Green, who returned Friday evening to
Lis home IN Audubon, Judge Wheeler re-
Ceived the report. Only four Of the in
dictments were made public, as the de-
PENDANTS named In the others were not in
custody
Before adjourhins the grand Jury visited
st. Berhard's hospital and the county jail.
st. Bernard's hospital the grand jury said
II found to be in fine condition. but It
had not the same to say about the county
Jail. Its report on the jail was: 1T is in
need of a thorough renovation and we be-
heve that in its present condition 1t can
not help but be hurtfuf to the health Of
the inmates
The report on the jail was ordered by
Judge Wheeler referred to the Board of
County supervisors.
In the case OF j. j. Fisher OF Omaha, ar
rested at the Metropolitan hotel in COM
pany with a woman and against whom
a charge Of ewdness had been filed, the
grand jury declined to find a true bill and
Fishers bond was ordered exonerated.
An indictment was returned against John
Kirkland on the charge Of bigamy. Kirk
land is charged with marrying Helen Lege-
son In this city on August 3 of this year,
the ceremony being performed by Rev. w.
l.. Giersdorf OF the City Union mission,
while he had another wife to whom he was
married June %. 1900, living in Lincoln.
kirkland was arrested in Lincoln and
brought back to this city. His bail was
fixed by the court at 1000.
Thomas w. Weldon was indicted on the
charge of larceny from a building. 1t is
alleged that on September I he stole a
pocketbook containing $50 belonging to Cora
Shelly from the restaurant at 1925 Broad
way. The money was found the next day
hidden behind a picture in Welden's room
by Detective Callaghan.
William Hill and Bud Gentry we're in
dicted Jointly on the charge or burglary,
II being alleged that they entered the resi-
dence of Park Williams, 2526 Avenue c, on
the night of September 10 last and stole a
watch valued at $50. Hill and Gentry, who
are negroes, were arrested In Omaha and
confessed to this burglary and others COM
mitted the same night at the residences of
James Hughes, 2613 Third avenue, and w
c. Hoyt, 264e Avenue B.
Harry Barmelr. state deputy warden,
with headquarters at Dubuque. is respon-
slble for an indictment being returned
against the American Express company on
the charge Of shipping game contrary to
law. Ii is charged that on October % OF
this year the express company received
for transportation at River Sioux. twelve
ducks and twelve snfpe consigned to Metz
ger d Co., OF Council Bluffs to whom they
were delivered.
Fl. j. Chambers. clerk OF the district
court, has prepared his annual statement for
the secretary OF state of the criminal cases in
this county. For the year ending September
30, there were forty convictions, twelve
persons being sentenced to the reformatory
under the indeterminate sentence law and
TO the penitentiary, sixteen given fines
wh!le twelve were sentenced to short terms
in the county Jail. The aggregate senten.
ces In the reformatory and penitentiary
were 100 years, while the aggregate senten-
ces in the county Jail were only thirty.
seven months. The longest sentence was
that given Roy Stevens, charged with at.
tempting to crlmlnally assault a 1l-year-old
girl, who was sent up for fifteen years
August Carlson, convicted of forging a
check, was given an indeterminate sentence
In the c~eformatory of fifteen years. TIL
total amount of fines imposed was 1902
and the court costs in the criminal cases
only amounted to 81, o1.s4. In the Avoca
district three were sent to the penitentiarS
and one to the reformatory. OF these. tive
received ten year sentences, one two year,
and one six months In county fail.