Arizona republican., 1909-04-25
GRAND JURYS
 FINAL REPORT The Charges of Legislative Bribery Without Foundation THE COUNTY POOR FARM
Strong Recommendations for an Improvement of Condi. tions In Many Directions. Revocation of Licenses of Two Saloons Urged.

The grand jury yesterday after a was discharged by Judge Kent with his commendation. The final report he described as interesting and he urged the supervisors to act upon its recommendations with reference to the poor farm.
 The thorough investigation of the alleged legislative bribery, the court observed, had brought out the grati- flying fact that the allegations of bribery were without ground and he took occasion to say that in recent years no such scandal had attached to the legislatures of this territory.
 Thirty-seven indictments were re- turned, indictments having been found against thirty persons. Charges were ignored in the cases of thirteen per- sons. In relation to the bribery in- vestigation the report says:
 Information was laid before this grand jury by a couple of citizens of the city of Phoenix that money had been used during the last ses- sion of the legislature for the purpose of influencing the votes of legisla- tors on various bills, coming up be- fore said legislature, and especially upon the so-called Pace and segre gation bills. This grand jury deem- ing that such matter was of suf- ficient public interest to investigate into the truth of any such carges, caused to be summoned all of the
 T |. Vfss zens who could throw any light or in- formation upon the matter brought before the grand jury. This grand jury then proceeded to interrogate and question each one and all of the witnesses suggested by the aforesaid citizens under oath.
 After concluding the examination of said witnesses we find that from the evidence before us that there is not single scintilla of evidence tending to show that any member of the leg islature was offered money to vote for any bill before said legislature, either the Pace bill, segregation bill, or any other bill;
 And we further find from the evi- dence submitted to us that no wit ness subpoenaed before us was in the slightest way connected with any attempt or suggestion to offer money to any legislator to influence his vote upon the Pace bill, segregation bill or any other bill.
 In the course of our examination we summoned several members of the legislature who were suggested by said citizens, and we do not find from their evidence that during the session of the twenty-fifth legislative assembly that any one of said legis- lators was offered any money for his vote for or against the Pace or se- gregation bills or any other bill, or approached with any offer of money for or against the Pace bill, the se- gregation bill, or any other bill, and we, therefore, report that as far as any evidence submitted to us is con- cerned. and we examined all the wit nesses that were requested to be called by the parties who suggested the corruption, that during the last session of the twenty-fifth legisla- tive assembly there was no member of that legislature offered any money to support or vote against any meas ure before that legislative body.
 The poor farm was the only one of the county institutions that the grand jury examined and it's findings and in relation to it are as follows:
 'We desire further to report that upon the 23rd day of April, 1909, this grand jury in the performance of it's duty. went to the poor farm of the county of Maricopa, territory of Ari- zona, and investigated the conditions relative to the management of said poor farm. We found that matters in regard to sanitation were in a de- plorable condition; that the greater portion of the bedding was in bad shape, and not fit for a human be- ing to sleep upon. We further found that it had been the custom in the past, where an inmate of the insti- tuition had died, upon a bed, that the bed was simply taken out and hung upon the fence to dry and then immediately brought in and another patient placed upon it without any further fumigation.
 We found except in the depart ment controlled by the associated charities. that there is no fumigation of bedding or rooms.
 We recommend that all the rooms and bedding at the county poor farm shall be properly fumigated and that better bedding-be provided for the inmates. We further recommend to the board of supervisors that a bath room be built at the poor farm for the use of the patients.
 A. complain that they do not receive