The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-06
CONDEMN FEE SYSTEM
 AND WANT IT ABOLISHED
Find Evidence That Shugart Stated He Received Money for Swearing Out Warrants, But Could Obtain
 No Further Proof.

A synopsis of the report on the various subjects is given:
 County jail reported well kept and pris- oners well fed.
 Favorable report on the almshouse and Hllman hospital.
 Justices of the peace condemned for loose methods, the7 laxity of the justices being attributed to two causes. some are utterly ignorant of the law and many others totally disregard it."
 Fee system condemned and Jefferson county representatives in the legislature urged to take proper steps to abolish the system and place county officers on sal aries.
 Favorable report on effects of prohibi- ton.
 Recommendation made that the char ters of the Country and Southern clubs, as far as they pertain to the handling of liquor, be revoked because they stand in the way of the enforcement of the law.
 Recommendation that legislature en- tirely abolish the locker system used in social clubs''
 Automobile speeding condemned, and steps urged to stop violations of the speed law.
 Reported that sufficient evidence was found to support the assertion made by Solicitor Heflin that Curtis Shugart said he received s250 from Sheriff Higdon for swearing out the warrants for the women in the segregated district but there was no evidence to prove that the sheriff dld give Shugart the money
 Methods of the sheriff exercised during strike dealt with.
 The report of the body of inquisitors was received with the customary thanks of the court and the January grand jury, composed of the following members, was discharged: H. A. Hagler, foreman; II. c. Waller, B. B. Waldrop, K. A. Con- vile, J. H. Schley, F. I. Tarrant, D. w. Fowler, G. w. Fox, J. D. Cowan, E. D. Ratcliff, Bains Roberts, E. c. Smith, Jr., R. M. Vines, Samuel D. Monroe, Christian Rainbow, E. A. Brown, w. F. Deshazo and G. W. Williams
 The report of the grand jury follows in full:
 To the Honorable Judges of the Criminal
 Court of Jefferson County, Alabama:
 We, the grand jury empanneled on Jan uary 1, 1909, beg to make this our final report:
 We were in session, in all, 2S days; have docketed 34S cases. examined BIO witnesses returned 152 true bills and found 176 no bills, and by reason of our inability to get material witnesses before us are com pelled to continue 19 cases
 We have examined the books of the probate judge, sheriff, treasurer and su- perintendent of education as best we could in the limited time allowed us, and find them correct and neatly kept.
 e County Jail.
 We find the county jail in as good condition as could be expected under the circumstances. The sewerage system is not what it should be, and we reeom- mend that the toilets and sinks in each cell be made self-acting, so that the jail may at all times be in a thoroughly san itary condition. We think that the col ored wards could be greatly improved by thorough cleansing and painting From what we were able to see the prisoners were well cared for and sufficiently fed. We believe that a hospital ward could be prepared in the county jail for few hundred dollars that would aid material ly In the treatment of sick and wounded prisoners. We recommend that the fol- lowing improvements be made at once: The wardens office should be enlarged and made more comfortable and a room should be prepared where attorneys could see their clients without Interruption.
 Alnshouse.
 We find that the aims house is we'll kept and the inmates are well cared for. We were impressed with the neatness of this institution and the care and consid- eration shown the inmates thereof. We have no recommendations to make as to this institution.
 HilIman Hospital,
 We visited this splendid institution and were delighted with the manner in which 1t is being run.
 Justices of the Peace.
 We regret to say that many complaints are made of justices of the peace of the There are two reasons for this Some are utterly ignorant of the law. and many other totally disregard 1t. Our has been called to the fact that justices of the peace go out of their own precincts and issue warrants for the ar rest of individuals in other precincts This is contrary to law and should not be done, except where a justice is dsqual- flied and invites another to come in There have been many blank warrants issued by some of the justices, which is an imposition on the people Section 1859 provides for the issuance of blank war rants but it Is where an individual is in room or booth. We ad- wise all of the justices to examine care fully section 75S5 and the footnote which relates to the issuing of warrants in cases of felony. We believe that 1t is to the interest of the state that the legislature pass a law requiring the qualification of justices of the peace.
 It has also come to our attention that upon the empannelng of the grand jury, Justices of the peace refuse to investi- gate into the merits of a case as long as the grand jury Is in session, and 1t is their duty to investigate cases, and if a case has merit to it, then bind the defendant over in cases of misdemeanors direct to the criminal court, and in fel- onies to the grand jury It Is their duty to investigate cases while the grand jury Is in session the same as at any other time, and we recommend that this prac- tice be adopted.
 The Fee System.
 We most earnestly request our rep in the legislature to take the proper steps to abolish the fee sys- tenn, and put all our county officers on salary. By so doing the law will be better enforced and with less frac- ton or criticism.
 Docketing Cases.
 We respectfully suggest that no case be placed on the grand jury docket until the same has been investi9ated