The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-10
P T NJ I N T
Oh The Grand Jury For Alb
beviIle County at Feby.
Term 1909.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
COUNTY OF ABBEVILLE.
Court of General Sessions.

To His Honor Geo. E Prince.
Presiding Judge.
The Grand Jury for Abbeville
County at their first term of Service
for the year 1909 would respectfully
beg to make the following present.
ment;
We have passed upon all bills given
to US by the Solicitor; finding a True
Bill" or INC Bill" in each case as, in
our judgement, the testimony adduced
before US warranted. In this connec
ton we would suggest that if Magis-
trates would exercise more care and
dircretion in the investigation of Cases
brought before them than is the case
in many instances, there, would be q
great saving to the County. We have
reason to suspect that in many cases OF
gambling, violation of the Dispensary
law etc, -. the prosetion is instigated,
either by the desire for revenge tor
some real or imaginary g%iervance or
with the hope of pecuniary gain, and
not from a desire to promote the good
of Society, or in the interest of good
government. In all such cases, unless
the offense charged is of a very serious
nature, and a strong prima facii case
is made out against the accused, the
Magistrate should summarily dismiss
them.
Committees of our number visited
the Poorhouse, or asylum for the
wards of the County, and the public
Jail. In respect of the former insti-
tuition we are pleasedto be able to say
that we found the inmates apparently
we'll cared for and c%ontented and IN
the main, everything in a satisfactory
condition We would recommend
however, that provision be made witt
a view to separating the white and
colored inmates. This recommends
ton, we understand. has been repeat
eddy made by former Grand Juries
but it seems that no attention has
teen paid therelo - we trust that such
shall not be the tate of the present
recommendation.
In thus separating the two races
there will arise the necessity for pro
viding an additional cook stove, as
there is now but one such stove, the
same being used in common by both
classes of inmates, - we accordingly
recommend that the Supervisor pro
cure a suitable cook stove for the use
of the white inmates. 1t is thought
that it might be necessary to sink an
other we'll, after the contemplated
separation goes into effect, but as to
such necessity we are willing to leave
with the Supervisor to determine.
As to the County Jail, we are not
prepared to make so favorable a report.
We find that in view of the large
number of prisoners confined in the
Jail, being ON an average OF from
twelve to twenty all the time, there is
an absolute necessity for better OF
more enlarged sewerage arrangements
and we would recommend that the
same be attended to at once. We also
recommend, as an additional sanitary
mearure, that more frequent asplica
tions of white wash be made to the va
rious cells.
Our attention was called by the keep
er of t he Jail, to the fact that there is
great need for a new cook stove to
prepare the rations of the prisoners, as
the one now in use is about orn out.
We do not know whether such an
article should be provided at public
expense or not, but we understand
that such has been the practice here
tofore.
If it is in accordance with law that
the County should furnish such a
thing, then we recomend that the
County Supervisor do 90.
No complaints having been made to
US as to the condition Of the public
roads, we take it for granted that our
people regard them in as good condi-
ton as might reasonably be expected,
in view of the excessive rains which we
have had in the recent past.
A paper, in the nature of a Memoir
al, was filed with US by the Citizens of
Lowndesville and vicinity, calling our
attention to the fact that there is no
one of the three bridges on Rocky
River in this County, in a condition to
be passed over, and the consequence is
that the citizens, and especially the
farmers who have to cross that river in
order to get their fertilizers and other
plantation supplies, are greatly incon-
venienced on that account, and as the
time for laying in their fertilizers is
now at hand, they begged that at
least n of these bridges across that
stream be completed or repaired, with