The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-03-16
TO RID JAIL
OF PRISONERS
Petty Offenders, Held for Costs,
Should Be Released, Says
Freeholder Burchell.
NEW HEADS FOR AIMS HOUSE


At the March meeting of the board
OF freeholders on Wednesday Free
holder Reuben Fl. Burchell called for
an opinion from Counsel George G..
Runyon regarding the prisoners com
nitted for petty offenses and kept in
jail for noD-payment of costs. Mr..
Burchell cited several instances of
men being boarded at the counby's
expense. One case was that Of Albert
Earls, committed TO Jail on January
23rd, for three days and costs,
amounting to S3.15. for being drunk
and disorderly. Not having paid the
costs Earls is still in. Another man
was committed January 18th. for four
days, and was still in jail, no one hav-
ing paid his costs. Another offelder
had been in quod since February 10th.
1t is thought that these men could be
released If the police justices who com
mitted them should remit the costs,
but, the justices are not likely to do SO
as it not only establishes Dad pre-
cedent but by the collection of the
costs the justices get paid for their
services. Counsel Runyon promised
| to look up the law and see If there is
any way out of this costly luxury for
/ the county.
4 Owing to the continued i'll health of
Mrs. Smith, natron of the aims house.
she has been compelled to resign as
did her husband, who was the steward
Freehoder Prudden, of the almshouse
committee, recommended the appoinp-
ment OF William A. Num-, OF Morris
Plains, as steward, and Mrs. Num- as
matron, and they were elected by the
board.
Wharton borough presented to the
freeholders map of the approach TO
the Main street bridge over the canal at
Wharton asked the board to have con-
/ Structed a more modern and safer
bridge. The matter was referred TO
the Randolph township bridge COM
mittee and Engineer King.
Freeholder Burchell reported forty
one admitted to Jail during February.
forty-two discharged, and thirty-seven
I inmates remaining March 1st. Jail
Physician Griswold made twenty-five
visits to the institution during Febru-
ary and prescribed for eighteen dis
/ oaeae DiiIe for @Seonth af tho on,,rt
house and jail committee aggregated
S745.47.
Freeholder Prudden, of the aims
house committee, stated that twenty
two people had been admitted and If
teen discharged, leaving 1856 inmates
in the aims house. In the children s
home there are now seYenty-seven
children, nine having been received
and one discharged during February
Bills OF the committee aggregated 81
287.41 of which S455.37 was for the
children'S home.
A visit to the state hospital at Nor
ris Plains was reported by Freeholder
Estler, of the lunacy committee
There we're eighty-seven males and
eighty-nine females as wards of the
county in the institution. Bills for
n S113.02 for the Morris Plains hospital
and 1886 for the Trenton Institution
were reported,
Bills for road repairs amounting TO
s96.50 and for snow removal OF "a. SO
were reported by Freeholder Johnson
of the roads committee.
The receipt and opening of bids by
the aims house committee for laundry
machinery at the aims house were re-
ported by Freeholder Prudden. The
Consolidated Laundry Machinery COM
pany bid $l,57l.5O; the American
Laundry Machinery company Sl,525
ard the Troy Laundry Machinery COM
pany 81 ,351. The latter bid was ac-
cepted and the contract was ordered
drawn up by the director and counsel.
(, A bid of s597 made by Herbert x.
Salmon for the erection of concrete
arch bridge at Shippenport was re-
ported by Freeholder Fancher and the
contract was ordered executed with
Mr. Salmon.
Bills for court expenses, Sl,5o3.54 i;
sheritf's office, S574.l7; surrogate's
office, s511.66 county clerks office,
S7ll.69; stationery, SLIPS; coroners
and post mortems, sl94.3O; insurance
and miscellaneous, SLIGO; printing
and elections, S442.75; the CIV. Dean
company for work on the Washington
street bridge at Boonton, sl254, were
ordered paid.