The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-28
GRAND JURY PRESENTMENT,
GAGE ADVISES SITPERVIS.
OR TO MAKE CHANGES IN
JAIL,
Grand Jury Calls Attention to Needed
Changes I'm Jail-Lcgislativc Dele
cation Requested to Act I'm Regis
tratiOn Matter.

The grand jury made its present
mcnt for the summer term of court
Wednesday afternoon, number Of
important matters to the county be-
ing mentioned in the prescntment and
the needed changes called for. The
matter of most interest is that con-
corning the county jaid, which has on
several previous occasions been the
subject of comment by the grand jury.
tor of the court was that of the al
legged irregulariy in the issuing of reg
istratiOn certificates, q remedy being
called for in this important matter.
When the presentmcnt was read
Judge Gage made some plain state
ments which should result in good to
the county. In reference to the coun-
ty Jail he stated that the needed
changes should be made at once and
he issued an order requiring the su-
pcrvisJr to show cause at the next
term of court why the recommended
and badly needed changes had not
been made. He urged the supervisor
to have the necessary alterations and
repairs in the Jail building made at
once and he advised that "a new Jail
be built. Mr.. Pitts, who was pres
cnt, asked if the county board i'd the
authority 10 sell the presen, Jail.
Judge Gage stated that he did not
think that the board had this author
ity. but that it was imperative tha
changes be made now and he advis-
cd that the county board advise with
the legislative delegation concerning
tho selling of the present building
and the erection of new one.
The prcsentment and Judge Cages
order are as follows:
To the Hon. Geo. W. Gage, Presiding
Judge:
We, your grand jury, beg leave to
submit, this, our final presentment for
General Sessions for Sumter County:
We have passed upon all bills of
indictment handed us by the Solici:
tor. endorsing our findings on same.
This being very busy season of
the year with the members of the
grand jury, who are farmers. we have
concluded to appoint a committee of
our body to examine the various
county Offices during the recess OF
body at the fall session of court.
We therefore appoint the follow
ing committee to examine county Of
fees: w. ]. Whitehead, j. s, Cain,
and G.. G.. Tweed. Committee to visi.
the chaingang. w. S. Boykin, S. f.
Moore, G.. III. Burrows.
Your grand jury has taken note of
the fact that during the argument on
the postponementS of the trial of a
criminal case. at this tern, of the
court. it was cOntended that the reg
istration board for Sumter county was
illegally constituted, or that there was
some serious irregularity in the for
nation Of said board, thereby render
ing the registration certificates Of the
voters Of Sumter county illegal. Your
grand jury is not versed in the law on
the subject, but in order that there
may be no question as to the legality
of the registration certificates of the
Sumter county electors, we recon-
mend and earnestly request the leg
islat!ve delegation for Sumter county
take this matter up at once, and if
there be irregularities, have them
corrected. We deem this of such inn
portancc that if necessary, a rc-reg-
istratiOn be had of all the electors in
our county.
A committee of the sumter Bar
Association has appeared before our
body and called our attention to the
insecure condition of some of the rec
ora DOORS III the tltEh OlIlCt, III tlltl
they are SO old that the binding will
not hold, the books referred to have
great many loose leaves in same,
and to avoid the danger of some of
these leaves getting lost or misplaced,
ask us to recommend that the coun-
ty board with the assistance of a
committee from the Bar Association,
have these records rccopicd or re-
bound when necessary. Our attcn-
tion was also called to the condition
of an Index in the Judge of Probate g
office, which should be rc-Copicd. In
view of these facts, and in order to
secure our public records. We recon-
mend that the books referred to III
the Offices of Clerk of Court and