The Parker post., 1914-06-13
REPORT OF
GRAND JURY
OF KILLING OF iNDIAN-COUN-
TY TREASURER is CRITICISED.

port at late nOur SATURDAY a1Cer-
noon and was discharged. The re-
port is as follows:
To the Honorable Frank Baxter,
Judge of the Superior Court, Yuma
county, state of Arizona.
Sir:
We, the Grand Jury, duly empanel-
ed and sworn, hereby submit our
final report.
We have investigated all matters
brought before us and have acted
upon six cases-finding two indict-
ments,and ignoring the charges-all
OF which cases have been reported
to you. In the progress of our investi-
cation We have examined thirty eight
witnesses. All of the cases reported
upon, excepting the two suggested in
the charge of the court, have arisen
since the convening of the Grand Jury
1t is the opinion of this Grand Jury
that these cases, as well as the two
cases suggested in the charge of the
Court, might have been more econom-
ically disposed of in the ordinary
manner-by information.
We have examined carefully into
conditions in the county Jail. We
recommend that the cement floor in
the large cell down stairs should be
repaired and put in a more sanitary
condition. In regard to the food fur
nished the prisoners we find that it
is as good as could be provided for
the contract price.
Observing your Honor's charge, we
have examined very thoroughly into
the killing of James Asquinas aYuma
Indian on the night of May 1, 1914,
and also in the alleged assault with
a deadly weapon, by one John Rhodes
policeman of FIT. Yuma, California,
upon Tom Brown, Yuma Indian ,in
this county on the 9th day of May,
1914. We find no true bill in both
cases and also find that there has
been no laxness in the performance
of official duty in the previous dis
posal of the cases.
We have examined into the condi-
tions at the county poor farm and
found them in all respects good and
none of the inmates had any com
plafnt to make
We investigated into the safety of
public buildings in Yuma and find
tina the protection against fire in
the following public buildings was in
adequate, particularly in that in some
OF these buildings the doors open in
ward Grammar School, Main Street
School, Masonic Hall, Eagles Hall,
Higuerra Hall, Southern Pacific Hotel
and the Elks' Hall We suggest that
the proper authorities should imme-
diately take steps to make these
buildings safe.
AS to the Yuma Grammar School,
we find that the sanitary conditions
here should be attended to and that
the doors in the building should be
opened outward instead of inward,
and the pits beneath the windows
should be properly guarded with iron
CRATES. Should there be a panic
among the children in the building.
the doors, particularly the hall doors,
which open inward, and the pits I'M
derneath the school room windows,
might be death trap.
1t is recommended that CITY council
enact an ordinance pro-
viding for proper exits or fire escapes
on all public buildings.
On investigation of the public Of
offices, we find the affairs of the sew
eral offices TO be conducted in a very
proper and efficient manner, except
in the following instance: In the
treasurer's office we find that a law
has been in existence since October
|, DISTRIBUTING depositares of coun-
ty monies to pay 2 per cent interest
on active deposits, and that this law
has not been complied with by the
First National Bank, and we suggest
that the treasurer of Yuma county be
instructed to collect the deficiency in
this instance. 1t is the opinion of
this Grand Jury that the County
treasurer has been negligent in the
enforcement of this law, and that the
OFFICE OF the Board of Supervisors
should have assisted the treasurer in
complying with the law.
We find that the vault in the office
1t the County Recorder is entirely too
small to accommodate the number of
new books and papers added to this