Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-28

That the orders OF the commissioner
bad been entirely ignored was anp7rant
Photographs of the negro SnrstlinE.
taken at the time and showing his hor-
rible condition. were nresented 10 the
court, alorg with this Grand Jury last
recommendation on the specific subject
Of the coUnty's prison System, and these
are open TO the pnbiic's inspection.
Our recommendations 1T the time
were brief. only two. We desire the
public To remember them. therefore we
repeat them
FIRST: That Mr. Thomas T. Don
aldson and his influence he eliminated
from control of the county's prison sys-
ten,
"SECOND: That there he a division
of the two offices of superintendent of
public works and warden and that two
new officials be appointed TO these two
positions
The Investigation OF the county nrisor
system was careful and exhaustive and
the time devoted to 1t by the members
will brinr results impers tiveV needed.
If the public will make the den1and "t
treir eiactod representatives thai tho
whole inefficient system he rNform@d
through tho faithful carving ou' of the
reco-nr' enda tiors ahove rADeeted
III The atta-t tion of this Grand Jury
has been called to recent banging
which took place under the present laws
Of the Stete and by its pronarlv con-
was NOT hrol-en I'm the fall, but death
came through Stra s1Ilation, reqrtrirs 2
a pe-iod of about fortv minutes. S'oi-
lar inatarces are Of public krowled ge
" is the belief of this Grand .Turv that
the nresent law recurring the forfeiture
Of th. I'Fe OF the sentenced nerson hN
the old time method of "haroine hv the
neck until dead is not justified nv the
more humane demands of the present
dav. In line with other States. which
have substituted for the former law ~e-
curing hanging. the method OF admin
isterinC death through electrocution.
which reports have justified as a move
humane method of taking life hv law.
we believe that our representatives
should 500 that the more humane meth
cd should he instituted In Georgia.
II is therefore our recommendation
that this countv's representatives pre-
sent A bill for IA ssage in the next Leg
islatnre changing the present law on the
subject
" In line with the recommends tious
OF previous Grand .Turies. we recom-
mend 10 the Connty's fr1cof74inE Rerre-
sentstivee t'st theY amend the law that
County officials may he placed on g So =
arY basis. instead of receiving fees. as
is -oU done.
V. We recommend occasional inde
pendent audits bv a certified public ac-
countant Of the books and accounts of
county officials. this accountant tn have
NO connection with any public office or
official
on Grand Jurors is now very burden
some. and is becoming moro So
Apprcxinatelv ninetenths of the
business done by the Grand jury grows
out Of cases committed by magistrates.
in which cases. of course. defendants
have ALREADY heen given preliminary
hea-ing We do not believe that ord'-
rariv 1t serves any good purpose for
the Grand Turv then merely to have an
ex parte hearing.
In the first place. it is unnecessarily
extensive to TIE county.
In the second place. it is burden some
.Turv to attend and hear ex parte evil
dence with reference to the commission
of crimes when q magistrate has al
ready giver both sides full hearing
In the third place. II is urnecesss rilv
hprdensonne on witnesses. who re first
summoned to the office Of tho Solicitor
General for the purpose Of giving data
from which 70 draw the bills. and sec
ond. 70 attend before the Grand Jury
for the purpose % giving evidence
seaipst the accused. after tNev have
already attended and given evidence he-
fore the r1itting magistrate in the
same ease CThey must still appear he
fore the trial court to testify in the
case in the event the accused is in
dicted.N
In the fourth place, the increasing
business before the Grand Jury will con-
stsrtlv require an increased force Of
bailiHs TO secure witnesses. attend the
SESSIONS Of the Grand Iury and render
needful services, entailing increasing
In view Of the fore going premises we
believe that stnps should be taken nv
orr representatives in tho LeEisla ture to
save the county and individuals the un-
necessary expense suggested above. and
70 the Graz Jurors and Witnesses tho
unnecessary burden in loss Of time and
Inconvenience occa stoned by repeated
hearings IN the same case.
After deliberation we recommend to
the considerst ton of the representatives
this plan: namely. that the Solicitor
General be empowered to summons and
examine Witnesses in all cases where the
defendants have been previously commit
ted. for the purpose of obtaining data
upon which to prosecute and that nros-
ecutions be had upon accusations where
the defendants haye been previously
committed after lawful hearing - now
provided. provided. however. that the
defendants may have the right at the
tire Of the trial or the entering of the
judgment Of the lower court committing
said defendant, to then and there do
mand in writing an Investigation by the
Grand Jury which said written demand
shall be transmitted by the magistrate
in the usual course prescribed in ref
erence to the transmitting of papers
relative to the trial.
It is not contemplated by the fore
going suggestions that there shall be
any change with reference to the law
of special presentm ents.
Respectfully submitted.
Alfred c Newell. foreman; w. D. Brady,
Charles S. Robson. sW. l.. Trayn-
ham. Isaac Schoen, x. X. Kelley. J.
Frank Beck. w. A. Hancock. II. S.
Colingsworth. George A. Traylor.
w. B. Symmers, Fred W. Cole,
Henry p. Scales. J. T. Jones, c. F.
Barnwell. w. w. Morgan. J. J.
Barnes. NJ. l.. Thrower, d. n. Nc
Cullough. w. T. Perkerson, George
Ware, Brooks Morgan.
Carrying out the recommenda tion OF
the Grand Jury. it is ordered that the
foregoing general presentment be pub
lished in The Constitution, The Journal
and Georgian and Fulton County Daily
Report
BENZ. Fl. HILL. Judge.
February o. 1914
STATE OF GEORGIA-County OF Full
ton.
I. Arnold Broylcs. Clerk OF the Supe-
rior Court Of Fulton County. Georgia.
do hereby certify that the within and
foregoing is a. true and correct copy or
the general presentments of the Grand
Jury for the January term. 1914, and
order Of court.
Witness my hand and the seal Of court
this the eth day of February. 1919.
ARNOLD BROYLES.
Clerk Superior Court. Fulton County