The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-02-24
Full Report Of Grand Jury.
To Hon. J. NJ Benton,
Judge Madison County Cours

investigate Inc aHdlrS OF d MADISON county,
beg leave TO report that we have inquir-
ed diligently into all cases reported TO
us and find that the majority of lawless-
ness in this county is traceable to the
use OF inioxicants and the unlawful
practice of pistol toting.
We believe that there is more or less
whisky and beer sold in nearly every
neiehborhood in this county. but in the
city of Richmond, under the shadow OF
her churches and courthouse, we find
the most fragrant violations of the local
option law. We have had many Wit
nesses before us, and exhausted our tai
ent Of Interrogation, but the intoxicants
or some other cause seem to have dim
med their eyesight and affected their
memory until they fail to recognize faces
or to remember names or dates. We
believe that in many cases purchasers of
boot leg whisky could, if they would,
give the information sought. The books
of the Adams Express Co. and L. & N.
Railroad Co. show an astonishing amount
of whisky shipped into our county, and
we believe in many instances fictitious
names are used to deceive the public
and thereby conceal the identity of the
owner. We believe that the only way
to lessen these shipments and to bring
the guilty ones to justice is to stimulate
more concerted action among friends
of temperance and to elect officers in
sympathy with local option:
| 1iaif
sale of whisky comes the pistol toter,
with his attributes shooting
on the highway, disturbing the peace,
terrorizing women, disturbing public
worship, etc We believe that these
causes can be greatly reduced if the
good people in every community would
assist in furnishing evidence and our
juries and officers would inflict the PEN
alties now on our statute books wi.hout
fear or favor.
In nearly every case of homicide that
has come to us we believe that the kill
ing might have been averted but for the
ever-ready. deadly pistol.
A committee of three was appointed
to examine the license book for horse
and jack licenses and they reported no
Irregularities.
We visited the county jail and found
it in bad condition. The plumbing is
out of fix and unsanitary. More closets
are needed and bedding should be chang
ed occasionally, and more liberal use
of soap, water and disinfectants would
add 10 the comfort of inmates and to the
good name of Old Madison county.
There was some complaint among the
prisoners about their fare, but we be-
Ilieve that they are now we'll fed and
well treated.
Mr.. Taylor tells US that the discipline
for the most part is good. He explains
the trouble he has in keeping the Jail free
of vermin so long as fresh recruits come
in so frequently from RAT Row. ;
There are in Jail at present 81 white:
and IL colored-29 males and two fe
males, which taxes the capacity of ou'
jail, and this grand jury has emphazec
the Importance of rigid sanitary efforts
on the part of Mr.. Taylor while it is il
such a crowded condition.
Our public highways in the count,
are in deplorable condition, caused b.
the unusually bad weather and the hea
Wy hauling over them while they ar
v soft, and we urge the fiscal court Il
spend every available dollar on then
during the coming season, that Madison
county may be abreast of her sister coun
G ties in the matter of good roads.
The citizens of Richmond called GU
!. attention to the poor condition of som
= of the streets and sidewalks in the cit
of Richmond, namely East Main street
leading TO the l.. & n. r. r depot, an
Third street, leading TO the Tobacco
warehouses. We had a majority of tn
City Council before us and they assured
US that work would begin on thes
thoroughfares as soon as the weathe
would permit, and that they would b
put in thorough condition.
committee was sent to examine tn
county poor-house, near Union, and the
reported the institution disgrace to
civilized community. 1t is unsanitar
in the superlative degree, with CRATE
and hearths broken and out of repair
wall paper loose and hanging, which ful
nishes abundant hiding places for sh
= bedbugs, which infest the place in nun
. bers like the stars in the heavens or tn
sands of the of the seashore. There ar
perhaps eighteen or twenty people dom
|. iciled there and are as coutented as tn
foregoing conditions will admit. Thes
people are unfortunates and not Grim
inals and their condition shouldbe mad
better. Mrs. Soper is perhaps doing he
best. but the task is too much for an
one woman to undertake. And we rec
ommend that the fiscal court take tn
matter IN hand and put the institutio
in a sanitary condition.
We further suggest to our citizens WI
are charitably inclined and who spen
much time and worry over the Belgia
situation in the East, that they will fin
a fruitful field near Union for the exc
else of the greatest of christian vi
tues.
We naturally leave some unfnishe
business; some witnesses we have bee
unable to get before us. We sugges
therefore, that our foreman. or SON
member of this grand jury, be recogni
ed to appear before the next one tn
these matters may be taken up and pro-
erly disposed of and that attachmen
be issued for witnesses who have bee
summoned and failed to appear.
Respectfully submitted.