Evening journal., 1918-11-19
Object TO
JURY SUGGESTIONS

Police officials are taking exceptions
TO that part OF the annual report OF the
grand jury for New Castle county sub
mitted to the Court OF General Sessions
/ yesterday afternoon, recommending
that prisoners under detention at the
city hall be visited frequently by on
GERS in charge Of them 90 determine
! their condition. The exact wording OF
the recommendation follows:
I'VE would recommend 10 the police
commissioners that they require the
turnkey or officer In charge OF pris-
oners at the city hall TO make visits at
short intervals 10 such persons TO de-
termine their condition while In the
custody Of the officers"
Former Lieutenant Governor John VI.
Mendinhall, who was chairman Of the
grand jury said today in reference TO
the recommendation that the only idea
the jury had in mind was 10 help con-
.dltiOns and that no special criticism OF
the police department was intended.
lie said, 1T often happens that man
is brought to the police station sup
pOsedly intoxicated when as a matter
Of fact be is sick. In other cases a man
might have an overdose Of some drug
which the police might believe TO be
a case Of alcoholism" Mr.. Mendinhall
added he had Nbeen informed that one
or two men In the past have been
found dead In their cells when their
conditions were possibly such as he de-
scribed.
Former Senator Thomas NJ. Mona
CHAN, a member OF the grand jury
when seen this morning by a represen-
tative OF The Evening Journal, said he
could not understand why so much
fuss is being made over the recommen-
dations. After all, he said, they were
only recommendations and II such con-
ditions as suggested do not exist, then
the recommendations can, Of course,
be ignored.
Senator Monaghan said the only idea
the jury had In mind was TO better
conditions. lie said he could recall,
some time ago, probably in the old sta
tlon, Of several men dying in their
cells, and that criticism followed.
Mr.. Monaghan declared that the jury
did not make the recommendation with
the idea OF criticizing/the police de-
partment, and as a matter OF fact, in its
report both the police and detective de-
partments are commended, but only Of
fered a recommendation 10 better con-
dltiOns In case prisoners are not being
visited often enough in their cells.
10 is pointed out by many persons
that the grand jury is entirely within
its rights In making such a recon-
mendatiOn, II in the opinion OF the Jury
conditions could be bettered After all,
the jury only suggested that the officer
in charge OF prisoners visit them at
short intervals.
Chief Black today said that but two
mex had died in the police station
within the past three years. One. he
said, was John Sinclair, who committed
suicide after being arrested on a charge
Of pointing a pistol at On officer. Con-
tinuing he said, Daniel Aiken was
turnkey at the time and talked to Sin
clair not 10 minutes before he was
found dead, he having hanged himself
with his necktie. The other prisoner
TO die was William Cook, who died
while under medical treatment from
alcoholism"
Chief Black added that he and every
member Of the Police Department court
ed investigation. He explained that 49,
months ago, on his recommendation, a
culinary department was established at
the police station, in charge OF the ma
irons and that all prisoners are fed
from this department with good whole
some food purchased from local mer-
chants.
DR.. George w. X. Forrest, police sur
geon. also made a statement TO the ef-
feet that he knew Of no case OF prs