The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-12-19
GRAND JURY REPORT
TOTHE CIRCUIT JUDGE
Found True Bills Only Where Ev
idence justified
PRAISE COUNTY OFFICERS
Jurors Hint that County is Being
Robbed in the Work of Build
ing Roads to the Aviation
Camps.

| On HnlSnlllS CnelF ldDOFS, IHe
grand jury of the circuit court
presented the following report to
Hon. John S. Edwards, the pre-
siding judge:
We have carefully inquired in
to and examined all witnesses in
all matters submitted to us by any
and all parties interested, and
from all sources from which in
formation could be obtained, rend-
ering true bills of indictment just
flied same, and dismissing without
true bills of Indictment all such
cases as in our judgement there
was not sufficient evidence to es-
tablish the probable guilt of the
accused. We have visited and ex-
amined into the official affairs of
all county officers and find that all
the business of these officials with
the county and the public is being
conducted in a business-like and
courteous way, and the business
of each respective office being
conducted in an efficient manner.
We recommend that the Coun-
ty Commissioners have a fire.
proof vault constructed in base
ment of court house for the stor-
ing of all records, to relieve the
crowded condition of some Of the
offices.
I'VE have visited the Jail and
find it in splendid condition, ex-
cept the part injured by fire a
short time ago, which we are in
formed by the sheriff will be re-
paired as soon as the insurance
adjuster has passed on the amount
of damage.
We desire to especially COM
mend our Hon. Sheriff j. L. Dish
ong for the splendid and efficient
method he has adopted of ar
ranging and preparing docket
for each day of the grand jury,
thereby expediting the work of
this body and saving several hun
dred dollars of expense TO the
county each term.
By special request of a number
of interested citizens of the coun-
ty, this grand jury has personally
inspected the new highway being
constructed from Arcadia east for
a distance of about twenty-four
miles, and have examined the ac-
counts of those in charge of the
construction of same, and beg to
submit the following; We find
that the brick road from city lin
its to Dorr field is, in our judg-
ment, costing entirely too much
money for the class of road the
county is getting. The best evil
dence we can obtain shows that
this road is costing approximate
ly $4,000 per mile. We recon-
mend that this should be made a
matter of special investigation at
once.
The road to Dorr field east, to
be constructed of. sand-clay, is
not, in our opinion, being built ac-
cording to specifications. The
sand-clay facing of the road is of
a very inferior quality. We are
in formed by the engineer in
charge that this road has not been
accepted, but we recommend that
the Board of Commissioners
should investigate this at once, be-
fore any further payments are
made.
We especially commend the
County Court for the work ac-
eomplished by that tribunal dur
ing the past six months, and we
recommend that~this court should
be used more effectively IN the |
handling Of all matters within it's
jurisdiction, that the higher
courts may not be4burdened with
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