The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-11-21
To The Honorable Circuit Court Of
st. Francois County:

We, the Grand Jury, at the Novem-
ber term, 1919, duly empannelled and
sworn, upon their oathes, submit the
following report:
We visited the County Infirmary and
find that the inmates are well cared
for; that the house is we'll kept; that
the grounds are well taken care Of,
and well cultivated, yielding products
for the home of the county,s unfor-
tunate wards; that Mr.. and Mrs. Coff-
man are to be commended for their
most excellent care and keep of these
people.
We further recommend that the
walls of the Infirmary be calcimined
two or three times every year or as
often as is necessary for sanitation.
We visited the County Jail, and find
that structure is most unsanitary, by
reason of its construction; it is i'm
possible to keep it in a sanitary con-
dition; that Sheriff Charles H. Adams
is doing the best he can, under condi-
tions. We most earnestly recommend
that new, modern and sanitary Jail
and sheriff's residence be constructed
just as soon as possible; this county
has large number of prisoners con-
fined here, and it is impossible for the
sheriff to do any better for them than
is being done by Mr.. Adams.
We visited the various county Of
ficers, and find that each and all are
efficient and gentlemanly, and find
that each, as far as we were able to
determine, are conducting their re-
spective offices as the law directs.
We have examined the various coun-
ty offices, while examining the Off
GERS, and we are very forcefully driv-
en- to the conclusion that this county
is guilty of almost criminal negli-
gence in not building substantial ad-
ditions to our court house; there are
records of the utmost public value in
there that are exposed to the dangers
of fire, and were these records de-
stroyed it would result in great loss
and endless litigations thereafter; and
further there is not single office
that is properly constructed for the
amount of work to be done therein,
nor is there an office that is construct
ed so as to carry on the particular
work to be carried on therein; the
iire-proof vault is missing, and the
make-believe vaults are insecure and
utterly too small; there is no place for
the Grand Jury and its records and no
place for witnesses and litigants to
await the orders Of the court; no suit
able place for the petit jury, and no
sleeping quarters for the petit jury
when held together under the order Of
the court; in fact the business of our
great and wealthy and prosperous
county has so out grown the needs Of
our various courts and county Off
GERS, and for the safety of the invalu-
able records Of this county, that we
most earnestly recommend these i'm
provements before any other, if there
must be preferences, but we believe
all Improvements could be carried on
until conditions are very greatly i'm
proved.
1t appearing to the grand jury that
in st. Francois county there are great
numbers of neglected and delinquent
children under the age of II years;
and it further appearing that there is
no place provided in this county for
the care of such children, it is there
fore recommended by the grand jury
that the County Court of st. Francois
county as soon as possible to provide
place of detention where the neglect
ed and delinquent children can be cared
for in a humane manner.
& Respectfully submitted,
A. W. KINZER, Foreman.
Filed Nov 18, 1919.
j. c. HEIFNER, Circuit Clerk,