Smyrna times., 1922-10-25
LEWDNESS AND LAWLESSNESS
FLAYED BY KENT GRAND JURY
WITH STILLS 1T CREATES RURAL
UNDERWORLD THEY DECLARE
Grand Jury In Short Session at Dover
Acts on Fifty-FOur Presentations,
Returns Thirty Eight True Bills


Sweeping charges of lewdness and |
lawlessness creating a rural under
world in the midst of the growing |
sinew of the country, are contained in |
an annual report submitted the Kent |
County Court by the Kent County |
Grand Jury last week. The report |
also charges that reluctance and in
some cases seeming cOnnivance, of too
large a percentage of the citizenship
has prevented officers from securing
evidence warranting the arrest of
vicious violators of the prohibition
laws and morality. The report sug-
gests that campaign of law obedi-
ence would be more effective than
frenzied criticism of law enforce
ment.
The report also charges that the
automobile is a great contributing
means of lawlessness and recommends
for the teft or illegal use of automo-
biles, corporal punishment publicly in
f1icted in the county where the crime
is committed. The report follows:
To the Honorable Judges of the
Court of General Sessions in and for
Kent County.
eve, the Grand Jury of the County
of Kent, beg leave to report at the
close of our duties for the current
year that we have acted on fifty-four
presentations, finding thirty-eight
true bills and ignoring sixteen. With
the clear and explicit charges of the
court, together with the unofficious,
but material and courteous assistance
of the Attorney Generals office, we
have been enabled to decide the bust
ness before us with practical unanimi-
ty and fair expediency; by confning
loquacious witnesses to questions ask
ed them.
"We regret that the reluctance, and
in some cases seeming connivance, of
too large a percentage of the citizen
ship has prevented the officers from
securing evidence warranting the ar
rest of vicious violators of the pro-
hibition laws and morality Stills
and lewdness combined are creating
rural underworld in the midst of the
; growing sinew of the country, hereto
fore unknown outside the dives of the
cities, making the officers and the
courts impotent by public indifference,
and, in too many cases, active cooper
alton. A condition suggesting that a
campaign of law obedience would be
more effective than frenzied critics OF
law enforcement.
"The modern moor vehicle, furnish
ing a rapid means of transportation
notification and flight, is great con
tributing means of lawlessness, fol
the theft of illegal use of which we
unhesitatingly recommend - corpora
punishment publicly inflicted in the
county where the crime is committed
I believing such punishment to be more
reformatory than retributive regard
less of maudlin sentiment.
"We find the Jail cleanly and wei
kept, with sanitary conditions as gooC
:. as construction of the building will
permit. The whitewashed walls o
the cells and corridors have beel
scraped and painted by the presen
sheriff, the work being done largel.
by the prisoners, for which he is du
credit and the gratitude of the tax
payers.
1--WE find the Almshouse for tn
maintenance of the INDECENT of tn
county contains SO inmates and is as
{ sisting AZ by appropriation known a
, an outside allowance. Under the su
s pervsion of the capable superintend
ent, and his equally efficient wife,
seems we'll managed and the inmate
are as contented as would be expect
!, ed from this class under similar cor
- ditions.
y "This property consists of thre
. hundred and twenty-five acres c
sassafras loan soil, with suitable out
buildings representing a value of pos
sibly fifty thousand dollars, the pre-
ceeds of which are used exclusivel
for the support of the institution, Il
gether with the assistance from ii
County Treasurer of about six thol
- sand dollars a year. While the far
possibly produces all that a slmlli
number of acres of like character (
soil farmed by the same system, pr
- duecs under private ownership, at IL
same time we believe a less extensiN
, operation, thereby reducing the owe
head expenses, or devoting of more a
tention to some of the special crol
n for which the land is equally we'll a
III opted, would bring the institute
nearer the point of being self-suppor
ne ing.
l. "Under present conditions, we wou
recommend that better sanitary co
'e- ditions be provided, especially appl
'st ing to the outside toilets, which at t
present time are a menace to t
+, health of the inmates, as well as
great inconvenience to the superinte
1apf. anJ cnt,an paa1aI 1.anair-c m I