Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-17
GRAND Jury URGES
COUNTY BUILDING
Structure to House Police
Court, Offices and Jail Sub
station Proposed.
By stan Correspondent of The star.

By Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md, April IT,
Construction of a county building in OF
near Hyattsville is the chief recon-
nlendation made in the report of the
April grand jury
Other recommendations which the
jury submitted to the court late yes
terday are the removal of billboards
and other structures tending to obstruct
the view of motorists at road inter-
sections, the passage of legislation
providing an assistant States attorney
for the county, and the increase of
jurors pay from So to SIS a day.
The jury also joined with the October
grand jury in recommending to the
county commissioners the immediate
appointment of two additional police
ofticerS in order to give adequate pro-
lection to the county as a whole and
especially to the suburban area"
Cites Paper Articles.
The report cites articles in The Star
Of August, 1928, concerning conditions
in the Bladensburg Jail, which would be
eliminated as a county institution If
the proposed county building were
erected Conditions in the Jail were
personally Investigated by a committee
of the grand jury consisting of A. l..
Mehring, chairman, Albert r. Brown
and Henry T. Baldwin. These men were
also accompanied by Jurors S. B. Shaw
and w. E. Hardester when they visited
the Jail Monday.
Their report unanimously Endorsed
by the grand jury, follows:
The building contains two cells and
a corridor; each cell consists of two
hunks, running water and toilet. Three
cots are set up in the corridor. Thus
normal accommodation is provided for
seven prisoners. When more than
this number are locked up three adj
ditional springs and mattresses are
spread on the floor, making a maximum
capacity of 10. 1t is freely admitted
that more than 20 prisoners have been
locked up overnight on several occa-
Sions. No privacy is possible for men
and women prisoners anywhere In the
jail. No attempt is made to Segregate
the races
Flooded at High Water.
"The jail is located on low ground,
close to the Eastern Branch, is in
tested with mosquitoes in Summer and
at times when the branch overf1ows
reliable witnesses testify that the Jail
has been flooded on several occasions,
although George Wiseman, jailer, de-
MES this. The committee members
saw d NAbCA uldAh OII Tic wan VI IlAC
building about one foot from the floor
level.
1.-THE jail has been the subject Of
much adverse criticism on the part
of Washington newspapers, the Susan
B. Anthony Foundation, Inc, local
health officers and many citizens of the
county. For examples, see Washing
ton Star of August II, 81, %, %, "a
and IS, 1928.
"The county pays 5000 year to the
town of Bladensburg for part use OF
the Jail and also rents quarters at
Hyattsville for police court at $500
year. and for the home demonstration
agent there for $500 a year. None OF
these places is entirely satisfactory and
1t is impossible to rent satisfactory
accommodations.
"It is urged that the grand jury, of
which this committee is a part, recon-
mend to the county commissioners that
steps be taken at once to erect county
building in or near Hyattsville to house
the Police Court, all county officers
and agents stationed in that vicinity
and a substation of the county jail In
a suitable and respectable manner.
ct may be urged that funds are I'M
available for such undertaking, but 1t
is believed that $500 now paid for rent
and other expenses will pay interest
on bonds to take care of such an un-
dertaking. The erection of such build
ing would greatly expedite the official
duties of the county's officers and
agents and would remove a condition
which is reproach to an enlightened
and progressive county such as Prince
Georges 1t would also be a source Of