Year: 1862

HEszazzEzz.


REPORT


Of the Grand Jury Within and for the


County of Walla Walla, W. 7.


To The Hon. E. P Oliphant, Judge of the
First Judicial District-The Grand Jury to whom
was referred the examination and report of the
county Jail and hospital, beg leave to submit the
following report;


COMPLAINTS AND INDICTMENTS.


Twenty-eight complaints were brought before
the Grand Jury. In twenty-one of these cases
true bills were found, and seven cases were dis
missed for want of sufficient testimony. The bills
found were as follows: For manslaughter,
grand larceny 6 assault with intent to kill, l
giving liquor to Indians l resisting with force OF
arms an officer in discharge of his duty, l for
selling spirituous liquors in less quantity than one
gallon, without license, H. With reference to
the law regulating the license and sale of spiritu-
GUS liquors in less quantities than one gallon, the
Grand Jury have failed to find any discrimination
between the license of the popular saloon whose
daily receipts exceed 500, and the road side
house of entertainment whose daily receipts do
not exceed five dollars. This is in the minds of
the Grand Jury gross imperfection in our statute
and should be remedied by statutary enactments;
and this Grand Jury recommends to our present
delegation in the Territorial Legislature to use
their influence to have such change by amend
ments otherwise as will obv.ate this evil Un.
der our present law the Grand Jmor has no alter
native, he must wilfully ignore his oath of office,
the majesty and supremacy of the law in its plain
wording and spirit, or find true bill in all cases
where the testimony warrants, which though true,
is unjust and this Grand Jury does repudiate the
doctrine for excessive taxation on any specific
branch of trade to the comparative exclusion of
all others.


COUNTY JAIL.


This building stands on the public square. in
pleasant portion of the city, is well ventilated as
building of its construction could be; is situa-
ted some distance from any other buildings con-
sequently has all the natural advantages of a fine
circulating atmosphere is decidedly clean and
healthy, but very poorly adapted for the use for
which it was constructed, not having sufficient ca
pacity for the rapid acquisition to its cells and in
crease of crime, in the county.
The Grand Jury find this building unfinished as
per contract by the contracting parties and the
board of county Commissioners. The Grand
Jury recommend the immediate completion of this
building as per contract aso the inclosing of the
same by high, substantial walls with such material
and in such manner as may in the judgment of
the board of County Commissioners be most con-
ducive to the interest of the county and the safe
keeping of its inmateS of sufficient heighth and
Solidity to prevent the approach to and assault
upon its walls that might lead 20 the liberation of
any or all of the inmates; also the construction of
a prvy and wang and covering of we'll inside
OF said incosure and that the jailcr be required
to reside in the upper story of the jail. The ne
cessity that exists for the fence, WE'LL etc, is made
evident, from the fact that more than one prison
er has escaped when sent or allowed to go to get
Iho IL, Ill I !
properly cared for, and express entire satisfaction
with their treatment


COUNTY AND CRY HOSPITAL.
This building is decidedly Objectionable both in
its construction capacity and location; is situated
main street in business portion of the city; is
eighteen or twenty feet in width by 40 or so in
length has no side openings, has one narrow aisle
running through the main center, with six rooms
on either side, with four single berths in each ];
with shed addition on the rear of the main
building, with some u or IA additional berths
The mattresses are of straw, and sutHciency of
sheets and blankets to be comfortable, if kept
clean, and the rooms properly ventillated-which
cannot be properly done for want of room and
free circulation of air. There are also two drink
ing saloons, one each side that must be annoy
IN to the sick man in the extreme. DrL. G. Kinney
has charge of this hospital by authority of both
! v,
patients follows, viz of Typhoid fever-con-
vaescent;l Phlegmatical erycpius convaescent;
l insane, better l chronic rheumatism, just ad-
mitted and cases two and half miles from
the city. All migrants, disease all typhoid fever,
and all doing well no deaths have occurred at
this hospital since the inspection by the Grand
Jury. This Grand Jury earnestly recommend
the comfy authorities to use some diligence in
securing a building more adapted to the wants
and comfort of the sick in a more retired and
duet portion of the city and that one of the
county Commissioners should once a week exam
inc into the condition of the sick in hospital For
it is the opinion of the Grand Jury that there is
vast room for improvement in the manner in
which this institution is conducted.


The county Treasurer and Auditor were reaues-
ted by the Grand Jury to render statements of
their accounts for inspection. This request was
complied with on part Of the Treasurer
The Auditor appeared before the committee of
the Grand Jury with his books, but having 10
statement or report drawn off, and as it would be
a labor of some time to fully investigate the coun-
ty records and accounts the Grand jury do not
feel disposed authorized to undertake this duty,
although it is quite evident that it is required.
The aggregate of the county Indebtedness accord
ing to the Auditors accounts, amounts to twelve
thousand six hundred and ninety odd dollars In
this connection the Grand Jury would recommend
to the voters of Walla Wala county to petition
the Territorial Legislature through our Repre-
sentatives, to pass special act to enable our
county Commissioners to assess a tax or the tax
able property in the county sufficient to clear off
the Indebtedness


The Grand Jury, on examination of the books
of records of the County Commissioners find that
in the year 1861, the late retiring board of Com
missioners contracted with Charles Russell for the
building of a county Jail, for the sum of $3.50.
Charles Russell giving bonds for the performance
of the contract A recent action of thu same
board made nd and uoid the contract with Chas
Russell, and bought the same building under
contract for the price of 1900. There appears
to be no action taken by the board of county
Commissioners against the bonds of Chas Russell
for the non-performance of said contract, and the
Grand Jury would especially call the attention of
the present board Of Commissioners to this mat
ter In our opinion it is one that deserves their
attention and investigation.


In order that the county may have and sustain
its credit, the Grand Jury would most earnestly
re3momend that our public receive our county
paper atpar vaue,as,in our judgemen,by this man
ner the Grand Jury have proposed of iquida-
ting the Indebtedness of the county, she will soon
recover from her present complicated embarrass-
ment.


| E. H. Barron, Form, John Moar,
| Seth Farrell Thos Evans,
] John Brvant O. TT Armstrong