New Hanover Grand Jury Says Purge Wilmington Police Force, Improve Jail and Schools, 1905

From the Raleigh Post, as reprinted in The Caucasian, Clinton, N.C., April 20, 1905

Sensational Report by New Hanover Grand Jury

Wilmington, N.C., Apr. 8, Special—The grand jury of the superior court made a most sensational report to-day, in part saying:

"We recommend that the city police force be purged of several unworthy and incapable men who may be better fitted for other employment. We also urge the enforcement of the recent vagrancy law. It is a disgrace to the county that no facilities have been provided for cleansing prisoners upon their admittance. We respectfully recommend that the jail be supplied with a bath room, that all prisoners be compelled immediately to use it and be clad in jail garments. We respectfully report that upon personal inspection we have ascertained that the public school facilities of the city are inadequate to the needs of the rapidly increasing white population. Many of the local teachers have nearly doubled the number of pupils in their charge to which they should properly be assigned. Notwithstanding this, there are still several hundred children without school facilities, growing up in idleness and with many instances of sinful or criminal tendencies.”