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AMSLTON journal.
ORCAN Or *'* ARRIS C
VOL.
THE COUNTY JAIL.
How tlic Grand .Juries of the
County Have Usually
Found It.
As the question of a new jail will
be brought before the Grand Jury
this week, we have t?ken the trouble
to look up the General Presentments
of the past twelve years and see what
the juries have had to say on the
subject. As the officers in charge of
county property-usually pu rw the bes rr
foot foremost when the general in
quest is being held, this vie w of the
jail must be taken as its best—the
most favbj able possible. Heieisthe
record:
In the Presentments of April 1873,
no allusion is made .to the jail, hut
Sidney Herbert thus wrote to the
Columbus Sun:—“I to lay visited
a little "log box which is' des gned as
a jail, but .which would be fit com
panion for the “Black Hole” of
cutta, or V^fFy the “Prison Ships” of
jersey. this pen is allowed
remain in use is more than we can
tell, as every citizen with whom
have convened, without an
ion, has condemned its occupancy
the severest terms. Passing
into the lower story thiough a
door, we found ourselves in a
foul smelling den, perhaps ten
fifteen feet, in which were
six or seven prisoners charged with
i u ' 4 ‘ Whether innocent
various crimes. p
or guilty they a e tlepiy oi ; ot
en’s sunlight and God’s p.uie air, We
cannot say who is to blame for this
state of affairs, but we call the atten
tion of the Grand Jury to the facts
as they exist, and te.L them that the
pla£e they are recognizing as a jail,
for the permanent confinement of
prisoners, is not fit for a town guard
house for the temporary confinement
of disturbers of the public peace.
Harris county has a proud record,
and her citizens are among the best
APRIL I I Sift
in the land, yet they are ignorant of
the real condition of the unfortunate
men now confined in the so-called
jail at Hamilton, and we trust that
immediate steps will be taken to rid
Harris county of this reproach.”
At the fall term of this year it was
thought unsafe and in need of re
pairs.
No court was held in April 1S74,
but a! the tall term of this year
jury found the jail in a bad condition
and recommended the whitewashing
of the inside walls.
In April 1875, the jail appeared to
be in as good condition although
from some cause, unknown to the
jury many prisoners had escaped,
TALK OF A NEW' JAIL.
At the October term tins year
presentments read: “We
men 1 that the doors and windows
the jail be immediately repaired
and that the Grand
* of the the of the
next term court
requested to lev/ a tax sufficient
build a new jail of greater
and more strength.”
iron cage introduced.
At the April term 1876 the
eral Presentments said: “We
‘ the 'jail since the iron
cage was
* ed therm by the county
1 ers in our judgment perfectly secure,
; but has not been suffic.ently tested
for u i to determine whether it will
effect the health of prisoners or not.
iVe recommend such ventilation as
can be given without impairing it*
safety, and that it be thoroughly
cleansed.”
October, 1876, the Grand Jury
Presentments lead: “We find the
jail safe nut badly kept; the stench
arising from the privy is very offen
sive and think,imbezhby.”
The Jury for the April terffi 1877
found the jail in a safe condition. *
-•The jury for October term of this
year fecomuieaded ia thtdr present-
NO. 15.
ments the stopping of a hole and the
repairing of the windows,
The Jury of April 1878, found the
jail safe but in an unclean condition,
and recommended that the Sheriff
see that it be kept free from filth.
No lecord of presentments is made
on the minute book at the October
term.
The Jury for April 1S79 found the
usual filth and thought the building
sufficiently secure, though the regret
was expressed that so many esca|>cs
had been made.
No presentments recorded for tall
1S79 and spring and fall 1S&0.
April 1881 the jury found the
public buddings in good condition.
OTHER NEW JAIL T*LK.
The presentments of the f*U term
of 1881, say: “We have examined
the jail and find it secure but in ,a
filthy and unpleasant condition, at*
tributable partly to the negligence of
the Sheriff or Jailor, but mainly to
insufficiency of ventilation, bad sew
erage and the want of cleanliness on
the part of prisoners.” Certain ira
provements wererecomu>ended,whivh
the jury thought if “faithfully per
formed” would make the jail answer
un til the revenues of the county
would justify the building of a more
suitable prison.
The presentments for April »88r,
declare the jail in a «afe condition
a pd probably as cleanly-a* could he
expected. * mm * * *®
, A NEW JAIL NEEDED. / ...
“The presumption of Uw is that a
man is innocent until he, is proven
guilty, and until a better method of
holding for trial is devised, imprison
ment k> r security alone is required,
aiK j an y treatment or hardship not
necessary to this'ertd is Cruel' £hd dn
lawfui. Persons o/ten are declared
innocent on full trial - after odious
treatment while in prison. * Persons
©f habits a>e often with