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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