Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-06-10
STATE OF VERMONT, DE /, remembered, tina,

rhi,,oN Ur Ch nnn, remembered that
begun and holden al Burlington within and for the
County of Chitlenden aforesaid, on the fourth Tues
day OF May, IN The year Of our Lord thousand
eight hundred and forty two; :.
The Grand !urors now here in Court duly empan-
neled and sworn, upon their oath presen, tha, they
find the Common jail IN said Comfy Of Chttenden
10 be wholly insufficient for the safe and comfortable
Keeping OF the prisoners, and hat the same ought 10
bcrcpaIrc in the manner hereinafter >e, forth And
Tor the better understanding Of the ncce siy Of such
repairs, they premise that the portion of the building
appropr aed TO the confinement Of prisoners istwen
y four by twenty five feet outside with walls of three
feet or thcreabo,s in thickness, and two stories in
height. The lower story is divided into passage and
two cells eaSurinG about nine by fifteen Icei, and
lighted aud ventilated only hv a narrow and uuela.
zed aperture through the wall in each Tina, the Sc
cond story consists OF single room lighted and ven
tllaed by two windows on the south side. That in
a>inuch as the Jail buildings erected upon the
North line Of the County land, and other buildings
have recently been erected by The occupants of the
adjacent lands north, neither light nor air can lie
| longer obtained in that direction. Tha, the walls OF
the jan were originally slightly and naricaly con-
structed OF small unhewn stone; tina, they have cen
perforated almost through the whole ex ent OF the
tower story, aQd in many places in the upper story
ana ceiling, and have leen repeatedly partially I'M
uerm'ned ny the attempts Of prisoners TO escape in
| consequence OF which they are : much weakened a.
TO render tine safe keeping OF prisoners impossible,
except by maintaining regular and constant watch
Tha, the snoIs condition Of the cells on the gro md
noor mas long since obliged The keeper OF the Jail
almost wholly to dispense with their use and con: e.
lreniiy, all prisoners, whcther confined Tor debt or
CRIME are OF necessity kept in the only remaining
room, beng that IN the second story. hat the aver
age number OF prisoners is about eight, and that the
confinement OF such number Of prisoners in Single
inherently vcntlatc apartment destructive of the
comfort and reudcial TO The hea til of the prisoners,
ana rep snant TO every principleu OF humanity. That
no separate place of confinement prov ded for wo-
men, and that the laCrs therefore, Obliged 10 violate
decency, by ing up the female PRISONERS in the
same department vi II men, or 10 run The risk of their
escape, by appropratng TO their use, the common
chainl ers Of the house.
i That IN the judgment of the Grand Jurors the
comfort and security Of prisoners require well adj.
dlional apartments, US greater strength of censtr,c-
tlon and that these ends may lie be-, attained bv CON
srcng IN the rear OF the South Ea part of the pre-
sent jan, an addition Of twenty eight ly thirty foul
iecl, TO 9 Herewith connected IN such manner as ic
allow OF introducing air and light three sides Il
lie built OF stone Of suitable lality aud dinens Is
ana 10 he divided into suitable rooms above and le-
low
That by this MEANS and this only, can crni ais lie
secured and suitable and comrodlos provision made
Tor debtors and female prisoners.
| The Grand jurors further recommend, that the wall
oil the present stone part OF the jan he taken down.
and the materially thereof, 50 far as the same ma,
answer good purpose he used in the construction o
| The aiiii lonal erection above recommended.
f. 7. Engcsby, Foreman. Samuel Quincy,
Garrad Burrc t. Pit F. Hewet
U. II. Pcnniman, Mar. hall Castle,
Eli Chillenden, Gle. Rood,
Samuel Nichul,, Samuel Fletcher
Nathan Steatn>. Arthur Bo>twich,
Ethan Austin, William .. Barker,
John Parker, Jane, Whtcoml,
joseph Whppic.
ChiHenden County Court !
May Term, A. u. lci2.
The foregoing lndicimen, having leen read AM
considered, ii is ordered by the Court, that il lie re
corded and al;o, pnl l>hed in both the newspaper
printed IN Burlington. May3l, 1912.
| Attest, VIM NOBLE, Clerk.