The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-09-15
The County Jail.

very truthful resolutions, passed by the
Democratic County Convention recently
held here, was the following;
Resolvsd, That the Democratic party
of this county are in favor of Economy
in the administration Of County matters
and they do therefore p, otest against the
extravaganza of our present county Judge
in spending five hundred dollars in the
erection of the present Jail, when the
same is disgrace to our county and a
common nuisance. Being an outlay for
no purpose. f6I
Here the county Judge is accused Of
extravaganza in spending five hundred
dollars in the erection of Jail which is
disgrace to the county and a common
nuisance. Now we venture to say that
nine tenths of the men who voted for
that resolution had never been inside of
that Jail, had never examined its con-
struction, and knew nothing whatever of
its capacity or safety for the uses for
which it was designed. We will state
the facts of The case, and let our readers
judge how correct are the representa-
tons of these gentlemen in this matter,
When Judge TABOR came into Office
the county was paying $3.50 a year rent
for room in cellar under Browns
Hall, which every man knew was utterly
unit for the purpose, couple of prison
ers having dug their way out of it with
nothing but an old case-knife. The rent,
too, seemed large. and the Judge made
the arrangements for the building of the
present ediice both on the score of econ
omy and greater safety in keeping pris-
oners. Instead. then, of continuing to
pay $3.50 a year for the rent of room,
he contracted with Sheriff MARTIN to put
up good, dry, and secure Jail for $500.
the latter receiving his pay just as the
county was then paying the rent for the
other room-that is, receiving 500. SO per
quarter, which would require two years
to pay the whole amount.
That Sheriff MARTIN fully performed
his part of the contract, TO one who has
examined the Jail will deny. The walls
of the building are built of oak joists two
inches thick by six inches wide, laid
with the broad side downward, thus ma
king the wall six inches thick. These
are spiked together with 5 inch spikes,
three rows driven through each joist as
laid. in such manner that no where
could an inch augur bore through the
wall without striking one or more of
these heavy spikes and the sheriff says
he will defy any man, even with all the
tools that he may choose, to work through
the walls of the building in half day.
The floor of the building is of three thick
nesses of plank, one course of two inch,
and the others of one inch plank, so pla-
ced that it Is impossible for prisoner to
saw out. (The floor was not complete
when SMITH escaped from the Jail. The
second floor, or ceiling, is of two thick
nesses of heavy plank, SO placed that the
upper layer battens the grooves in the
lower layer, thus entirely precluding the
insertion Of a saw. The building has
also an excellent single roof, and is sided
up with Eastwood siding, put on over the
inner walls, SO that the walls of the
building are in reality about eight inches
thick. The windows are provided with
heavy iron CRATES, and the door is full
of iron rvets. The windows and door
together weigh nearly ton. About half
ton OF large inch spikes were used
in the walls, and the whole building is as
firm and substantial as if it's timbers had |
all grown together. 1t is therefore safe,
dry, warm, and yet susceptible of the re-
quisite ventilation, and how men who
know anything about it can call it nui-
sance and disgrace to the county, we
cannot conceive. AS to the extravaganza
of the expenditure, our readers will be,
We think, with ourselves unable to see it.
Sheriff MARTIN assures us that the build
ing cost him $473 and some cents. be-
sides his own time, and that he did not
make a cent by its erection. 1t has cost
just precisely what the county would
have had to pay for rent for two years for
a Jail not as dry, as healthy, or as good.
1t will be sufficient for the uses of the
county for five years to come, and will
then doubtless sell for nearly half its cost.
The extravaganza of the County Judge,
then, is shown by the following exhibit:
Rent of Jail for seven years, at $3.50 per
al NUN, SlI5O
Probable amount from sale of building,
$500
Cost of building, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 500
Amopnt cavaI IN tho Conpt,- c.Ifln