The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-08-19
General Iail naliuarv.

Our citizens were no little shocked, though not
much surprised, on Saturday morning last, to
learn that the prisoners confined in the Co. Jail,
had deliberately dug hole through the wall, and
six Of the eight in confinement had made their
escape in broad daylight. The names Of the flu
gitivcs are Jos. Storms, BENZ. Craft, Chas. Ben
ner, Jos. Reisinger, Henry McGill and VIM. Hol-
liday. The three former were awaiting trial for
the robbery of Mr.. Worthington, some months
since; Reisinger was accused of stealing watch
while McGill and Holiday both colored, were
charged with theft and barn burning. They made
their escape through a hole in the wall of a cell
on the first or ground floor, and when once out
side, there was little difficulty in getting away.
The opening was made in Holidays cell with an
iron bar which was thrown in to him from the
outside or which he picked up somewhere in the
bnilding. Every morning, Wiley Hunt, the war
den, unlocks the cell doors to give the prisoners
an opportunity to sweep their rooms. This adj
mits them all to the central part of the building
After doing this he went away from the JAIL leav-
ing it in charge of his family, and it was then
that the prisoners left. 1t is probable that the
opening was made during the night. The two
who remained did so of their own accord, not
caring to leave the premises Information was
promptly given to the Police authorities Of Bal
timore, and Mr. Wiley Hunt started out on a
search. 1t is said they were seen on the West
minister turnpike, but up to this time none have
been caught. ~
1t is but short time since the same parties
forced an opening through the crunbling wall,
and were just on the point of leaving, when in
formation of the design was given by fellow
prisoner A few months previous, negro, the
only prisoner in confinement, dug himself ont,
leaving the Jail without an occupant. The fire.
quent recurrence of these events gives occasion
for some reflections on the condition of the
County Jail and the officers whose duty it is to
protect the public from criminals in confinement.
Whether the late exodus is owing to any
negligence on the part of the officers, we leave
our Readers to Judge. But if any one doubts
the total uniness of the Jail for the purposes fol
which it was designed, let him visit the building
and see for himself The wall is built of the rot
| ten stone peculiar to this neighborhood so soft
| it may be picked with a pen knife or crushed
under foot. The pieces are small and irregular,
loosely stuck together with crumbling mortar
A man with good iron bar can work through
| anywhere in an hour. There are four prisoner:
| in confinement now, and Sheriff Thompson in
formed us, that to secure them properly, he was
compelled to borrow four pad locks. The locks
on the Jail doors are totally unfit for the pnr.
| pose Sometime ago, the Sheriff petitioned the
County Commissioners to buy dozen good pad
locks for the use of the Jail, but they declined
| to incur the expense. He has ordered the
| locks at his own cost The iron railing around
| the landings on the inside is broken and totter
| ing in several places, and is really unsafe fol
prisoners and officers. Should it give way while
any one is leaning against it, a precipitation to
| the brick floor below, would be the inevitable
result On the lower floor and in the lower tieEo
cells, there is an air offoul dampness which would
be certain death to any one compelled to breathe
| it for short time. The stove is a miserable af
fair and utterly incapable of heating the building
Once outside the building, the escaping prisoner
has his choice of leaping over the board fence
with the rails on the inside to furnish him with
steps, or of creeping under meath where the water
has washed away the loose dirt.
In short the whole establishment is the mos,
shamcfully miserable affair that can well be i'm
agined, totally unfit for its purpose, an outrage
on the safety of the public. Several times the
Grand Juries have called attention to the con-
dition of the JAIL and the necessity for repairs
We know of nothing but gunpowder that can dc
it justice. AS it is, we would fear to stay inside
of it during storm, lest it might crumble and
fall over our heads. Jais are instituted for the
protection Of society against criminals but is ii
not miserable farce to confne men in a building
whence they may escape at pleasure, to repea
their crimes on the community
Let US have a safe Jail, or let US stop burden.
ing the county with the expense of trying and
convicting criminals. aa