Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-29
For the Advertiser.

Mr.. EDIroR,-On the night Of the 18th July,
eight Prisoners escaped from the third story of
tue Jail in this place. 1t is said they were locked
up in the cells broke tho doors Of the cells open,
removed ono Of the cross. bars from the "Bulps-
Eye" swung down by their blankets, and made
good their escape. No one knew they were out
until next morning, although the Sheriff and
Jailor were sleeping in the front rooms of the first
floor of tho Jail.
Three Of the Prisoners who escaped thus were
accused of being the murderers of Mrs. Elkins.
Another was tried and convicted at-the April
Term of the District Court of 1887, and sentenced
to be imprisoned in the Pehiseutiary for breaking
open Kernaghan's Store, in Hamburg; he escaped
from the Jail at this place goth juno 1867 before
being sent to Columbia, was recently recaptured,
after serving seven months in the Chain Gang in
Augusta, Ca, and remained here only a few days
before escaping second time. The balance were
old Jail Birds, and are now at large to commit
further depredations upon the property of this
community.
Thisis not the first time, nor the second, that
Prisoners nave escaped from Jail in this place.
Since the first Of January 1868, over fifty have.
made their escape; and more than q half-dozen
different times has this breaking Jail occurred.
can produce the proof of this if necessary. And
the Sherifs and their Deputies have never offered
dollars reward publicly, for their apprehension,
that am aware Of Why have they not put
themselves to some trouble and mado an effort to
have these murderers and thieves recaptured?
Since the first of January lS66;ihere have been
five different Jailors that I know Of and, with
one exception, there could not be ten dollars col
lected out of the whole number by a suit at law.
They have all been wholly Irresponsible. That
the Sherifs have such men for Jailors is certainly
not very creditablo on their part. Why do the
officers Of the Law allow this state of things to
continue for more than two years, and not have
the Sheriffs and Jailors brought forward and pun
ished I? No proceedings have ever been instituted
against any oftheni. There is q great dereliction
Of duty resting upon some ones shoulders; and
this matter will be ferreted out. The liberties Of
tho people are trihed with, and the Penitentiory
| is cheated of its due; and all this on account Of
irresponsible and. inefficient Officers. And the
officers whose duty it is, fail TO bring them to such
trial and punishment as they. deserve. x
| The Jail is said TO be insecure, and has alwsys
been, where the Prisoners last escaped. Why
havo not the Commissioners of Public Buildings.
had the Jail made secure? They are knowing to
the prisoners.cscaping continually. Are there no
Mechanics in Edgefcld competentt to repair this
original defect in the Jail? If not send to Charles
ton or Columbia and get some one thatcan mako
the Jail secure. Why should the Public Money
eused so sparingly? Are not tho Tax Payers
able and willing to bear this great burden You;
have neglected and refused to discharge the da-
ties of your Office, and the public have to suffer
for your negligence. You are partially the cause
of these Prisoners being turned loose upon tho
community. The Jail can be made secure; and
if not done soon, the guilty parties who have neg
ected to do their duty, will be known and pun
ishcd I do not intend to lot this matter rest un-
til the evil is removed.
J.L. ADDISON,
Il