The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-10-09
THE COUNTY JAIL.
ITS PRESENT CoNDITIoN-ITs INMATES HOW
THEIR TIME Is EMPLoYED-oAUsE OF CON-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IMPROVEMENTS
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED.

! We hope ourreaders will not suspect tina
any difficulty existed between Sheriff Telar'
and any member OF the TELEGRAPH force.
we tell them all about the interests }of on
county Jail. Should tLere be one who Il
anxious for ourreputStion, and will not b,
comiorted. we refer him to the justices. who
will soothe the troubled spirit by showing
that our name has MOI yet appeared on the
record. WemereIy called to see our friends
and pick up few facts for county jail item
This Institution was built in 1850, just
twenty~three years ago the past summer
It was quite an undertaking, ana when the
grand opening was announced, the prison
was declared one ofthe bestin all This sec
ton OF country. The first sheriff OF Kenosha
County was N. X. Allen, Esq. and 1t is
81 id that lie proved vigIlant and most eff
cient officer. By many Of our readers the
case of John MGCafferty, the murderer, will
be remembered. McCatierty was the second
Inmate OF the new Jail. and, we are inform
ed, the only murderer ever hung in the
State of Wisconsin. He WAS locked up on
the 23d OF November. 1850. The Jail has
been usually well managed since that time,
ard with the accommodations offered. each
sheriff has done toIerably well by mis- prison
ers sndthe community. At the vtime the
Jail was built it WAS the custom of the PEG.
pie to atlict themselves with low ceilings
and other bad arrangements. Inconsistent
with the later ideas OF D. comfortable hsbita-
ton. Low ceilings are therefore found ia the
county jail. When the present occupant,
Sheriff Tetard, went into office, the interior
OF the Jail was in condition not at AZ cred
liable to the managers, and indeed tor sever
al years before 1t was In some respects totally
unfit for the proper carrying out OF that OBJ
ject tor which we suppose prisons are in end
ed. It with pleasure that we notice the
marked improvements recently made. The
cells have been thoroughly cleaned and the
couches put into good shape. The old oaken
floor, worn by the weary feet of the lunatic,
or the mad dance ofthe inebriate, has been
covered with q good, smooth fooripg.-lts
uniformity giving the place, IN spite OF bolts
and bars, an appearance OF home. Tie
walls have been planked up, and all homely
excrescenses removed from windows and
ceilings, intending even the coDweb which
may or may not have been an eyesore to the
long pent up jail bird. Two coal stoves IRE
used, and every part of the prison is proper.
ery heated. County Clerk Timme, who has
suLerintended these impro vements, and
Sheriff Tetard, who is making the most OF
them for the benefit of his boarders, deserve
great credit for their part of the work.
While our Sheriff does the best he can,
and the Supervisors have shown disposition
to make the jail of this county respectable
institution, there are many improv cments yet
TO ne made, which are alike essential to
health and the sa'ekeeping of the adyentu-
rous. We notice with regret che entire alb
sence of water closets. A matter so impor-
tant as this should receive the immediate at
tention of our public officers. All Jail build
ings should be constructed so as to Carry out
the object intended. They should be secure,
commodious, and sanitary. We have no
doubt that by judicious management, such
as we have seen in the WORK already accom-
plished, isuch improvements could be made as
would bring the Kenosha County jail within
these requirements. The inmates at the
present time are Jacob Busch, John Nc
Cullough. Peter McNulty, Orrin Dean, Emily
Diedrch, Martha Bettinson, all insane +;
Charles Morehouse, Charles Nehler, Peter
Grant, and John w. Hunt. Their time is
chiefly employed in shutting pack of cards
which have been handed down-a legacy from
one set of prisoners to another. Sometimes
they get bundle of newspapers and one of
the number reads the news, which always
proves relief from the monotony of their
prison life.