The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-09
woRKHOUsE, JAIL AND LOOKUP.

gage the attention of the village authorities,
and, in our judgment, there is no time like
the present. 1t Is well known that the state
workhouse commissioners have purchased
a site for workhouse west of East creek
and north of the railroad, and that the
county commissioners have approved of
the purchase; 80 that, under the laws
passed at the last session of the general as
sembly, the building, or buildings, when
erected will be used for a county Jail. The
law requires the completion of the build
ings, ready for occupancy, on the first day
of September, 1873, but contemplates their
earlier completion, as it is provided that
after that date certain offenders shall be
sentenced thereto, instead Of to the county
jail or state prison, and that as soon as the
commissioners shall notify the governor
that the workhouse is ready for the recep-
ton of prisoners the governor shall issue
proclamation to that effect, and that CON-
mitments thereto may then commence
without waiting until the first day of
d" September, 1878"
SO that as early as September /, 1873
less than fifteen months-if INST before, the
county Jail will be removed from its pres
ent location and placed without the village
limits. II has been objected to this location
that the Jail will be without the village,
and, therefore, inconvenient OF access. To
our mind the location is unobjectionable,
at least, in these respects, The location of
a workhouse or Jail in that part Of the vii
lage used for residences is an unmitigated
nuisance, and destroys the value of all the
property in its immediate neighborhood.
That it should be 80, is natural. Thatt is
so is proven by the effect the present loca-
ton of the Jail has had on the south part
of Main street, and the temporary depreci-
alton of the neighboriDg property caueed
by the purchase of site for a Jail on
Wales street. Its new location, is not
open to any of these objections, for the To-
cality is not suitable for residences, but
only for manufacturing purposes-and the
proximity of Jail, workhouse or state
prison will be no injury thereto, but, if
anything, benefit.
1t may be true that the new location will
not be quite as accessible as the present
one, although we doubt it. The distance
of the two locations from the depot cannot
vary very mnch. In any event, it will be
full as easy to transport prisoners from the
and, of course, when prisoners are brought
by team 1t can make no difference. With
the confinement Of prisoners arrested in the
village for intoxication or other misde-
meanors, the present site may be, to
limited degree, more convenient than the
new one-but the law does not contem-
plate the use of the county Jail for that
purpose. The officer arresting a person
for intoxication is required to detain him
for specified time. Nothing is said about
OBTAINING him in the county jail, and the
jail has been used for that purpose by suf-
ferance merely. Indeed, there are some
good lawyers, too-who doubt the right 10
use the jail for such purpose and there
has been one case, at least, where an Off
Ger has been mulcted in heavy damages for
30 combining person arrested for minor
offense instead of bringing him forthwith
before magistrate.
But conceding the legality and propriety
OF such an use of the Jail, even the present
one is inconveniently located for such
purpose-and, perhaps, it will be much
more SO, when village police officer I'M
dertakes to take person arrested for in
toxication without the village limits for de-
tention. AS it now is, with single night
Waterman, the village is left upguarded
while an intoxicated person 10 transported
nearly to the eastern limits of the village
for detention. How easy ii would be TO
put upa job on the watchmaP, get him
out of the way to take real or pretended
intoxicated person to Jail, and then take
advantage of his absence for the purpose of
starting fire or robbing a store These
disadvantages will exist to the same extent,
perhaps no more so, with the new location
of the jail but to them will be added the
very grave doubt whether village police
man can detain a man outside of the village
limits whether, in fact, the crossing Of
the village line will not, ipso tacto, dis
charge him from arrest, and release him
from all penalties for resisting such officer
If, perchance, he should be disposed to re-
sist.
With the Inconvenience resulting from
the present location OF the jail, and the
danger resulting from leaving the streets
unmatched at night, 1t is a matter of sur
prise that a village "lock-up" has not al
ready been provided. With the doubt that
will exist as to the right of village police
man to transport a prisoner outside of the
corporation, even for temporary detention,
'lock-up" will be necessity. 1t might
as well be provided at once The village
has, already, room which with very
few dollars expense will be suitable for
that purpose, centrally located, and with
room adjoining in every way suitable for
police court room. The converting of
these rooms into ''lock-up" and court
room will be a saving of expense to the
state and to the man unfortunate enough
to be arrested, will add to safety of the
village, and will be for the convenience of
the Waterman. The attention of the vii
lage authorities is respectfully called to this
matter.
The Putnam house at Bennington, opens