Litchfield enquirer., 1878-02-28
Our Jail as it h.

committees of citizens, have come here in suc- cession, full of doubt if not of hostility, and have gone away converted. Indeed we do not believe that there can be found anywhere in New England another so utterly forlorn and inadequate an apology for prison. We do not refer to the tumble-down condition of the county house in front, but to the jail proper. This was built to accommodate about 16 pris- oners at the most There are IS cells, indeed, but two of these have no outside windows and were intended rather as dungeons than as cells for common use. The cells are A by feet and 63 feet high, and are arranged in three tiers openinginto common hall, 33 feet by 16, and 21 feet high. This made fairly conven- tent old-fashioned jail for sixteen prisoners, or less; but the present number is 35; there have been 90 here at one time, and 45 for several weeks. After filling the 16 common and the two dark cells we have an average of IT more (and sometimes 25) to be provided for In other words the jail is scarcely half the size needed. If state or county were to build 8 square brick room, 33x16 feet, and tell it's sheriff to confne from IT to g prisoners in that room without cells or accommodations of any kind, it would be pronounced shocking barbarity yet that is all the accommodation the county has furnished half it's prisoners for several years past. In one corner of the jail room is the water closet for it's crowds of pris- oners in the other are tiers of rough hunks for part of the surplus after filling the cells.
 Even these hunks, however, are not enough. In the loft of the jail proper, immediately over the cells, but entered from the front of the jail, are two rooms called debtors rooms," each 164 feet long, 9t wide, and only 81 high, in which are more rough hunks, and into each of which have been crammed eight and sometimes nine prisoners, night after night. The space just before these rooms is of course immediately over the main jail hall. The plastered ceiling of that hall is entirely knock ed off; the flooring above is loose and ill-ft- ting so that all the noisome smells from the over-crowded room below penetrate to the low debtors rooms and give them an atmosphere that can be better imagined than described.
 There is no woman's department in this jail; but when any female prisoners come, they are consigned to one of these dreadful debtors rooms. There are are four women there now one, tramp with baby a few months old in an old clothes basket for a era dle, as pitiful sight as we ever saw. No one who has ever inserted his head into that at mosphere will be surprised to hear that this woman has been quite sick since her arrival though now recovering, the jailer tells us One man was sent in on civil process, not long since but like wise debtor, he waived his right of separate confinement in such place, and begged to be let into the hall below among the common prisoners. AS Mir. T. M. Clark explained to meeting of Representatives in 1875, there is no outlet from the debtors rooms into the prison below, and, in case of fire i'll the county house, the persons confined in these rooms would almost certainly perish. rooms we feel bound to suggest to the editor of the Winsted Herald 8 private look at them before he commits himself irretrievably against the movement for the immediate building of new jail. With our existing accommodations for editors who are unlucky in $20, 900 libel suits, our friends case may become an ex- tremely mournful one.
 One of the most serious evils resulting from such condition of things is the utter impossi- bility of anything like effective discipline the constant danger of a general escape of prison CTS, and of serious injury to their keepers. Any pretense of reform Tn jail into which prison CTS are herded like cattle in farm yard, with out even separate stalls, is simply absurd. The prisoners have no occupation by day; by night the more or less atrocious scoundrels bunk in together by the dozen, and are soon all of one grade in villainy. It must not be forgotten that all our state prison convicts have to pass through the common jail. Usually those wait ing trial for serious offences are confined in the cells but there have been times when there were not cells enough for them; and their intercourse with the herd in the hall is never easily prevented.
 No one will be surprised to learn, then, that there have been three dangerous conspiracies, within about twelve months past for general escape of prisoners; two of them involving serious bodily injury if not danger of life to one of the keepers The first of these plots came to light, last winter, and the mode taken to compel confession was severely censured, | some months ago, in the New York Sun.
 Eight prisoners were then bunked together | in the north debtors room. There were two | keepers-Messrs. Elwall and Blakeman-but the latter was occasionally away. The gang planned to call Elwall up to their cell some night when they knew Blakeman was gone, to see one of their number who was o sham sickness in the furthest bunk. One had a stout hickory club secretsd from their fire. wood another rope stolen from aspare room where clothes were sometimes hung to dry, and which he carried coiled round his body While Elwall was looking at the bogus patient two were to strike him from behind others, tt seize and to tie him with the rope. Then with the keys in his pocket, they were to lei loose the rest of the prisoners The night fol the attack had once been set, but Blakeman'l unexpected return postponed it. Before he was off again, it so happened that one of the eight conspirators was removed for some mis- conduct to cell below. Fearing he might be left in when the rest escaped, he disclosed something-not the real plot, however -tc Blakeman. By sharp measures and good luck the whole plan was finally extorted from the 1 gang-though it certainly did involve string ing up six of the rascals by their thumbs in { manner not wholly to be commended. Ont of this lot, Howard Banning by name-a stou fellow whose part it was to strike Elwall witt the club-said afterward, he was glad the at tempt had not been made, for he thought i more than probable that in the excitement O the attack he should have struck Elwall hart enough to have killed him.
 The custody of prisoners accused of serious crimes in such jail is no light charge. The burglar Davis, one of the Wolcottville coppe