, 1879-08-03
TIE JAIL.
The Interior Of a Leading Chicago
Boarding-House.
The Way the Inmates Are Fed,
Lodged, and Amused.
Notable Instances Of the Flight Of Dis
satisfied Boardars.

Ont OF Chic1go's hatf~mlilfou, more or less
of inhabitants, comparatively few have evel
sren the inside of the Jail, except in an inyolun
1ary fashion, or know anything OF its workings
And vet the Cook County Jail is one OF Chica-
eos institutions about which it is expected thai
eyerY ore will know something, not in the sense
that il NAV at some time become his unwilling
,csideuce but in the sense that it il one OF the
places of interest in this great city, and one to
which. especially SO under its present manage.
1ent, it is possible to point With pride To
those, therefore, who hare not as yet made the
acquaintance Of this populous place for penal
detention, and who know nothing Of the daily
routite OF Jail lifc,-how the men live, move,
hare their being, sleep, aud get their ttgrub,''-
The following general description Of the place
End the life within it will possibly prove Of some
interest:
And, first, as to
TIE LOCATION
OF the jail. The present County Building occur-
pies the east ha1f-bloek bounded by Illinois
street Oh the north, Michigan street on the
south, Dearborn avenue Oh the east, and vide
alley on the west, running midway north and
south between the TWO half-hlocks. Entering
this vide alley from Michigan Street walk Of u
hundred feet or more brings one to the jail yard
entrance,-a big green gate on the right, which
IS most always open. Walking down the slight
Incline for about the same distance, the visitor
finds himself in the centre Of the yard,-
The Michigan street portion Of the County
Building on the south, the Dearborn avenue
portion on the east, the alley he has juEt come
through on the west, and the jail itself on the
uotti, aud extending In that direction to Illinois
street. The jail, iu other words, occupies the
northwest portion OF this east half-block Its
form, for ali practical purposes, is square,
unbroken except on the south front,-or the
yard,-where two wings, one at the right aud the
other at the left, extend some distance out and
to the south from the main front wall.
The entrance to the jail from the yard Is By
= p.ir Of steps leading up to the exterior door.
Oucc past that, the visitor is in the main office.
Looking to the north, as he stands Ia the door,
he can see through the Office into what is known
rs 1.-the cage,''-a combination iron and
hearz-wire apartment, where persons
are admitted and allowed to talk to their friends
wire lattice-work. Entrance thereto is effected
br passing through the inner office door and
down couple OF smooth-worn stone steps. On
the VISITORS right IS another ''cage," where the
lawyers are allowed to consult With clients. To
the north is another iron door, leading from the
main 'cage u into the interior OF the lail,-the
lower stone court, where the prisoners are ut
stated periods allowed to walk and talk, as
aforesald, through the lattice work to their
friends North ot this third door, and distant
rom it i've or six feet, is
THE cELL-HousE,-
structure of stone and iron, quadrilatera1 in
form, with four tiers Of cells on the south aud
north fronts, extending from the ground to
the ceiling. Access to the upper tiers is
had by iron stairs at the east and
vest sides Of the cell-house. On the
north, and between the '.back'' tiers and the
north outer wall Of the jail building, is another
courts are at the east and west ends. In the
southeast corner is an elevator communicating
with the kitchen, By means Of which food is
brought into the jail, while not far removed is
bridge leading from the dollhouse south INTO
what is known as the debtors department, and,
on an upper tier, door opening out into
closed passageway leading from the Jail to the
Criminal Court, and" popularity styled ''the
bridge OF sighs-'' Ketracing his steps 10 tile Of
fee, the visitor will find at his ett-t he still
a hallway south Of this and leading to the left,
Or west, he passes the jail library, just
OF from this little ball, and brings up
at the door opening into the boys department,
Which takes up the west wing Of the jail build~
Ing already referred to. Coming back to the
office once more, and still facing north, he sees
through another hallway the door leading to
the women's department.. Just north Of this
hallway is the jail bathroom, and, north Of that,
the eteps leading down into the Kitchen. When
the visitor has reached this point he is at the
inner main office door, through which he pre-
yiously entered the main sscagc." In this trip
--on paper-he has seen, first and most in
portant OF all. the jail proper, and then the
office, library, bathroom. and the two wings.
To further assist the reader in getting the Lay Of
Ebe land,
THE FOLLOWING DIAGRAM