Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-05-14

The Building to be Removed
70 the Center Of the
Square.
a Jail and TWO Large AAdi.
ttOmS to be R0l1t.

%r 4 CHIv402O #EWN4 e. X"
a Jail and Two Large AAdi.
siOns 10 be Bal1G
For years Union County has stuff
cred financially and otherwise for
want Of a Jail and more court house
room. When q prisoner has been
caught, where the crime committed
called for confinement, there was no
place to put him where he could be
safely kept and as result men have
been permitted to wander at will.
1t also has often happened that
men, for want of a Jail, escaped the
punishment justly due them because
of the expense necessary to punish
them.
This our County Commissioners
have seen, and found it necessary to
take some decided steps to check
this steadily increasing outlay and
fragrant violations of law, because
Union County was without q place
to shut up those who disregard her
laws. Time, and again the board has
been compelled to allow large bills
to defray the expense Of keeping
prisoner prior to trial OF this the
Commissioners became tired, and
after figuring and waiting for some
time, finally decided to make an APP
preparation of money enough to fit
up a Jail and stop the needless ex-
pense continually drawing on the
taxpayers of this county.
Aside from the expense and in
conveniences arising for the want of
a Jail, they also found another chan
mel through which the money has
been running out of the treasury.
At each session Of court it has al
ways been necessary to rent a room
for the grand jury. A room has also
been rented for years for the Clerk of
the Court, because the court house
did not contain the room necessary
for the other officers. These and
other things caused an outlay that
could not be avoided without enlar-
ging the building.
At the last session of the board
the matters already stated were ia
ken into consideration. They can
vassed the ground carefully, and
found that by raising the court
house five feet above the level of the
ground, and digging a basement four
feet deep, they would thus obtain
room for a good Jail at a far less cost
than if they undertook to build one
independent Of the court house. To
get room for the Jail, an office for the
sheriff and an office for the Clerk of
the Court, it became necessary to
have more space than the upright
part of the present building would
give, hence, to remedy this, they
agreed to build two wings to the old
building, the basement Of one to be
used as an office, and the other to be
for the vault. The second story, Cor
the first above the basement,) of one
will be used as a vault, and the third
story as a jury room. The second
story of the other wing will be used
as a stairway, and the third story as
a jury room This plan makes the
building complete in every particu-
lar.
The new rooms are to be 16x16
and 16x2O, respectively, three stories
high, including the basement. The
Jail will be about 20x15 feet, 8 feet
high. In this will be put a large
iron cell OF cage, large enough to hold
four men.
To complete this work the Com
missioners appropriated $1,000, and
gave the contract to citizens Of this
place, who have raised about $3.50
by private subscription to aid the
county in building the Jail and max
ing the improvements. Tuesday
morning bids for doing the work
were opened, and J. M. kTalcott be-
ing the lowest bidder, was awarded
the contract. His bid embraces
everything from digging a well, paint
ing the house outside and in, build
ing new chimneys, to that of furnish
ing lumber, brick and labor for the
entire building.
Work will begin at once to remove
the building and ground for the
basement. The job is to be finished
before the first Of July. Look out
for a nice edifce.