Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-20
MEETS HIS END.

Death Off. II. Munger-One Nan Less at
the County Ice House.
]. q. Munger, the prisoner mentioned In yes
terday's GLOBE as having been removed to the
Cottage hospital. died early yesterday morn
lug. It seems that about two weeks ago he
fell from his couch and injured his abdomen
by striking on plank. Inflammation Of the
bowels set in and caused his death.
In view of the savage criticisms that have
been made, owing to the suffering Of the pris-
oners in the unfinished JAIL and in view of an
opinion quite generally believed that the
prisoners sickness aud death was occasioned
by exposure, the GLOBE has investigated the
case and found the following:
DR.. Kelly, the county physician,
prescribed for the prisoner until last Friday
morning, when he was called away as a witness
in an important law case. About week ago
the doctor called upon Mr.. Hale, the county
attorney, to see if the sick man sould not be
removed to suitable quarters. The attorney
expressed the opinion that the prisoner could
not be removed without bail. There the mat
ter dropped. few days after, however, DR..
Kelly and others had consultation at the
Jail, and the prisoner was SO much better that
the idea of removing him was not thought nee
essary.
The prisoner steadily improved, according to
the county physician, and Sunday morning
talked and joked with the other prisoners. In
the evening he was taken worse and q physi-
oiau was called. 1t was then seen that the
prisoner was beyond recovery. In the morn
ing Sheriff Thompson applied to Judge Van
derburgh for authority to remove the man il.
which was granted, and the patient taken to
the city hospital, where he died as mentioned
above.
No one knows, probably. whether the sick
ness OF the prisoner was occasioned by expos
ure at the jail. 1t ia not certain that his dis
ease was fastened by the condition of his sur
roundinas. But this fact remains-that the
Jail has been totally unfit for living beings 20
occupy. The county phySician says it has been
so all summer, and no one will dispute him. If
the prisoners have suffered as thay say they
have and as everyone who has seen them be-
lieves they have, could a sick man hope to re-
cover in such placer The law demands of
no one an impossibility. Would the law de-
mand that prisoner, lying on bed of sick
ness, and without friends to give bail, should
be obliged to remain in an icy cell until death
was just at hand?
The commissioners of course are blamed by
many for not having the Jail completed, the
contractors are blamed. the officers are blamed,
and in fact every one at all connected with the
business is blamed BY some one. But that ia
not the paramount point, just now. When the
county physician found it was not a fit place
Tor the man, and SO expressed himself, nothing
should have stood in the way of the prisoner q
removal to some place where certain death did
not stare him in the face. No law would ever
touch man who should grant authority for
the removal of sick prisoner from this place,
combining like dungeon, but open to the rain
and sleet and snow of an October tempest
Perhaps the man would have died wherev el
he was, and no one may have been to blame
for anything but the fact remains that
no sick man could hope for
recovery confined in such plsce as was j. 81.
Munger.
Another curious fact in connection with the
matter is the report that Mrs. Munger bad no
knowledge of her husbands death until yes
terday afternoon. when reporter called at the
house to make some inquiries. It seems almost
impossible to believe this, but Hennepin ooun-
ty people are prepared for almost anything, no
matter what it may be.
The remains of Mr.. Munger were taken from
the hospital yesterday afternoon by an under.
taker