Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-07
OUR BAsTILE.
A Visit to the Jail Of Ohio County.
A Description Of the Building and the Pris-
oners 1t encloses-Yiew Of Prison
Life-Dark Tales Suggest
ed at Points.
WHAT is NEEDED IN WAY OF REPAIRS,

WnHi 10 NECUCU Nv WI w Vs. '"~
The Wheeling Bastile, otherwise known
as the Jail OF Ohio county, is located, a.
every one knows, on Eeff street, immediate
" back Of the Court House. Behind the
bar of justice is the house of punishment
yelled from front view. just as behind the
Judgment seat of the old inquisitor, the
heavy black curtain concealed the torture
and the rack. This Jail was erected in 1885
or thereabout, Uncle John Boring being
unhandy for reference at this time, or al
any rate, so far back as to be, to the present
rising generation, lost in the midst OF anti
guilty. Jails come within the list Of
structures reared to defy, not only the at
tempts at liberty OF those confined within
but TO set at defiance time itself; consequent
ly our Bastile. is, with the exceptions TO be
hereinafter set forth, is as good condition
as ever, though what man made, man can
destroy, and no brain so cunning in con,
trivanCe, but the cunning of another will
prove equal to the unrayeling and escapes
liU occur.
YESTERDAY afternoon q REGISTER envoy
was in Jail, with the other prisoners, but
for only sufficient time TO view the in
terror Of the structure and prepare literary
lenses through which the genenal public
might look and behold. The style of archi-
lecture is not Gothic. Doric or Renaissance.
1t is plain, square and substantial. Brick
and freestone are the material, with iron
thrown in for safety and nothing for or
nament. The building is T'shaped. with
the cross piece OF the T lying along Eoft
street and the stem running west 10 the
Court House. The croSS-piece is devoted to
the use of the jailor on the south side, and
NIa IN nIlTn0SpE
the stem is honeycOmbed by cells, opening
into a corridor upon each floor. Entering
the main door and turning to the right,
the visitor finds himsef in the old debtors
room, now the Jail office. Under the old law
when debtor was thrown into prison his
lot was not that OF the general prisoner and
his accommodations somewhat better.
When a writ of capiGs ad saiiSfaciend,m was
served upon debtor he had his choice of
three things: To pay the claim, give good
security or surrender his body to the Sher-
if. Too often the latter was done,
when the unfortunate had TO remain in du-
resS until he paid the money or took the
insOlvent debtors oath. Many were too proud
to do this, and have languished in such
rooms until, like the Prisoner of Chilion,
thew lost their identity and knew no other
world The room has changed since, butin
fancy the reporter could see the wild, sad
ewes and haggard cheeks of some unfortu.
nate prisoner for debt, expiating, perhaps,
the dishonOr Of one for whom he had in
dOrSed.
On the floor level with Eoff street, and in
the second story OF the stem of the L, is the
main corridor of the prison division, and
into this, escorted by Jailor Davis, the
thirster for knowledge went. The corridor
has eleven inmates, all of whom are young
and several of even tender years. The day,
was wash day, and the prisoners
had finished their laundrying, which hung
in white linen and barred flannel prOfu-
sion from a clothes line, while the laundry
men sauntered about or reclined on the
benches, engaged in theological and Scien-
titic conversation. They are allowed the
liberty OF the corridor from $50 \. NJ. until
5 p. ". at this season, and are locked up
and released by Albert Price, who very
creditably and satisfactorily otliciates as
On the north side of the corridor are four
double cells and on the south are seven
single ones, SO that thirty prisoners may be
accommodated, though as
many us SiXty-three have been there at
time, sleeping eight and ten in each double
or rather quadruple cell. Among the pris-
onerS clustered about were noticed Albert
Price, who wanted to winter at the Jail and
accordingly stole a quarter OF beef; the
three BealS boys, charged with the shoot
ing of Harry Paxton; Wilbur Nilligan,
awaiting indictment for the killing Of Frank
Davis; Frank Stanley, charged with shoot
ing Willard White, and n number of others
whom the reporter did not know.
An examination of the interior OF the
cells told many vivid stories of long, care.
full. and patient work of prison
ers-work carried on when the
world was wrapped in sleep-work
against hard stone and harder homework,
which was suspended with catching of
the breath at every nOiSe-wOrk inspired
by hope of soon again breathing the free
air under the blue skieS-wOrk inspired by
a hope that was ever TO be dashed to the
ground again. These were written every
where on the scratched bars and loosened
many the work OF entire years and
under circumstances equalled only by
those detailed in the Count of Monte
Christie"
The upper corridor is occupied by females,
Of whom seven are now confined. A few
had the grace to retreat to their cells when
the reporter was admitted, but few brazen
faced fades rushed CuriouSly forward and
one had the impudence to inquire for "a
little rub of snuff" This corridor is the
of the one below it, but its
cells tell no such tales ~ the other. The
only ones of interest are those formerly
by Taylor Strauder and Elihu
Gregg, during :heir years of confinement,
both under the death sentence, but both
now free.
The entire Jail, from trench to founda-
tion stones. was inspected and the repairs
necessary were very apparent. In the
first place. good double coat of white
wash throughout would not only add to
the appearance and promote the sanitary
condition, but is absolutely necessary. A
sewer is also necessary, As at present a
accumulation of water
stands on the basement liOOr. Also, q lamp
or light should be placed in the north
yard. which is black aS night after dark
These three matters should be attended TO
at once. Perhaps also, 4 mason might do
good work in some of the cells
Sheriff Brown, with his new jailor, are
much liked by the Jail inmates. The diet
furnished the prisoners is wholesome clean
times each day and have all they can eat.
good soup. They get hall pound of bread
each, daily. of the very best quality in the
city, furnished by the Bayha bakery, on
Market street. and fresh every evening.
The morning meal consists Of one quart of
coffee, half pint of good molases with the
usual quota of bread, one-half the dinner
as above described, and supper the same as
breakfast. Certainly, no prison in the
United States furnishes better food and
more OF it, per capita, than is given BY
Sheriff Brown to those confined in Ohio
county Jail.
Good order and good behavior prevails
among the prisoners, and they seem to
take their prison life kindly and pleasantly
among themselves. The daily and
Sunday papers are allowed them.
and every Kindness and liberty is shown
them by the TAILOR, that it is possible to be
shown and preserve good and necessary dis
cipline among them. He permits them to
remain out of their cells until : o'clock T.
VI so rs TO give them the benefit of the
evening air. In the morning they are un.
locked and out of their cells by $3.50, at
which time their breakfast is ready. He
lets them eat their meals with unlocked
cell doors. The uniform custom hereto
fore was to lock them up. The prisoners
all seem to appreciate his kindness and
conduct themselves accordingly.
Religious services are held regularly
every Sunday afternoon at 8 o'clock, under
the auspices of the Fourth Street Metho.
-. IL n