The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-02-03

report upon this part OF the jail In the fol
lowing language:
The discovery that the windows under
the sheriff g house are mot secure" Is an.
other bit Of foolishness These small win.
dows open into the cellar--a stone and
BRICK enclosure IN which the burglar 10
farther from the prisoners than ever, barred
out by immense solid walls and concrete
aud IRON besides he would stand chance
of being asphyxiated unless the sheriff
stops up that sewer-pipe.
But few months ago two prisoners con.
fined in this model jail, in the night time,
when they we're supposed locked fast in
their steel cells, went out without much
trouble through the same ventilatlng fue,
which is still there, and once IN the cellar
1t stands wide open, and then by cutting
off one small iron rod he can enter any
floor In the Jail he pleases, and no one is
The wiser. There IS scarcely store in the
city but is better protected from burglars
than this very Jail.
A word about the basement windows:
The Basement Windows the outside
there are large windows which, the com
mlttee say, are not protected by sufficient
grating, and through which things might
be passed to prisoners. In the first place,
the basement story of the jail, ii the sher.
If does his duty and follows the inten-
ton of the builders Of the jail, Will never
have IN 1t other than women and boys and
debtors; secondly. the windows are about
eight feet from the ground. First is
grating of perpendicular bars one and
fourth inches thick Next are hammered
glass lights, thick and heavy; next IA screen
of thick wire, with meshes so close rs to
hardly pass lead-pcncil; next inside
blinds; next four ieet OF hall or corridor
between the inside of the walls and then
come the prisoners IN steel cages. To ar
que that anything could be passed through
all these distractions but light is nom
sense.
The committee Of tho grand jury could
find nothing in the Revised Statutes, Meth
err did the district attorney, or the judge,
or the building committee, or the architect,
tell us that the sheriff was instructed to
follow out the intentions OF the building
committee and put none but women, boys
and debtors on the basement floor. AS TO
the security, the writer passed In two cigars
to prisoners when they were locked fast in
steel cages, and there is not much doubt
but that 1t has been done before. And as
to the thick wire meshes that protect the
windows 50 well that "a lead-pencil could
hardly pass through" would say, for the
benefit OF whom it may concern, that sdu
stonecutter's point, nine inches long, Mret
quarters Of an inch in diameter, passed
through where the reporters lead-pencil
would hardly pass. How is this for mon
sense:"
And now comes the last, the finale, and
says that the grand jury's report has done
some good, IN the words following:
The report of the grand jury, however
has done good, because it has called the at
tention of the building committee TO the
want of attention by the persona who have
charge of the Jail. The sheriff, IN the
multiplicity OF his other duties, evidently
has not looked into this institution careful
lly. The grand jury must have gone abou
it with their eyes shut They pronounce
Its sanitary condition bad, yet could no
see that every cold air duct was closed, tina
q sewer pipe was wide open, that there is ,
fire wall and nine foot hall between thu
sherlff's house and the Jail, that the ceiling
over the jail is covered with sixteen inches
of solid dirt, that brick, iron and concrete
will not readily burn, that the 800 gallon
of water that daily supply that building
ought to raise doubt at least as to scarcl
ty of water, that there were no bad smell
IN the Jail, save little in the cold air re
ceiver 10 the cellar, lgnorantly kept closed
full of dccayed food.
The above is final of this wonderful CON
mittee and reporter; and think the gran
. jury committee will agree with them tha
the sheriff and his employees do not carry on
the intentions Of tho building committee an
architect. Every cold air duct leading Int
the jailor's house and Jail is filled wit
sleam-pipes. Would it not be we'll for tn
, sheriff to be instructed to compel the coIt
pure AIR Of heaUen not to touch the steam
, pipes when 1t enters the Jail or house!-
Also, that the rats BE- ordered not to inter
fere with the sewer-pire'
, Would It not be we'll for the sheriff
, notify the water in the jail cellar that whe
1t IS ready to get out he will have the sew'
!. opened.
I Would it not be we'll tor the buildin
= committee and architect to instruct Il
sheriff to feed the prisoners nothing b
, liquid iood-so that they cannot throw an
bread, mea, or other garbage down the col
air fues on the hot air pipes, which caus'
bad smells and bad air.
e Would it not be we'll to have the sheri
notify Mr.. Duffy TO shut off all steam tro
= the jail and jai!or's house-so that u
J, water-pipss might cool off and some goc
] drinking water might be had for the ia
and jailor's family
Would 1t not be good policy to have Il
g sheriff make the prisoners, when they cles
. the halls and corridors of the Jail eyel
morning, go out doors and empty the DIR
,,o,or ,pctaad oc into tbo hoth-tuhS r