Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-04

The committee on legislation of the city
council, county commissioners and cham
| Der of commerce, held a meeting in the
council chamber last evening to hear the
and Wiley, the committee appointed
to examine the Jail and
report such Improvements as were deemed
necessary. There was present besides the
committee as above, Aldermen Dowlan,
Allen .Smith and Robert, City Attorney
Murray, James King, and Architect Bass
ford.
Mr.. Harrington for the committee re-
ported verbally, they had visited the Jail,
which they found not only badly
in disgraceful condition. Tha floors
were worn SO thin that prisoners could
easily punch holes through it into the
basement, from which they could easily
escape. The means of ventilation, plumb
ing, ETC., were all bad. The pro-
such that fire started, loss of life would
almost certainly result. AS partial
protection the committee recommended
fire escape on the north end of the build
ing, and the extension of the fire wall be-
tween the Jail proper and the residence and
Office part of the building to be extended
to the roof The basement, he said, was
one of the foulest places he ever saw. 1t
was also full of all kinds of infammable
rubbish-a regular fire nest-which was ag-
gravated by the fact that it was also used
as receptacle for ashes.
Capt. Berkey, in continuation of the
statements made by Col. harrington, said
the committee we're satisfied from what
they an that there was neglect and incom
potency in the management of the Jail. The
condition of the basement was
a disgrace. Upon calling the
attention of the sheriff to it, he
said that official replied it was in as good
condition now as when he took possession,
and excused himself for not cleaning it out,
by saying the county commissioners re-
fused to allow him anything for doing that
kind of work. The Jail now, he said,
was greatly overcrowded from
| the large number of
city commitments. The grating or wire
network recently placed outside the cells
was most ridiculous and ought to be re-
moved at once. The water and water pipes
were in bad condition and the old wood
furnaces should be change to coal.
Mr.. Murray-Do you recommend an ap-
preparation to clean the building.
Mr.. Berkey-Well, 1 would recomme
such an appropriation. or that somebody
be cleaned out. The basement should be
cleaned out at once, and
all infammable material pro-
| tected SO that if q prisoner did get into it,
| there would be nothing to aid in firing the
building. AS to getting rid of the rubbish
and filth, he thought the sheriff could cas-
lily do that with the large number of city
prisoners in his charge.
Mr.. Wiley said he had but little expert
ence with the management of the Jail, hav-
ing been on the board of county commits
sioners only some thirty days. In speak
inf of the condition of the
basement, he said there
that could not be moved only by replacing
it with other material, board air boxes,
wooden posts, broken laths overhead, etc.
The matter of removing the rubbish and
filth could be easily dispensed. Indeed, he
said, he had visited the Jail during the day
and he was surprised to see that some
scrubbing and CLEANSING had been done.
But the rubbish and dirt was small mat
ter. To make the Jail safe would require
a large expenditure of money, which had
to be provided for in some way. He found
by looking over bills of the county COM
missioners that between $4,000 and 49,
900 had been spent in putting in repairs in
the last three months.
Mr.. Bassford, by request, submitted es-
Inmates for a general overhauling, and
putting the building in good repair, his
total being $4,000. This in
cluded the floors and stair
way, new furnaces, fire escape and fire
wall, plumbing, ventilating, ETC., virtually
rebuilding the interior, except kthe cells,
which were pronounced all right.
Mr.. Berkey took the position that no
such Improvements as contemplated by
Mr.. Bsasford's estimates were need
ed. It is probable, he said,
that new court house would be COM
menced the present season and completed
in the next four years. When that was
done a new Jail in some other locality
would follow. Besides, the new city work
house would be ready to receive prisoners
in a short time, thus greatly relieving the
Jail. The committee, he said, had visited
| THE WORK HoI1sF
and were greatly pleased with what they
saw. The building, with sixty cells for
prisoners, residence offices and work room
had cost but $4,000 and the work was
well done, and as far as it went seemed
to be complete in all its
arrangements. 1t did not go far enough,
however, and would not serve its purpose
until more shop room with some kind
of machinery was supplied for the employ
ment of the prisoners.
Mr.. Murray remarked that he had just
received the report from Chicago, where
they did not go so far in providing en-
ployment for prisoners as was proposed
here, and it showed that 1900 prisoners
committed to the institution during the