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


Building Committee, Architect Beers, and
he reporter of the Republican criticize SO
in its last two issues to ofier
reply. Perhaps the committee were
wrong IN reporting as they did, but from
THAT has transpired since it is evident they
vere mistaken, as since 1t was written the
Committee have been advised
1. That the mighty brain which con-
eived, planned and superlnsended the
construction of the county Jail (frstclasO
.euer made a mistake.
2. That the building committee are OF
authority.
3. That architect Beers word must be
aiken as law, especially when the RepudH-
an reporter swears to 1t.
4. That the sheriff and as jailor did
lot know their business, and supposed
hey were living in log cabin, with old
fashioned fire places, in the back woods.
These and other things the grand jury
committee did not know or they might
have reported differently.
Now. Mr.. Editor. the Ottawa Republican
Of Jan. Goth places the committee OF the
grand jury and Sheriff Mllligan in no en-
viable light before the public, and in jus
tice to that officer ana in defeuse of the
grand jury, would say that the report as
first drawn was more explicit and called
things by their proper namc-jGst as we
found them. The sheriff did not try to
cover up anything, gave Us ali the intor.
nation in his power, and allowed us not
only the freedom of the Jall, but OF the
sheriff's house. and we have understood
that the sheriff intended to tixup the prem
Ises but concluded to wait until after the
report OF the grand jury. And now, Mr..
Editor, take exceptions to the report OF
the building committee and Mr.. Architect
Beers. Their report in the Republican of
the Goth inst reads thusly-leaving out
some things not important to this subject;
The following facts, developed on an IN
vesli cation since the report by the build
ing committee and architect Beers, makes
that document remarkable one and
places the committee OF the grand jury and
that body itself IN singular light before
the public.
The committees Investigations show the
following state of affairs as represented by
them.
THE Sanitary Condition not Good
Though the. grand Jury SAID so, and what
they SAID was in a Slight degree true, yet
the jailor appears to have taken not the
slightest pains to see about it. Yesterday
the committee and architect Beers found
every one of the cold or pure air ducts
closed Systematically sealed Not only
those Of the Jail, but of the sherltf's dwell
ling, were absolutely shut up, as much as
if the pure air of heaven was poison &c
be iudicially excluded from the premises
Not only this, but the cold or outside all
ducts under the Jail proper were closed up
80 as to stop circulation to the cells above
but open into the cellar below, thereby
making that portion fearfully hot.
Now, Mr.. Architect Beers cannot find
cold air duct leading into tho sheriff
house but passes orer hot air pipes. Fur
Their, he or his committee can find bu
one place that cold air can get into the eel
lar of the sherlff's house or Jail without
opening the cellar windows, and that one
place Is out of the cold air box IN the jai
cellar, and IS only ox8 inches square. Tit
public can imagine for themselves wha
the atmosphere is in that cellar, with,
should say, not less than SIX or seven hun
dred feet Of hot air pipes in the differen
rooms of the cellar. Then add to this thu
pipe to the city sewer, which building
committee and architect acknowledge the!
knew was there and open, and 1t show
them to be criminally negligent, as the.
never notified the sheriff or any employ
of the jail until after the report of tn
grand jury, az will be seen by their Owl
report below:
A fearful thing connected with the bat
management of the Jail IS an open sewe
pipe running into the cellar under thu
sherih's dwelling. The committee hav,
repeatedly called the attention OF the jallO
to this pipe and its uses. 1t was to carr,
off water when there ID any In the cellar
When not It IS to be kept closed up! Yes
terGay morning 1t was, as 1t had been TO
weeks, wide open! 1t is thus made run
way for rats and pouring sewer gas-th
deadliest Of poisons-unrestrlcted into tn
cellar, thence up the stairway into the Jail
or's rooms, and all over the premises. Ye
the grand jurys committee failed to sc
this, just as the jailor has.
How was it closed! The truth is,
was closed, If it eyer was closed, with
pine board sawed round and put in the
inch sewer pipe and the rats gnawed
hole through and got 1t out. Since the
the present sheriff had 1t cemented up 40
the rats have worked at 1t since last Satu
day night, till 1t is not tight. In the opir
ion of the writer If the architect and buil(
ing committee had gone to the expens
and put in a stencil trap, there would hav
been no trouble with sewer gas. TIL
grand jury did not suppose it was the
duty to examine every rat hole to see il
was an open sewer pipe. The jailor nigh
have covered the grand Jury's eyes, but
is evident he did not cover their Loses