The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-05-12
THE JAIL QUESTION.
Popular Opinion FnvOrs "a New
Jail and n Different
Location.
THE REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY Sane
TONED AND ENDORSED.

OSSlFluR W 16bl tue pulse Oh
, the question If a new parish jail, a re
porter of the Echo took it upon him
self Tuesday and Wednesday to inter
view those of our business men ant
tax -pRyers whom he could find at theil
respective places of business. Below
we give the questions and answers ex
actly as they were put and received
, The render may readily discern the
drift OF popular sentiment touching
this by no means unimportant measure
The first gentleman preached upon
the subject by the reporter was NJ NJ,
Singleton, Esq, TO whom the follow.
ing question was asked
Reporter, Judge, do yo1 think the
present most propitious time for the
police jury to give the subject of a new
Jail their attention =?
Answer. Most Rssuredly do. While
l believe in enforcing the laws of the
land in the apprehension and punish
ment of criminals, yet it is but reason
able and humane to provide safe and
sanitary keeping for them till finally
tried and either found guilty or &C
quilted. And by all means let the new
Jail be erected elsewhere than on the
public square,
Capt. J. s. Hawkins was next seen,
to whom the question was asked
Reporter.-Captain, do you endorse
the Echo in the stand it has taken re-
gRrding the building of new jail
Answer ri do, most emphatically.
And am decidedly of the opinion that
the police jury at their next meeting
should give the matter their earnest
attention. also think that the most
suitable location for the jail is the lake
front, Immediately west and fronting
the public square.
At his place of business, wide-awake
as usual Capt, W. Fl. Haskell was seen
and Intercepted as follows
Captain, as taxpayer, and an old
resident, what are your ideas about it
being the duty of the police jury to
take early action on the matter of re-
moving the old and building q new
jail ?
Answer think the old jail has
been public nuisance long enough.
and that it ought to be replaced by
new and more secure one. This parish
has already paid enough for guarding
prisoners in the present Jail, for the
past twenty years to build and pay for
much better one. AS for location for
new Jail, if the police jury determine
to have one built, I think committee
should be appointed by said body to
consult with the property holders of
this town relative to Il site for the same.
From here the reporter called at the
drug store of DR.. VIM. Meyer, where
he addressed the following question to
Mr.. Adolph Meyer:
Reporter. Meyer, have you any
objections to giving the Echo your
ideas regarding the question of the
parish erecting a new jail during the
present year q?
Answer. None whatever. / think
the police jury should not fail to give
this their prompt attention at their
next meeting. The old Jail is burden
to the parish and frst-class nuisance.
In my Judgment, the new Jail should
by oil means be erected on the lake I
front.
Crossing the street to A. H. Moss
store, Capt. o. M. Marsh was next
approached
Reporter .-Captain. how do you stand
on the parish Jail question ? Do you
think the present police jury should |
take any action in the matter?
Answer. i think the present jail
nuisance, and steps should be taken as
soon as possible to have it removed.
Mr.. John Mccormick, Of the Com
mercial, was next seen, to whom the !
question was put:
Reporter. Mccormick, know
you favor the removal of the parish
jail from the public square. Why do
you do so
Answer First, because it is noto-
riously a public nuisance. Second, be-
cause it is a heavy expense upon the
parish aud third, because as the Jail
now stands, it is anything but credit
to our town and parish. You may put
me down as an advocate of the lake
front for site for new Jail. ..
Mr.. VIM. ID. Mearns, our genial and
courteous postmaster, who has re
Gently invested in substantial property
on Ryan street, next received the Faher-
pusher'S atten ion:
Reporter. Mearns, will you be
SO kind as to state how you stand on
the Jail question which has been agita-
ted by the Echo for some time past &?
Answer think it disgrace to the
parish, and should be RACED as soon as
possible. 1t should be placed on the
lake bank, in connection with a market
house and town hall.
Then came Mr. NJ. J. Rosteet, who
&C makes no bones about expressing
his opinion whenever and wherever he
deems it necessary
Reporter. Mr.. ,Rosteet, are you not
1f the opinion that the parish jail
should be removed from the public
square, and that, too, at an early day ? [
Answer. Ii am. And further, / would
res pectfully suggest the lake front as |
being, in my Judgment, the most suita-
pie location for the erection of new
Jail building. s
Mr.. Garland NJ. Dees was found at j
MS stables, He eheerfuliy gave his
news on the subject I
Reporter Mr.. Dees, you of course 6
nave noticed for some time past the j
position of the Echo on the Jail CUES t
ion. Do you approve its course ?
Answer II do. think the old barn {
low used for jail disgrace to any |
civilized community. ] think the lake i
ront would be the best locality on Q
Which to erect q new jail, aud would Q
especially suggest that jail, market
Iouse and municipal offices and town "
lock or betty. be combined In one
building. 3
Mr.. VIM. @. Fricke was next inter 0
iewed, as follows y
Mr.. Fricke, what is your opinion as
0 the ACCESSIBILITY OF removing, at the r.
arliest period practicable, the parish g
nil, and erecting new one on the a
AXE front? a
Answer Il am in favor of new jail. Il
Would prefer the court house lake
ront, if the parish has the means for e
uhdlng the same. b
From here the scribe repaired TO Mr.. G.
soht Laudry's store, and the following h
hort but pointed dialogue eusued Il
Reporter = Mr.. Landry, how do you o