Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-02-14
DAILY poSI.INTEluGfncER.


A correspondent Of the PosT-lSTELLi'
a xxcxs in q communication published
Yesterday, referred in somewhat severe
terms TO the fac. that persons convicted
Of o6ensss involving . sentence OF noe
or Imprisonment, were. instead OF being
incarcsrated, or comp lied to work OIL
their zines, boarded by the sheriff Al :
first ass hotel at public expense ana
living like lilies If the valley Inc OBJ
x,ous difficulty and canse OF complaint
arises from the fact that the newly
created county Of Skagit has ~ yet no
Jail. and therefore uulsss criminals are
cent ont of the couuty afser conviction
and sentence, they must be provided ior
by the sheriff at his discretion, unless
or until the County Commissioners pro
vide work.
The several sections of the code OF
Warrington Territory relativsto Unable
oaensss, and applicable TO the cases re-
ferred to by our correspondent, are lie.
ll26 and ms. The frs named provides
that il the person sentenced does not
nav, or secure payment Of the fine and
costs adjudeed aesinst hin, before the
ipsl adjournment Of court, the clerk
sball isaue q warrant TO ths sheriff com
,usndine the imprisonment Of defend
ant in the county jail, until the amount
Of fine and costs has been iiqoidated by
one days imprisonment for each three
dollars thereof. The next section il OF
similar import, bat applicable solely TO
senssnoe Of imprisonment. Section llS
provides that "when . defendant 10
committed 10 jail in failure to pay any
6ns or costs, he shall, under the order Of
the County Commissioner, work out
the amount OF The fns and costs, at the
rate of three dollars per day." and
.vhen any defendant 10 in the custody
OF the sherid by virtue Of . sentence OF
imprisonment in the county Jail, and
there b no county Jail in the county, be
shall, under the order Of the County
Commissioner, cause such person To
work out his unexpired term of impris-
onment in such manner an said County
Commissioner may direct"
We do not exactly wee how any fault
can be laid at the door Of any person,
except il may be that the sheriff ia TAX
ing too good care Of his wards. The
Judge Who sentenced these men wal
bound to follow tho law. Upon theil
conviction Il was his duty to pass sen
tsuce. Certainly be Is not responsible
for their good feeding. Neither is the
clerk whose duty It became to issue the
warrant TO the sheriff for their incar-
cerstion. Neither are the good people
Of SkaQit county blamable for not 70,
having a Jail built. Nor are the County
Commissioners to be haFshly criticized
for not providing work, inasmuch AZ, ii
~ ere correct, their 6rst meeting was
held this week. The sheriff, withou,
or6en from the Board Of Commission
en-, had, in our opinion, no power ia
provide work. nor compel the prisoners
70 perform il. The mode In which he IL
y care for their safety, and tho sOrt OF
food he provides, 10 and must be mat
tsr solely Of his own discretion under
existing circumstances. II ia doubtless
agaravatinR to hard working man "a
witness idlers. and convicted criminals
(who should be working out their fines
sleeping 10 Jail, and subsistihg on Jail
rations), living on the fat of the land al
public expense. The remedy wosld
seem TO DO for the Board Of County
Oommisaionsrs to ct once furnish a
place to keep these mon, and plenty OF
work for them to do.