Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-12
FIT FOR A srENAGERIE."
What the Grand Juries Said AbOut the
Jail 25 Years Ago.

! Court Relating TO Building New Jail"
The book contains partial history Of the
T movement began in lS55 70 secure a new
jail in place OF the one which had again
and again been pronounced by grand
juries inadequate for the purposes OF the
the county.
At the January term Of the Superior
court m 1875, says the record. the grand
, jury visited the jail, which had then been
erected ten years, and no the meantime
had been by subsequent Legislation taken
from the control OF the Inferior court and
vested in the mayor and aldermen Of the
city, and presented ii as a place unsafe
and insecure, and recommended recon-
structi0n Of the building expressing the
opinion that the citizens Of the county
would willingly submit 70 additional tax
alton 10 obtain place more suitable Tor
the Incarceration OF prisoners. The pre-
sentiment is recorded IN the minutes Of
the superior court, and IS signed by
George b. Cumming, foreman, and Jacob
Waldburg, Samuel :. Sibley, George NJ.
Waldburg Edward Padeford. John Stod-
dard, Allen K. Wright, stephen K. Haber-
sham, Jonu ". hewitt, William Neyl9
Habersham, James VI. jones', William
T. Feav, Thomas VI. Turner, Charles
Grant James :. wilkins, Nicholas Cru
ger Joseph WasuDurn, William King,
William p. White, John J. Jackson, II.
NJ
and Daniel ID. COpp.
A subsequent grand jury presented the
Jail as "menagere it for wild beas g."
ia view Of these presentmeuts, the JUS
tees Of the Inferior Court, at That time
composed OF VIM. II. Cuyier, Noah b.
Knapp, George :. Harrison. Montgomery
Cumming and James L. Godfrey. desirOus
OF carrying out the views OF the grand
jury and building a secure Jail, met. and
a law was drafted By them and sent TO the
senator and representatives at Mllledge-
vile, 20 authorize the Justices 10 comply
with the recommendations OF the grand
jury.
On Feb. 10, 1856 an act was passed Civ
ing authority to the Interior Court to
borrow money, and levy and collect an
extraordinary tax for the building of a
new Jail, in the following language:
WHEREAS the present jail is inadequate to
: the purposes for which lL Was intended and
the Justices ~ the Inferior Court, on repeated
presentment5 or grand lUrle-, deem II proper
1 10 erect new jail suitable TO the pub
Ilc wants but have not the means Of
dong SO without borrowing money. and re-
funding the same out Of taxes for that pur-
pose 70 be raised. BE IL therefore enacted
hat the Justices Of the Inferior Court Of
chatham county, or any three of them be,
and they are hereby authorized and en-
powered to obtain on loan not to exceed the
term Of three years, the sum Of 100000 on the
falth and credit Of the county for the purpose
"a
jail ~ the city Of savannah. and to secure the
| loan bv notes or bonds to be issued by the
Justices Of the Inferior Court, provided the
loan shall not exceed the term OF three wears.
The second section Of the act gave the
court power 20 levy and collect tax over
and above the county tax, not to exceed
10000 for each year for the space of three
years. In July OF the same year the court
passed an order directing that in its opin-
lon new jail should be erected. and APP
pointing q committee to confer with the
Mayor and Aldermen as to the most de-
5irable site. No official report Of the re-
suit of the conference was ever recorded,
If any conference was had. In the mean
time plans for the proposed Jail were
adopted, and an order was passed to col
lect the first tax Of $4,000. Subsequent
ly orders were passed for the collection of
the other $4,000, and in 1858 the full
amount was paid in. The funds were then
invested. No conference being obtained
with the city authorities, a cOmmunica-
ton was addressed to the Mayor and
Aldermen asking, inasmuch as the
amountrased by taxation by the county
was insufficient to complete the work,
that the city confirms the conveyance
to the county Of the site of the
present Jail in order that 1t might be sold
TO make up the deficiency, and to make
some other appropriation of land suitable
for the location Of "A new Jail.
In pursuance of this application the
City Council passed an ordinance setting
/ apart portion of ground in Crawford
ward, in tire eastern part Of the CITY. but
so clogging the intended conveyance with
restric ions that the court upon consul.
tatiOn declined to invest the funds of the
county on the improvement Of the land.
Several meetings were held between the
court and the committee OF Council, but
the court held to its original determine.
81 loo
party's land. At length, with the advent
OF "A new board OF city officers, an under
standing was arrived at to the effect that
? the city authorities should convey to the
county the lots in FORSYTH ward where
, the present Jail now stands, the
court to place in the hands OF
the city the KEYS OF the new iail
, with the understanding that application
: should be properly made TO the CITY, that
the agreement entered into might officially
be arranged The court accordingly made
a formal application TO the Council. The
matter came up and was reported upon,
and an ordinance was passed granting in
/ fee simple the lots In FORSYTH ward and
improvements for the purpose Of sale, the
| proceeds TO be devoted to the erection Of
a new jail on the triangular site at the
| corner OF East Broad and Reynolds street
and the ThunderbOlt road. on certain con-
! dltions, one OF which was that the cree
. tion Of the new jail should be begun with
in three months from the time the grant
8 was made, and another. that il at any
g time the control OF the Jail should be
!. taken from the city and vested in the
{ court, the latter should pay to the city
4 the value Of the site.
I Proposals for plans for the Jail on this
y site were advertised for, and a committee
/ from the City Council and OF citizens WAS
invited % meet with the Justices of the
2 court TO review them. A number of
! plans were submitted and Inspected, but
. no award was made, it being deemed ad-
/ visable at the first meeting OF the commit
I tee and the court TO postpone the award
, until more thorough and minute exami-
i nation OF the plans could be made
\ No further record OF the movement ap-
pears In the proceedings OF the court.
u The Reporter" Still Lives.
On Oct. 30 United States Deputy Mar
shat Palmer seized and levied upon the