The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-01-24
PETTIS COUNTY JAIL.
The Present Tumble Down
Structure a Disgrace to
the County.
Anew Building SoreIy Needed.


and Pettis county has become 80 we'll
known throughout Central Missouri,
and even the entire state, that it has
become necessary for the citizens of
this county to guard the enviable rep
utation it has gained, by careful con-
sideration of all of its public institu-
tons As an evidence of its popular
i:y and the esteem in which it is held
by its sister cities of Missouri, we cite
as witnesses the late Poultry Show
held here, and the conventions of the
Missouri State Dairy Association and
the Missouri State Road Improvement
Association, held here during the past
week.
Sedalia is fast becoming known rs
the Convention City" of the State of
Missouri, and the visitors who come
to this city from the far corners of
the State are bound to visit all her
public institutions, and Pettis county
should not cause the blush of shame
to mantle the face of the sheriff, or to
oblige him to offer apologies for the
delapidated and disgraceful hole
known as the Pettis County Jail.
And as all roads lead to Soda
liza the number of visitors here, both
on business and for social intercourse
is very large, many of these visitors
view the noisome jail, and 90 away
with their nostrils filled with the stench
thereof. Many commercial travellers
knowing the excellence of Sedalia's
hotels, come to this city to spend their
Sundays and attend devine services
at its many splendid churches. when
business necessity obliges them to he
in this vacinity.
There should be no delay or procrasti-
nation in this matter, but action
should be had at once. We would
advise that Judge Daily, the prc>ii-
Ing judge of the county bench, Issue :.
call for a mass meeting to agiiate This
matter OF a new Jail, at some near day,
when a petition could be signed and
the matter submitted To the voters vi
Pettls county.
THE COUNTY JAIL
is two story brick building. situated
on Lamine street, midway between
Second and Third streets, and wa.
erected the year after the Civil war
Everything about it is ol,l-iashioned
and time worn, and the few modern
improvements which have been intro
duced, are unsatisfactory on account
Of the cramped quarters, and lack OF
convenience.
The front portion of the building is
divided up into living rooms for the
sheriff and his family, and contains
also a small Office room and the
prisoners kitchen. These quarters
are decidedly inadequate, and al
though the present sheriff, Mr.. J. &.
Porter does not complain, many of his
predecessors were loud i'm their COM
plants. and the several reports of the
grand jurors, also condemned the con-
dition of affairs.
The cell house originally contained
two double steel cells, making Il cage
containing four cells in all, two facing
north and two facing south. A few
years ago two more cells were added
to the cage at its west end, making at
the present time, six steel cells. Each
of these cells is about seven feet
square, and only one contains hunks.
and these would not have been OBJ
tanned, if it were not for the fact that
they were were seut to the county IL
a sample. These hunks are in cell
No. of the south corridor. In the
remaining five cells of the steel cage.
the unfortunate inmates are obliged
to sleep upon the iron floors. with
nothing but thin straw mattress to
lie upon.
On the top of the north side
of the steel cage, cells have
been constructed of 2x4 ork boards.
and the cells are reserved for the use
of the female inmates, who also sleep
upon mattresses laid upon the iron
floor.
The outer walls of the dollhouse is
composed of brick, and is only twelve
inches through. On account of the
numerous escapes that have been
made through these brick walls, the
interior has been venerred by two inch
oak planks. The floor of the outer
corridors of the dollhouse, that is out
side of the steel cell cage, is of cement