The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-05-11
EXPENSES JUSTIFY BUILDING
Over 81, 600, Paid to Brown County
officials During the Past
Four Years.
Board Of County Commissioners
May Take Some Action
Next Tuesday.

NVAl luCSUdys
The board of county commissioners
will hold special meeting next Tues
day and it is barely possible that some
action will be taken regarding the care
of prisoners in the Brown county Jail,
as we'll as looking into the advisable
ity of erecting a Jail for Redwood
county. The financial. condition of
the county, at the present time, does
not warrant any immediate action, yet
it is most certain that when the at
tention of the commissioners is called
to the history of the past, the impress
sion will undoubtedly be made that
Jail should be constructed soon.
The recent expose of the Brown
county Jail, and the after feeble fut-
ters of the wounded bird and it's
mouthpiece, has caused the GAZETTE,
more out of curiosity than otherwise
to make an examination of the Red
wood county records, SO far as they
appeftain to the expenses of prisoners,
and it has discovered that during the
last ten years this county has paid in
to the treasury of Brown county, or
to it's sheriff, somewhere between
s., 7,OW and $4,000, sum of money
that would construct sheriff's resi-
dence and Jail combined, and equip
the latter with all the improved jail
devices. This amount was not paid
for the care of prisoners alone, but in
great measure was disbursed under
the caption Of Redwood county's share
of compensation for the Brown coun-
ty jailor.
For the year 1889, according to the
records Of the county auditor, we paid
j. B. Schmidt, then sheriff of Brown
county $486.71 for board and care of
Redwood county prisoners confined
there, and for the same year, on Judge
Webber's order we paid the jailor
$25O.1O as compensation for services.
In 1890 we paid Sheriff Schmidt
$578.36 for board and care of prison
ers, DR.. j. L. Schoch $3.50 for med
ical attendance, and A. j. Eckstein
S25.25 for medicine. There were sun
dry other small bills presented and
allowed. In 1891 Sheriff Schmidt re-
ceived $176.12. Sheriff Schmeltz $14l,
while the jailor's compensation was
fixed and allowed at the enormous
amount of $8O4.81. There were med
ical and other small bills presented
and allowed, making the total amount
paid somewhere in the neighborhood
of 81, 500. For 1892 Sheriff Schmelt
Ireceived $l92.5O for boarding prison
ers, while the jailor's compensation
was allowed at 1882 SO, and other small
bills make the total for the year near
ly 500. The four years enumerated
find Redwood county's disbursements
to Brown county and its officers to
amountSto nearly $1,000. The years
prior to 1889 would probably send the
total up to $1,000, at least.
These figures cannot help but open
the eyes of the county commissioners.
They point very plainly to the course
they should pursue, but at the same
time act carefully in the matter.
Of course, it must be conceded that
q portion of the money paid to Brown
county sheriffs was for legitimate run
ming expenses, and could not be
avoided, even if we we're to have our
own jail. But the funds would be
paid to a Redwood county sheriff un-
der the surveillance of Redwood coun-
ty people.