The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-07-25
PETTIS COUNTY JAIL
Twenty-one Years Old July 20,
and Still Doing Duty for
Honest People.

II Ni> Uttupiti iof the HIST time
twenty-one years ago to-day.
W. {. Weller was the first jailor.
1t opened To four tenants.
These prisoners had been kent in
the Cole county Jail for safe keeping
at the county's expense.
When the county court first cast
about tor site they located it on the
northeast corner of the court house
square.
An injunction was secured through
higher court.
This knocked the location ut that
point and the present site on the west
side of Lamine street between Second
AMI Third streets was compromised on.
At that time it was considered one
of the strongest jails in Central Mis-
souri,, but to-dsy is considered weak
structure and Several prisoners have
made their escape very recently, from
within its walls. And it is only by
the strict watch of the sheriff that
prisoners can be kept confined in it
with any degree of safety whatever.
As Il gentle reminder short dis
cription of the prison as it appeared
in THE BAZoO ut that time is given,
and it remains so to-day with few
changes:
"On entering the bastile the re-
porter was brought face to face with
heavy iron doors. As the jailor placed
his key in the door, the loud noise of
the large bolt sliding back reminded
one of the dungeons of old, that have
become historic. After opening the
front iron door, another one appeared
abou, three feet distant. and a pad
lock being removed the principal
room was entered. This room was
about 24x36 and twenty feet
to the ceiling, div, cool
and well ventilated. The court is
four feet wide on the sides and six at
the ends. Within this space from the
walls the cells begin. The cells are six
in number, seven feet wide by eight
feet long. The iron bars three-eighths Of
an inch thick are we'll rivited together.
In front of the cells is Il promenade
three feet wide and Gagged with bars
one and one quarter inches thick. Into
this the prisoners are let during the
day in order to get exercise. There
is Il lever by which the jailor can
stand ON the outside and lock all the
doors at once. Under the cells is a
tunnel or vacant space which serves Us
conductor of sound if an attempt
should be made to escape by saving
or chiselling the bars or walls. Three
coats of paint had been given the walls
Of the cells and everything looked
clean and tasty
-Four prisoners had been brought
from Jefferson City and placed in
confinement. Thei. names and charges
being as follows:
Joseph Nelson. charged with
wife murder, was indicted at
the September term following,
and the case continued from time
to time until June, 1873, when it was
from the docket.
In the next cell were confined John
Stephens and James HenOch, charged
with theft. What became of their
cases is a matter of history, and the
history has been entirely Obliterated.
The next cell contained negro girl
named Lima, who was i'm for arson.
She was indicted at the same term of
court, and tried. and on account of
her age, she being only fifteen years
old, was given two months in the
county jail. The crime she commit
ted was burning a barn.
During the years intervening be-
tween that date and now scores ofprisOn-
ers have been confined within its walls,
some to pay penalty by death. Others
to serve the state for years in the pen
tentiary, and still Others to pay PEN
,lty for smaller crimes.
This Jail has served ITS purpose well, |
md now the citizens should replace its
walls with more substantial |
mes. an'i thus relieve an anxious pub
when desperate criminals are placed
herein tor safe keeping.
Captain W. p. Paff was sheriff of
Pettis county at the time of the occu-
,ation of the new Jail.