The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-08-10
REASONS FOR 4 NEW JAIL.

EVSI SlllCC lllI SOtii1l( VI I'LL
ton was organized she has been
in need of a Jail. True, she has
a shack, built over thirty years
ago, that goes by the name Of a
Jail but it has been a continual
source Of annoyance and danger
to the officers and expense to the
county. 1t was never substan-
tial building, and during the past
fifteen years many desperate char
acters confined therein have bro
ken away and secured their lib
erty which they still retain,
The intense longing for liberty
which seems to possess the mind
of the average criminal confined
in the Old bastile, has, with few
exceptions, been gratihed soon
after their incarceration: Wheth-
er this desire for freedom has
been caused by the lack of hos
pitable treatment on the part of
the officers, or, from the foul
atmosphere resulting from the
imperfect sanitary condition of
the building, is a matter of con-
lecture. At any rate, few of its
illustrious inmates have cared to
tarry long within its wkitewashed
walls, without attempting all
escape, in which their efforts
have, as a rule, beer crowned
with SUCCESS. Of course there is
no desire on the part of the coun-
ty court to interfere with the lib
critics of persons WHO, by their
law-breaking proclivities5 become
a menacesto the peace and safety
of the community. This would
be wrong. The rights of crilni-
mails should, under no circum-
stances be interfered with: While
it is true that there are county
courts, even i'll Oregon, which
have disregarded this idea of sen-
ti1nent in favor of the law-break-
er, the coul ty court of Benton
never have. No, they appear. to
think that protection of society
should be a secondary considera-
ton and that if criminal does
not wish to stay i'll the county
boarding house, why, he ought
nat to be forced to do so. =. That
is why building has been pro-
vided that will permit those who
iaaveeinadvertently gottar>within
its confines, to go on their own
recognizance simply by removing
a few bricks from the wall, saw
ing off a portion of the outside
door, or cutting a hole in the
floor. This sentiment in favor
of law-breakers is certainly COM
me1dable and should be encour-
aged. Under the present system
a great deal of unnecessary labor
is required before these peculiar
society gentlemen can gain the
flesh air and mountain retreats
which they so long for. Besides
this, their wearing apparel is
liable to become soiled in making
an exit on the ground floor. This
necessitates their immediate ap-
pearance upon the street in a.
rather dis.leveled and unattrac-
tive condition, and the custom
now in vogue should be abolish
ed. The sheriff should be
Instructed to turn these gentle
men loose in the courthouse yard
hereafter, and in that way all the
trihing inconveriences which
now beset the the liberty-loving
criminal, when he attempts to
effect an exit from his suite of
rooms in the county hotel, would
be entirely obviated. Besides
this, the beautifully polished
floor, delicately tinted white
washed walls and the massive
arched door at the main entrance,
would retain their beauty and
attractivenesss. The way the
tenants Of this time-honored
structure have marred and mis-
used its interior is really a shame
because its value as a relic of
nineteenth century Jail architec-
ture is greatly deteriorated. Turn
the prisoners loose or else tie
them to tree in the park by
means of a cotton string. In
this way the building would
remain uninjured and prisoners
might gain their liberty without
effort.
Of course there are some few
persons in the community who
believe that fellows like Scott
and Hall should be confined and
safely guarded until after their
trial, but this is a foolish old
fashioned notion, and those who
are discreet will never express
such a sentiment publicly, for it
might reach the ears of the coun-
fv court and thew would very