Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-02-21
BADLY SCORCRED
Was The County .Iai

oS Hitei uepuCy 9nerl1
Archie Sinclair and the one prisoner
IN confinement, had returned from
supper and were seated in the sheriff's
Office in the court house, they, upon
looking out of the window beheld y
light in the insignificant wooden
building which has the distinction of
being called the county jail, situated
Immediately back OF the court house
Further investigation revealed that
the building was on fire inside. A
Tire alarm was turned in, and the
department hurried to the scene.
The alarm had also stirred up the
citizens who in large numbers as
sembled in the vicinity of the fire.
A hose swas stretched from the en-
CINE house to the Jail and a stream
OF water, pumped from the cistern in
the engine room, was soon playing
upon the fire, extinguishing it in a
short time. For while, before the
water was turned on, there was
great danger OF the fire extending to
the court house and W. +. Powell's
machine ware house. Had there
been Il strong wind from the south
and the fire gotten a good start,
there is no telling how much proper
ty would have been destroyed. Az
it was, the Jail was badly scorched
and damaged. 1t was lucky that
the lire did not occur in the night,
for then the county might have had
a human life to answer for.
The building is wholly unsuitable
Tor a county jail, a regular fire trap,
IN which the county has no right to
risk the'life and health OF it's prison.
ers. The building has been con-
demned as an unfit place in which to
keep prisoners, but the board OF
county commissioners have not seen
tit to move in the matter OF building
n new one. The following arc the
reports OF three grand juries in re-
gard to- the Jail matter:
The Grand Jury OF Marshal; Coun-
ty, Minnesota, for the General Term OF
District Court, commencing May 81,
1888, report upon the condition
the condition OF the public prison or
jail OF said county as follows: That
we, the said Grand Jury, have exam
ined the jail OF said county and deem
the same unsafe and insecure as q
place OF incarceration of criminals;
and we do hereby unanimusly recon-
mend that the Board take such steps
as they may deem proper, to make
said Jail a secure place for keeping
prisoners committed to the same.
ARTHUR D. WANT,
Foreman OF tire Grand Jury.
We, the Grand Jury OF the County
OF Marshall, hereby report that we
have the 10th day OF June, 1894,
inquired into the condition and man.
agement OF the county Jail of said
county, and find that the building
used for a Jail is II badly constructed
building and unfit for the purpose
for which it is used.
Dated this 10th day of June 1894,
at the city OF Warren in said county.
WILLIAM S. CAMPBELL,
Foreman OF the Grand Jury.
We further find that the present
building used as a Jail is wholly in
adequate for the needs OF the county,
and would recommend that the
county commissioners OF the county
take steps to provide a Jail building
OF sufficient capacity to serve us u
jail and residence of turnkey or
sheriff and his family.
Very Respectfully Yours,
The Grand Jury of Marshall Co.
BY j. P. EAsToN, Foreman.
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