The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-03-30
Carroll County Needs a Jail.

Carroll County NeeQS a jail
Carroll comfy owes it. not only TO itself but to
the people of the whole state 10 build a Jail
which shall he more secure AMI shall make escape
Of prisoners less easy For the second time within
n few months notorious criminals have broken out
one of the fugitveS being partner OF Charles wells
and before long We snaIl Pro," ny asli Us M
nus parts of the state last winter
The escape of Wells himself IS well remembered
by reason of the trouble which he aftarward gave
the authorities. He had been arrested on a charge
of burglary and Immediately after regalnlng ms
liberty he gathered around him men of his own Tx
and with them operated in Baltimore, Carroll and
other counties, even penetrating into pennsylvania
where he was captured lie ana ms eomlsiIIIl non
lrick road: made murdcrOuS assault upon ponce
man near Catonsville and robbed family near
PIkesyille where they carried their audaeity TO a
surprising limit Yet with full knowledge OF the
dangerous character of the prisoner ana MS hcsT
cerated pas the authorities of Westminster were SO
lax in their vigilance that several OF the accused
cot away seemingly without difhculty
Has Carroll county fallen into the policy OF letting
prisoners get away in order to avoid the pfse OF
their maintenance? If this is So II ought 70 pc
made known as the people Of the state probably
value the safety of life and property sufhclently
high to see that desperadOes are prevented rom
ureving upon the community. Carroll county neeuS
strong Jail, and needs il badly Bafiiaofe Aor"'h9
Herald.
Carroll county does not need new jail.
Some one has imposed upon our esteemed
contemporary in this matter and led it TO be-
live that the jail here is insecure. In fact one
would suppose, from the Herald comments
that the institution was in a very dilapidated
condition, old and out Of date.
The Herald criticism is entirely too sweep
ing. If prisoners never escaped from other
institutions. its remarks would not be quite
correct, for it takes for granted that the Sher'
if and his deputies had used every precauhon
10 hold the prisoners. They were as careful
as any officers would have been, but after the
escape they realized how il could have been
prevented. One Of those who escaped would
have been released in few days and anotE
er's case was so far arranged 1t Is said, that
he would probably have escaped punishment
Such prisoners would not be suspected of an
attempt to break jail, and yet these are the
two. under the planning Of Gillette, the
wounded burglar and highwayman, that cul
the hole in the floor and made all the arrange
ments for getting out. The notorious GRIM
inal'' who escaped with Wells is perhaps the
dumbest prisoner that has been confined IN
the Jail in wears When he got out with
Wells. he only followed him and did as he
was told. When he got out last week he did
not know what to do and was easily captured
within six miles of the jail ON the second day
The Herald insinuatiou that prisoners are
liberated to avoid expenses Of their ma'nte
nance is altogether nwarranted. Prisoners
have escaped from the Maryland penitentiary
and from the Baltimore city jail. We're they
liberated to save expense? There Is scarcely
a iail in the country from which prisoners
have not escaped We're the prisoners liber
ated in all these cases The Sheriff OF Car
roll has been subjected to heavy expense by
these Jail deliveries, for he has employed dep
uties and offered and paid rewards for iheii
capture. Would he do this 10 save few dol
lars for the county in maintaining them
Surely not.
Instead Of liheraiing prisoners 70 avoid eN
pense of maintaining them. the authOrite'
have sometimes been criticised for being toe
vigilant in the apprehension ofpersons charged
with violations of the law. Prisoners have
been arrested and brought here from o'he'
states frequently TO answer for crimes com
mitted in the county. One Is in jail now that
was captured in West Virginia. Another wa
brought here recently from Illinois. and not
long ago a man was arrested in Texas nPou
ielegraphic order from the State Attorney
for Carroll
Carrolls Jail Is all right, aud the authorities
here are Us vigilan, 70 apprehend and punish
offenders as anywhere. The Herald editor
ial is based upon erroneous Information.