Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-15
A CARD FROM MR. WADDILL.
Why He and Others Complain About
The .JniI-Safcty oil Records.
Henrlco County Court Clerks Ofii'
Iinhn,nnL w InnllarN IL INll

Henrico County Court Clerks once,
Richmond. Va, January IL, 1896.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
| was in attendance upon the meeting
held here on yesterday concerning the
erection Of a new courthouse for few
moments only. and did not know untii
some time after it's adjournment that an
a,lusion had been made to me, and there
fore. had no opportunity OF replying 10 II.
Major James ". Dooley IS reported as
having said:
1--WE are informed that our worthy CLERK
is Inconvenience. because. when the
summer breezes blow through his western
windows he shifts the evil odors from the
adjacent iail. Would IT not be better
that the Sheriff should clean the jail III
summer time. and even occasionally
wash its malodOrous deniZens. than That
the invaluable documents ana records OF
this county and the munimenis or tue
10 our lands should be taken from the
fre-proof and costly building which we
have recently erected, and stored III a
new and himsy structure
These remarks OF Major DooleyS
created the false impression that !, on
account Of the unfortunate condition OF
the Clerks office in the summer months
bS reason Of the close proximity of the
Jail. IL dhe iaiD having been locateh
on is present site against my wishes
and protest. had urged the Board OF
Supervisors 10 erect a new cOurt-house'
and locate the office therein. I never did
ANYTHING OF the kind. But, Oh the con-
trary, the foul and loathsome sheils
which frequently fiji the Office IN the
summertime. emanatine from the JAN.
and the result, in a large measure not oil
the want Of cleanliness Of the prison
but of the faulty construction OF the
building as its inspectors have reported,
have been the cause of complaint not only
on my mart. but also on the part Of those
having business with the Office, long be-
fore a new courthouse was thought OF.
So offensive had this condition become
that | addressed a written communication
90 the board. asking them TO take some
steps to overcome the faults OF the jail
building. and they had made investiga-
lions In that direction. Major Dooley,
personally, knows nothing of the distress
/ ing condition which prevails in TINS once
during the heated summer months on ac-
count Of the odors of the jail ana l am
/ far from believing that the taxpayers
Of this county wish such a condition of
/ things TO exist i'm their Clerks office
/ seriously menacing the health, not only
of the officers connected with but OF
those who spend hours here in the eX-
animation Of it, records.
Again: Major Dooley leaves the impress
/ sion that / had urged the Board of super
visors TO transfer the records OF TINS
Office TO non-fire-proof building. He
perhaps does not know that their present
/ condition of comparative safety was maze
so al my sole instance and earnest solicit
/ tation. nor that l had requested the board
in the event OF their determination TO
/ erect a new courthouse and the placing
OF the Clerks Office therein, that its re-
cords should not BE- made less secure
than they now are-in fact. had suggested
that they should be made more secure.
in my opinion, the board iully appre-
ciated the gravity OF the matter ana
would have acted accordingly.
Respectfully, SAMUEL =. WADDilL.