The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-11
HART FORECAST 1T.
Said Hennepin County Jail Wouldn't
Hold Prisoners.

Hold Prisoners.
In the light of recent developments
at the Hennepin county Jail, which the
citizens Of Minneapolis thought was the
finest on earth, the following report of
Secretary Hart, OF the state board Of
corrections and charities, published in
tho last bulletin Of the state board, is
Of unusual interest:
The Hennepin county jail visited Aug.
"a, Oct. and Oct. s. At the first visit the
Jail was found incomplete in several par
ticulars,- the funds of the building commits
sion being exhausted. 1t was necessary for
the county commissioners to supply the de-
hclency, including an addition to the steam
heating plant and motor for vent.lating fans
suitable cooking apparatus, furniture for the
oVerSeers quarters, furniture for the cells
and padlocks for the bucket closets. The
bucket closets are defective; 1t was in
tended that, when the inner door is
open, the outer door could not be opened
and vice versa, as in the Otter Tail county
Jail; but they are so constructed that both
can be opened at once, and the prisoner can
easily crawl out through the opening and
into the corridor. The only remedy is to Sc
cure each door with stout paddock, or else
to r1vet and abandon them altogether
the preyentions of escape were found in
adequate The cellroom is separated from the
lmense attic only by a wooden door with
large glass panel, and this door cannot be
locked on the jail side. The ceilings are COM
posed Of glass for lighting the cells and
these skylights are unprotected by iron bars
so that 1t is perfectly easy to obtain access
from the attic to the cellrooms, and vice
versa The four main elevators are arranged
to carry visitors to the large attic and
under existing circumstances 1t would be
easy for the confederates to convey tools to
the prisoners, or to assist in their escape
After visiting the Jail Oct g the prisoners
having been transferred from the old JAIL
the following letter was addressed to the
county commissioners:
"St. Paul. Minn Oct g. 1885,
ITO the Honorable Board of County Com
miSSionerS of Hennepin County.
"Gentlemen: On yesterday l visited the
new Hennepin county Jail, with Commission
er Nash
THE slop sinks proved to have an INSULT
Client water pressure and pipes too small to
carry off the sewerage properly. 1t is i'm
possible to use them, and 1t will be necessary
to replace them by proper sop sinks having
larger pipes and such a system of pressure
as will wash them promptly and completely.
The ventilation fan has not yet been put
in operation for lack of a motor 1t is ndis-
pensable that this ventilation should be pro-
vided for the Of large a number of
cell buckets will render the place untenable
without abundant ventilation.
There is at present very great danger of
escape on the part of prisoners, for the rea-
son that the public has ready access to the
Jail from three directions. They can take the
main elevator and pass directly into the attic
adjoining the cell room. Such visitors have
entered the boys department by going up
over the cells and climbing down through the
skylight, which is entirely unprotected, by
grating or otherwise. Visitors have also
gained access to the jailers department by
coming down from the attic into the room
adjoining the jailer's hall which is separ-
ated by a wooden door, which cannot be
locked on the outer side. Outside parties can
gain .ccess to the main cell room by breaking
through the skylight in the same manner al
ready described, a man with a small ham,
mer and a cold chisel could break through
the terra Gotta partition Of the main cell
room with a few minutes work. There is a
wooden door, separating the main cell room
from the attic, which cannot be locked on the
jail side. Consequently. if prisoner were
to escape into the corridor he would simply
have to open the door, walk into the attic
and take the elevator
The jailer's Office is so arranged that tie
jailer cannot bar out visitors from the Office.
This room should be divided into two parts
by a steel wire netting, with locked door.
The window at the extreme end of the
main cellroom is so situated that prisoner
escaping could readily pass to the window
in the boys cellroom, from which escape
would be easy. There is grating across
the end of the main corridor. but it only
extends halfway to the ceiling. 1t should
be extended to the ceiling.
'In order to make the Jail reasonably Sc
cure it is absolutely necessary to exclude the
public from the Jail floor except as they are
properly admitted by pass from the sheriff S
office l would suggest that an order be
the main elevator above the fifth floor on any
pretext whatever; and that the elevator doors
on the sixth floor be shut off by a wire graf
ing: of which the keys shall be in the pos
tomary to allow visitors to go up into the
tower and as long as this practice is allowed
there is nothing to prevent carrying tools
to prisoners and aiding them to escape.
II would suggest that the elevator man in
charge of the Jail elevator be sworn in as
special policeman, with instructions not to
allow any person to go to this floor who has
not proper pass from the sheriff's office.
1T is impossible for the jailers on duty to
do their work in keeping the jail clean, and at
the same time watch all parts of the Jail, If
visitors allowed to enter this floor indis-
criminately; and will guarantee that escapes
will occur within thirty days unless the gen
eral public is excluded from the Jail floor
This Jail is built of iron. and it will be easy
for prisoners to escape if they are able to
obtain tools. 1t Is great injustice to the
officers to make them responsible for the
safekeeping of prisoners, and at the same
time to make the conditions such that It is i'm
possible to keep them safe. Very respectfully
your obedient servant.
II. H. Hart Secretary"
On visiting the Jail Oct. 8th it was found
that the county physician and the physician
employed to care for United States prosiners
had protested against combining the prisoners
in their separate cells until the ventilating
fans should be set in operation According ly
the sheriff has allowed the prisoners to run
together, but he stated it was his intention IL
enforce strict separation as soon as the ven
tilating fans could be put in operation In
the meantime there is serious danger of es-
capes for the reason that 1t is impossible to
exercise a sufficiently close supervision over
the large number Of prisoners while they are
allowed to run together, especially in view
OF the large number of visitors.
Fatal Box 20.