The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-11
BUILDING A MODERN JAIL.
Requirements to-day Are Vastly Diff
ferent From What They Were For

merIy.
From the New Orleans Times-Democrat
Jail building has been gotten down to a
science the same as the perfection of
many other essential institutions in civ
ilized countries. A Jail that was built
100 years ago would not meet the require
ments of the people in this day and gen.
GRAFTON. The jails, constructed twenty
five years ago, even, have nearly all
been altered or rebuilt in order to con-
form with the advanced ideas of those
now engaged in the business. .There are
several companies in the United States"
said F. B. Hull of jackson. Miss, who
has been engaged in Jail building for
many years, to a reporter, devoted to the
business of jail construction. Some in
ulVldual contractors are in the business
out they are not exclusively engaged in
that line of work. The science of Jail
building has been greatly improved during
the last decade. Jails that were consid-
cred model institutions of their character
in the days of our fathers would not be
tolerated now. They were dangerous
poorly lighted ventilated heated and cas-
lily destroyed by fire, whereas the mod
ern Jail is primarily fireproof, as we'll ven
tllated as any parlor, well-heated and as
comfortable as a hotel Office. New i'm
provements in the construction of these
buildings are made every year. The com
panies engaged in the speciality are keen
to seize upon every new device that will
add to the safety and comfort of pris-
oners.
The future Jail will be an electric Jail;
that is, jail with all the latest electric
improvements of the age. The building
VIII be constructed with electric alarm
systems to the extent that neither the
main door nor the cell doors may be OPEN
ed without buttons being touched which
will awaken the jailer or his assistants
l think this electrical device will be taken
up very soon. 1t has proven eminently
successful where experimental with. All
jails built nowadays are supposed to be
tireproof. So many terrible holocausts
have occurred in old buildings of detention
even those that were constructed of
brick-having burned so quickly that
many poor unfortunate prisoners were
consumed by the flames, that the greatest
attention has been given this matter by
the companies engaged in jail building.
"a Jail at Friars Point, Miss. burned
six or seven years ago, when half dozen
of the prisoners confined there lost their
lives. At the confiagration of the Jail at
Brookhaven, Miss, three unfortunates i'm
prisoned there were roasted to death.
Many other Jail fires have been recorded,
showing losses of life. as that every at
tempt is now being made to prevent a
repetition of those horrors.
"In the building a Jail that 1t may be
fireproof the additional necessity of hav-
ing it burglar-proof is also taken into
consideration. Wooden floors, or wooden
ceilings, or wooden walls, are no longer
allowed in cell construction. With the ce-
ment and brick Innings that are now
brought into use, there is no chance for a
prisoner to burrow or cut his way to lib
erty, as was frequently the case with old
dungeons.
81 have in mind now the case of a muir
derer who was awaiting the death penalty
to be inflicted upon him i'm Marksvile
La. several years ago, who escaped the
doom awaiting him and has never been
captured since, so far as I know. This
man, condemned to the gallows, was con-
fined in cage, with four or five other
prisoners in the Marksville jail, which al
that time was considered a safe and Sc
cure detention house. But the floors
were built of wood. The murderer, who
was a vicious fellow, in some way or
other obtained knife, which he used to
cut his way out OF the cage. After assid-
uous labor. with the help of the other prls-
oners, he succeeded in cutting a hole large
man to be crowded through. In order not
to be caught in the aperture by their
clothes clogging it, all of the prisoners
stripped themselves and oiled their bodies
for the delivery. After two Of the men
had squeezed through the hole and reach
ed the ground underneath, the thir1
whose physique was slightly larger than
his predecessors, was stuck fast when he
attempted to get his shoulders through
~ IA 80, 10 at ~
get up nor down. Those who had preced-
ed him vainly attempted 20 pull him
through the hole from below, while the
murderer and other prisoners tried to land
his entire body back in the cage. Ex1s-
perated at the predicament the man In the
hole and also himself were in, the fr an
zied murderer threatened the fellows rte
with a knife IL he made an cutlery that
might alarm the jailer. Then he jumped
ana stamped on his head and shoulders
until the man was forced through the hoie
as YOU would drive nail into board.
The trip through that aperture resulted
I'm the prisoner having both Of his should
ers disocated, besides having suffered ter
rible bruises from the Jagged edges on tho
sides of that hole. He was found uncon-
soious the next morning lying In heap
on the ground underneath the cage. He
was made a cripple for life. All OF his
associates made their escape. His size
worked to his disadvantage The mate
rails used now IN cell-making preci.ries
a Jail delivery after the character of the
one at Marksvllle.'
YES" said the Party with the Wise
"a