The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-20

into which public funds have been poured
for two years bids fair to stand u gaping
receptacle for public plumber fo- another
two years. Originally projected. against
the VIII of the people and the advice Of
both Mayors Kiefer and Smith, at a cost
Of 100000, it has already received $780, 600
and bids fair under the direction of the
board which is responsible for it to cost
100000.
The history of the infamous jail trans
action gives ample coloring to the general
public charge that fraud, on a scale
splendid in comparison with the capacity
of the projectors, has been practiced
The public is privileged to see only the
turlle-iike progress of the castle at
Fourth and St Peter streets and to foot
the bills for the construction of a struc-
ture which furnishes uncontrovertible evil
dcnce Of the Woeful mismanagement if
not criminal misappropriation of public
funds
Its History Is Il Disgrace to County.
The history of the jail includes the
records of a high handed attempt to
award a contract without monetary lin
ltations to Jail building concern, and it's
defeat at the hands of indignant citizens
Ii includes the destruction of the old Jail
against the advice of competent architects
and contractors, prior to the completion
OF the new JAIL for no other apparent
purpose than to permit the county com
misSiOners to squander $40, 600 in the equip
ment of a temporary Jail, to house one of
their former associate county officials and
put contracts in the hands of their
friends
The history of the Jail includes the
rental of the cOuntys own property, Cor
which it pays a contractor $50 per month
and which in the aggregate has already
amounted to more than the cost price Oh
new equipment which was offered the
board and which after the dismantIing Of
the temporary jail could have been sold
Tor fair percentage of its original cost.
1t includes the records of one of the most
sensational attempts to bind the citizens
OF Ramsey county to a foreign contractor
ever written on the pages of Minnesota S
civic history.
1t includes the creation of a county
office contrary to the provisions of the
constitution. 1t includes one instance OF
high handed robbery of about $4,000 in
the changing of one of the specifications
and the granting of an additional award
Tor the cell work. It includes a success
1ul attempt to bar competition of local
architects and contractors in the prepara-
ton Of plans and furnishing materials. it
includes the brief but lurid career of
George Whitehorne, the abscOnding coun-
~ commissioner, and the more fortunate
biographies of his fellow commissioners.
See Another Good Thing in Tunnel.
Ia its entirety to date the history of the
new jail furnishes the darkest pages in
The history of Ramsey county and it con
templates apparently no cessation of the
original methods so long as the Republic
an board of county commissioners is. left
in control The board is now cIamoripg
for the construction of tunnel to connect
the Jail with the court house. This 1un-
mel would be used for the TRANSPORTATION
OF an average of three prisoners per
month from the jail to the district courts
but 1t would furnish a most convenient
avenue for a further transaction in the
public plumber which has been carried on
for two years.
In the Infamous history of the new iail
the record of Mayor Smith stands out
the only clean spots on the pages of cor
ruption and malicious extravagance. The
Official records show that Mayor Smith
mas consistently opposed the gigantic
steal from first to last That his vote
was always cast against the original
proposition and that his voice and vote
have been against every subsequent AZ
tempt to further mulct the public purse