New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-07-06
PASSING OF OLD PRISON
Present County Jail Will be Dis
mantled.
Has Been in Service just Thirty
Two Years.
Noted Criminals Have Been Con-
fined In It's Cells.

with the new county jail rapidly
nearing completion, the question of
disposing of the building at the corner
of State and Center streets must be
settled by the board of county com
missioners. On the day that Sheriff
VIM. j. Julius transfers his Office rec.
ords and household effects to the mod
ern structure the old prison will have
outlived its term Of usefulness and be-
come a superfuity. II anything, the
building will mar the appearance OF
the square, the county will have abso
lutely no need for it and the matter
will probably be settled by the COM
missioners voting to raze it to the
ground.
This decision cannot we'll be avoid
ed and it is very generally approved,
but at the same time the passing Of the
old prison is to be regretted from a
sentimental viewpoint. Thirty years
and more has the historic structure
been in service and during that period
many famous criminals have been con-
fined within It's walls.
Prior to the erection of the present
bastile viOlators of the law were incar-
cerated in the old court house, which
stood in the center of the square. This
building was erected in the very early
times and was provided with accom-
modations for the various county Off
GERS, while small section in the rear
was reserved for cell purposes. 1t
was not of sufficient size to allow of
the sheriff living under the same roof
with his charges but served the pur-
pose of pioneer times admirably. In
those days there was not the demand
for it's use that existed in later years,
but as time sped on the need for a
combined jail and sheriff's residence
began to be felt.
In 1872 the commissioners engaged
Zieher & Spoerhase, responsible
building firm of that day, to do the
construction work. The contract price
was in the neighborhood Of $4,000
and, while the plans for the building
were not such as would be approved
by modern jail experts, it was at that
time considered a model of it's kind.
Compared with other structures of the
same sort in adjoining counties it was
strong and commodious, and possessed
the still greater advantage of a court
room in its upper story. For years
before its completion the sessions OF
the district court had been held in the
Union hotel, then conducted by Phil
ip Gross, and it was doubtless proud
Jmoment for both judge and jurors
when they were able to mete out justice
jim truly public building.
According to the records on file in
the office Of the sheriff, and which d ate
back to 1878, nearly 1000 offenders
have been cast into durance during the
past twenty-six years. The exact num-
Der is 968 but it must lot be supposed
that all of them came from Brown
county. Then, as is the case with
Lincoln county today, the want Of
iails made it necessary for the author.
tiles of Redwood, Lyon, Lincoln, Cot.
tonwood, Watonwan and other coun
ties to send their prisoners here anc
the. ranks of the erring were recruited
from all these places.
Offences for which they were de
prived Of liberty range from plain
drunkenness and common vagrancy t.