Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-04-20
Testing the New Jail.

The test of the prison cells in the
new Jail ordered by the Board of Su-
pervisors was finished sometime ago.
Indeed had the report Of the examiner
been favorable, the building and all it's
appointments wouldhaye been accepted
for the county on April the 6th. AS it
is the building stands locked up and
unused until the specifications concern
ing the cells are complied with The
fault however is not the building prop
err, but in the construction Of the cells
in it.
The county is to be congratulated that
careful and competent test was made
by thoroughly competent man. Mr.
Everett E. Jacoway Of East NoXubee
Mr. Jacoway was placed in one of the
'tool-proof" or rather "saw-and-dle-
proof cells as the phrase was modified
by the representative Of the contrac-
tors-and in less than four hours he
demonstrated to the satisfaction Of
every one, including Mr.. Roth who rep
resented the Pauley Jail Company, that
in short time he would succeed in
saving out Of the cell.
Mr. Jacoway's plan of procedure was
to split, or saw through, the hinge
thereby destroying the heads Of the
counter-sunk rivets in the corridor door
to the cell. The specifications required
that "the hinges on the corridor door
to cells should be proof against cut
ting" The Pauley Company admitting
that Mr. Jacoway would succeed in thus
escaping, the pseudo-prisoner started
on a second method of escape. This
was to go out by way Of the ceiling of
the cell, and less than an hours work
brought from Mr.. Roth the admission
that this attempt too would be success
full.
Since this test of the Noxubee coun-
ty Jail was made, it has been discovered
that the Starrett Co., a manufacturer
of steel saws whose saws were used by
Mr.. Jacoway in his test, have been
advertising their tools by publishing an
account of how with their saws the
steel cells in the new Warren county
Jail at Vicksburg were sawed through
in four hours. The Pauley Jail Com
pany, by the way furnished the cages
in this jail too.
1t would seem therefore that the
specifications set out in the contract
between the county and the Jail Co. have
not been fulfilled, and that either great
improvements or a great reduction in
price will have to be made before our
Supervisors can accept the steel cages
furnished. Indeed Mr.. Jacoway's test
seems to prove that the method en-
ployed by the Pauley Jail Company is
defective and inadequate and to comply
with it's contract an entirely different
method in some particulars will have
to be used.
1t has been suggested in the compa-
ny's behalf that no prisoner is likely
ever to be confined in our jail who will
have either the skill or the tools with |
which to escape. The proper reply to
this is that a Jail should be so built that |
escape will be impossible not merely
improbable But the argument is
shown to be absolutely untenable when |.
it is reflected that if our county pays a
high price for tool-proof cages it should |
receive the thing bargained for, 1t
cannot be doubted that the Supervisors
will see to it that the county's interest |
is protected thoroughly in the matter.
Mention justly should be made of the |
important public service rendered by |
Mr. Jacoway. 1t wonld have been easy
to have made a superficial or perfume
tory test and pleased all parties by an
report which might probably I
never be discovered to be erroneous. |
But Mr.. Jacoway's work was not only |
skillful and scientific; it was careful and |
and done conscientiously. The .
county by which he was employed to
make the test can assuredly rely on the |
fact that his duty was performed most |
and well, and that it will re
suit in an important advantage to his
client