The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-05
QUESTION OF SHAPE NOW THE ONLY ISSUE Jno. w, Chamblee Thinks Jail Should Be SkyScraper PUT THE PRISONERS ON TOP Thinks Building Should Be Beautiful and Such as VIII Be Approved
 By the People of the
 County.
PUT THE PRISONERS ON TOP

How shall our county jail and court house appear?" is now the only great question ahead of the Board of Revenue, and even now the perplexities of such a decision are beginning to show them selves
 An architect has begun plans using the whole of the present jail site for a jail and counting on tearing down the present court house for the erection of another. If he succeeds in securing their adoption he will have to change the minds of sev- eral authorities.
 Sheriff Higdon. for one, is in favor of leaving the old court house where it stands. building a skyscraper jail in the rear and a skyscraper court house addl- ton in the front of the present jail site, the two being connected by a bridge of sighs. Another idea, which has many good points, is advanced by John w. Chamblee, who said yesterday:
 "The county jail and court house prob lem seems to be a warm issue just now. What is expedient, safe, wise and prac- tical is the most material matter to he considered There is no doubt but what we have marvelously growing city. with all the natural resources behind it to make 1t the greatest in the sunny south.
 "The court house business is the most material of all business, and the records hat aro in m ar valuable that it is hard to estimate their real value, and they should be guarded against fire by being kept in a fire proof building.
 There is no difference in the need of an adequate court house and jail to meet the growing necessities of the city and county. The peoples money should be spent wisely and judiciously, and if the Board of Revenue don't do this the people will repudiate the bond issue. All the courts. both civil and criminal, must from under one roof.
 "Our pest citizens are frequently com pelled to go to the criminal and civil courts. so, therefore, the site should be centrally located for a convenience To both rich and poor. We have all of this in the old site and within stones throw of the new union passenger station, which is being pushed to completion as fast as the agency of man and money will per init, and I presume everyone in the city and county, perhaps far beyond the limits of the city and county. believes that 1t will be the largest, best and handsomest union passenger station in the south. This Is good proof of what the railroad mag mates think of Birmingham and It's fu- ture growth. It Is conceded by all that the railroad magnates are smart and far seeing people.
 "The Board of Revenue should take steps towards erecting a court house and jail combined with the Jail on the top stories, the criminal court next to and under the jail. This building should be at least sixteen or seventeen stories high, of solid steel and oil pressed brick and in the middle of the old site, and then give the people a vote on the bond issue. A building short of this will not be com ,mensurate with the present and future growth of the city and county. "The people are not due to build a san
 
 itarium for the jailbirds, but the people do owe them a good, safe place, so high up in the air that the friends of the pris- oners could not In the day or night time steal them away or in any way aid them In making their escape; in fact, escapes would be impossible. The most material purpose of the law is to keep a prisoner in jail until he Is discharged by due course if law; nothing short of this will satisfy the purpose of the law At the same time the prisoners are entitled to san itary place and good fresh air, and all these elements can be easily had with a jall on the top of a skyscraper which will be as good for practical purposes as if the jail was ten miles up in the air. This will meet all demands of the law, and at the same time satisfy those who have an eye for the beautiful, and l wish to emphasize the fact that beauty is one of the most powerful agents In the world and should have due consideration in all buildings, as beauty always appeals to the eye and mind. Such a building will be to the interest of all and infringe on the rights of none.'
 LOBBY CHAIRS ARE
 WIT