The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-19
COUNTY JAIL IS UNFIT FOR USE OF
 AN|MALS--B --BRAGG State Inspector Says Building Must Come Down or He Will Remove Prisoners TALKS TO THE BOARD
 AND WILL NOT SWERVE Board May Decide to Build Court and Jail Adjoining, Each of Which
 Will Have Several
 Stories.

Unless the county Board of Revenue takes imm ediate steps to erect new jail I will, by my authority, be compelled to remove the prisoners from the present death trap" are the words attributed to Dr. Shirley Bragg. state prison inspec- tor, yesterday morning.
 In accordance with the announcement some two weeks ago, Dr. Bragg has filed condemnation papers with Governor Conner, in which the present structure Is condemned as entirely insufficient and out of date. He intimates that no plan of building on top of the jail will satisfy him, but the whole thing must be re- modelled.
 pr. Bragg arrived yesterday morning and went into a consultation with the Board of Revenue. He handed them this copy of his letter to the governor:
 Report to Governor.
 Montgomery, Ala. April 15, 1907. Hon. B. B. Conner, Governor, Montgom-
 cry. Ala:
 Dear Sir-I have made a close and thorough inspection of the Jefferson coun- ty jail and beg leave to report that 1t is totally unfit from every standpoint for the confinement of human beings, in fact it is unfit for the use of animals or any kind l found confined in this Jaii 191 black male prisoners, forty-nine white males, three white women and twenty blacks, making total of 263. The present ca pacity for this jail should not be for over one hundred prisoners. The sewer age is bad beyond. description, the build ing half lighted, while the ventilation vir- tually amounts to nothing. l am glad 10 report that the sheriff and his jailkeeper I.-9. f1 building in good condition, in fact there has been a wonderful improvement in re- gard to cleanliness. I also desire fur- ther to state that the food Is of good and sufficient variety.
 'grhe Board of Revenue is undoubtedly cognizant of conditions existing and havo asked my aid in putting matters in bet ter shape. l shall cheerfully render them any service in my power. Respectfully submitted, SHIRLEY BRAGG,
 Inspector"
 Back to Original Plan.
 While the Board of Revenue has not definitely settled upon any course of pro- cedure the general opinion seems to be toward the original plan. It will be re. membered that the first plan suggested was to erect an elght-story building on the front where the old jail stands for court rooms and offices and then at the same time to raise the jail six or eight stories, and put connecting bridgeways from the various floors directly opening into the court rooms.
 It now becomes evident that the board will provide all needs at the same time, thus doing away with the greater ex- pense Architects Labelle & Kribs are drawing plans which will be submitted to the board and Dr. Bragg this week. It may be that only about four floors of both buildings will be erected at once, and that preparations will be made so that other stories can be added later.
 Must Be Torn Down.
 At the meeting yesterday Dr. Bragg, by request, recited his opinions. He an- swered all questions willingly. but did not swerve from his original statement that the whole thing will have to be torn away and an adequate building con- structed.
 The inspector stated that when the time came to make the Improvements he would be able to take care of the pris- oners elsewhere. The sentenced prisoners would probably be moved to the state penitentiary, while the city would allow the use of one of its jais to keep new arrests over night.
 Woman Department Flooded.
 Quite appropriately with the clrcum- stances came a peculiar incident last night. At about 10 o'clock when the heavy thunder and rainstorm came up, the attention of the inside warden was called to the quarters of the white wom- en- and he found the whole floor flooded with water, so that the women were forced to wade in water ankle deep.
 This department of the jail is in the lower floor of the old building. It Is the only place whatever in which the white women can be placed, as they are always few in number, and neither of the large corridors can be given up to them