The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-01
GOOD CAUSE FOR ACTION
AGAINST COUNTY.
Continued from First Page

ArNNAA-NA NAAAN ~ AAeNN1 AlAHA0n anu
should always do everything he could
TO injure the town. Is his testimony
10 be considered seriously?
On the other hand here is the re-
port Of the grand jury made up Of un-
prejudiced men from every town IN
the county on June 10, 1904:
Having made a careful inspection
Of the county jails of Bennington coun-
~. said jails being located in the
towns Of Bennington and Manchester,
We the members of the Grand Jury
now in session at Manchester do res
pectfully submit the following:
That we found the jail and jailors'
apartments at the jail in Bennington
TO be as clean and kept in as good or
der by the jailor as existing condit-
ions and location will admit The ac-
commodations are totally inadequate
TO the needs OF the town of Benning
ton, let alone the county. The cells
are dark and very badly ventilated in
fact there is not ventilation at all over
head. There are seven cells for
males and one cell for females When
this body-the Grand Jury-were in
there it was so crowded II was hard
work to get around We consider II
would be waste of time and money
to recommend any changes or inn
lpIovements on this jaii. The apart
ments set aside for the jailor are in
! very little better condition than the
| Jail. the light and ventilation are both
defective.
Tho foil &c uffnufnH In ha no
ment of the county building which is
located between two brick buildings
which shut off the light and ventila-
ton in a large degree and necessitate
the use OF artificial light;
We therefore recommend that a site
be procured on which a suitable Jail
shall be erected sufficient land being
secured to prevent are petition of the
evils of the present building. We
submit herewith in addition the pro-
'essional opinion of DR.. c. A. Perry,
member of this body which should
receive careful attention.
Daniel T. Bates, Foreman.
Richard NJ. Campbell, Clerk.
Report of DR. c. A. Perry OF Reads
boro, member of June GA Grand Jury:
His opinion as a physician on the
condition of the jail at Bennington
and the lookup or calaboose at Man
chester:
The condition of the jail at Ben
nington, SO far as the care taker could
make il so, was clean and tidy, but
it's location and construction are such
as to render it exceedingly unhealth-
ful and a place unfit to confine any
human being.
1t is dark and damp at all times, as
no direct rays of light can enter it,
As a result no person could be con
fined there for any length of time with
out permanent injury to his health as
such polluted air would develop dis
ease germs and tuberculosis, rheuma-
tism and other diseases promoted by
germerganism would be the result and
a continued confinement in this per
petually darkened room would impair
the eye sight and be a permanent in
Jury TO the eyes: in fact it is an unfit
place to confine any being, man OF
animal
The same can be said of the Man
chester jail, this jail is not even KEEP
clean, water. and dirt being allowed
to remain on its floors.
Crosby A. Perry, NJ d.
If that is not sufficient here is al
extract from the grand jury report II
1908, of which grand jury Hon. Georg
]. Bond of Searsburg, was foreman:
The Grand Jury would respectful
report that they have inspected tn
jails at Bennington and Mancheste
and would say that they consider th
: iail at Bennington badly situated an
, unfit for the purpose of combining prii
| oners. because the situation of tn
1 building renders it difficult If not in
possible to secure good air and propC
ventilation.
i Only one side of the Jail is open
. the sunlight. and that, only for a sho
/ portion of the day in the afternoo
5 and that part of the building, devote
@ to the Jail is so low and damp thi
even merchandise could not be store
a there with safety unless protected /
} artificial heat
n No adequate provision is made f
o the confinement Of female prisoner
9 and no proper separation of male ar
female prisoners can be made; al
we especially condemn this featu
II of the Jail.
n The jailor informs us that owing
. the unusual number of prisoners III
r. spring. he has been obliged TO lodi
a them on the floor without bed or be
y ding.
Respectfully submitted
n George j. Bond, Foreman