Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-04-27
SHERIFF CALLS
DETENTION HOUSE
UNFIT FOR USE
New $4,000 Building Has
Many Grave Defects,
Il He Declares.
REFUSES TO SEND ANY
PRISONERS TO THE PLACE
Says 1t Would Be Cruel TO In.
mates and Dangerous to
Public Safety.

Declaring today that the new $4,000
House of Detention at the corner of
Newark and New streets is absolutely
unfit for the purposes for which il was
built Sheriff William Harrigan said
that he would not put any witnesses or
juvenile offenders in the house until
number Of rasical changes had been
made
Sharing with the sheriff the opinion
that the house is. defective are Villa
]. Kearns, his personal attorney; Louis
E. Voorhees,. chairmsn of the building
committee Of the present Board q
FreehoIders. and many others around
the Court House who have looked over
the building. which has been ready for.
occupancy since early in March. but
has yet to receivd prisoner.
Here are. some af the defects. as found
by Sheriff Herrigan:
No iron bars on windows Of &
dining-rocms. Z
solid doors ON dormitories, pre-
venting guards from property
~ntcIirg inmates.
Building not large enough for ii.
purpose.
Only three rooms-dinirg-room.
dormitorfes -nd asscrihIy-room--in
which inr,ctes cnn pass time dur
Ing day.
No fence around lot. making II {
.,fx- In. mn
outdoor exercise.
No way possible 10 give e,nnlov-
nent 10 inmetes to keep thcrs out
of treubic and mischief.
Only paxsibie occupation for In
mate. would lc In Tendine. Ma
iorfty of inmates would be unable
10 rend and would he in absolute
IdIcBcss.
Building constructed single
rocm. light housekeeping plan. in
mates having enc living room and
lone sleeping room.
No proper quarters fer warden
and mstrcn whose living room
must also serve office.
Kitchen small and inadequate.
Only connection between male
and female departments through
kitchen.
In ease of trouble on third floor
asscmbIy-rcam in soman.s depart
meat matroa would have to run
down three flights of stairs 10 oh
tain help from male department.
No separate cells In building
where upruIy inmates could be
placed for discipline.
Kitchen must serve cook also ns
bedroom.
No sleeping room provided fer
engineer except in basement fur
mace room.
40 door or bar of nny kind at
foot Of main stairway which leads
TO within ten feet of entrance
frcm street.
Railing at top of stairs In assem-
bly-roon. only forr feet in height.
this being dangerously low.
Responsibilities a Puzzle.
just where the fault lies FOR ali the
. defects no one seems to know The
| building was planned and built by j
O'Rourke & Sons, their plans for the
work being accepted by the Board q
Freeholders on June l3. 1907 Ihe
building committee ot tue bodId ~
I F'reeholders at that time consisted q
4 Edward c. Eaton. chairmsn; Dennis
Toye. ]. J. Gaynor. Emmett J. Quinn
Hugh Gallagher and David A Nc
Bride The total cost including ground
and building TO date has been S46.2ss Q
This is exclusive OF furnishings mos
of which. however. We're transferref
If from the old South Orange avenue
. asylum. No fault has been found witt
. tire construction of the building. Tn
; whole teouble lies in that fact that ae
5 cording to Sheriff Harrigan and others
+ the building is useless as a house of de
tention for witnesses and Juvenile or
tenders.
: In discussing the matter today sherii
If Harrigan said:
), Il am responsible for the safety Q
juvenile prisoners and witnesses "a
q