Mexico weekly ledger., 1911-01-26
AN INTERNAL HOLE
UNFIT FOR ANY DE-
CENT MAN TO Be IN
Judge Barnett

Circuit Judge J.. d. Barnett told
a Ledger representative Saturday that
il Audrain county did not have a
new jail soon would refuse
to i-ncarcerate prisoners there. This
is no threat" he added, Il want It
understood, that / think the place
a vile hole and unfit for any decent
man.
"To place a man in the Audrain
jal who was charged with murder
and could not give bail would place
his life In danger OF being UNDER
mined. t he conditions there are as
unsanitary as they could possibly be
and unfit for the use 1t t now
put 10.
IAN the counties In my judicial
circuit have decent jatls except Au-
drain and Lincoln. In the latter, a
negro, under charge of murder, push
ed his way out Of the Jail with ease,
several yeaHs ago. it was so film
sy a structure"
Smith Shows Grand jury Something
Judge J. 7. Williams, foreman Of
the jary, said Edmund Smith, who
: under 10 yesls sentence in States
prison for assembling VIM. w. Elliott,
startled the already surprised grand
jury, by asking them Il they wanted
to see some yermin and before they
could SAY yes or no turned up his
coas collar and showed them the
crawling creatures. Judge WI
liams and the others were shocked by
she conditions at the jail and
though realizing Sheriff woolery had
done all he could to better conditions
saw that nothing but a e building
would correct the present situation.
Mexico, Mo-, january 20, 1911.
Reort Of the Grand Jury.
To the Honorable Circuit Court OF
Audrain County, Missouri !,
We, the Grand Jury of Audrain
County, Mo-, duly empanelled on
January 16th, 1911, and instructed
to investigate the conditions of the
county buildings, most respectfully
report that the Grand Jury as a Who'll
visited the county Jail and exam
lined said building carefully aud
found the same to be In a depicra'
bile condition OF decay. We found
the walls of the JAIN and residence to
be badly cracked and in an unsafe
condition-the whole structure is hel'
together by iron rods passing through
same N many directions, and we be
Iieye the whole building would fall
II said rods were removed.
We found no suitable cells for thu
confinement of female prisoners OF
minors, nor lis the Jail large enough
for the demands of the increase Of
crime and the population Of the coun
ty oven IL it was a safe building Il
confine prisoners.
We, therefore, recommend that sal
JAIN be torn down and q new safe
/ substantial and sanitary jail hous'
he built.
: We believe the condition OF thA
whole jail to be such that under M
/, consideration should 1t be repaired
or added to, but should be torn dow
and a new building constructed witt
separate apartments for females. on'
for hardened criminals and one foi
first offense.
The sewer system Of the Jail build
ing is miserably defective. We founf
the Jail we'll and neatly kept. rh'
sanitary conditions being as good a
the condition OF the Jail building am
it's construction will admit Of.
We further report that we visite'
the county farm and county Poo
House and closely examined into tn
conditions therein and thereof
make the following suggestions, tc
wit: We suggest that the Count
Court retain all of the two hun
! bred acres of land. We heartily Ell
drse the present method OF manage
ment. When we vSited the Iarm "
/, found w. S. Hamilton to be an eff
a Client superintendent who mad IN
buildings and farm In ais good como
ton as circumstances would perml
= We also found that the inmates wer
well cared for and well treated. w
found the present buildings wnoil
inadequate for the present ana futur
!, needs of the county lnflrmary am
! we recommend that a new and mot
4 ern County lntirmary ne erecteu'
We, therefore, recommend that IN
citizens OF Audrain county circula
petitions asking the county court
submit a proposition to issue bono
to the mount OF Tnlrty-flVe Ihou