Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-12
AGENT SLIPS IN
To INSPECT JAIL
Miss Velma Martin Comes On
heralded and Visits the
County's Prison.
FINDS USUAL CONDITIONS
Still in Favor of New Structure as
Remedy for Horrible Features
of Present Place.

! Miss Vella Martin Of Springfield, in
spector for the state charities commits
sion. swooped down on local keepers Of
| iaiIs and charitable institutions Mon
day, and since that time has been busy
at her work. Until this morning Miss
( Martin has been rather secretive and
has evaded any intention of her pres
ence here, as she wanted TO visit these
institutions when they were in every
/ day order. and not preparing for a
visit.
! This is the scond official visit which
! she has made in Rock Island county.
Last July she investigated conditions
| in the county Jail, and it will be re-
membered that her report favored the
razing of tn old building and the erec-
ton of a new one because of the I'M
sanitary conditions prevailing there.
The report was published, and since
that time each grand jury has reported
that steps should be taken at once to
relieve those conditions. But things
have stopped with the reports, as the
board of supervisors has been en-
willing to incur the expense.
FINDS BETTER CONDITIONS.
Miss Martin stated to an Argus rep
resentative this morning that she had
found conditions in the Jail much the
same as last year. but that the officials
were doing all in their power to pro-
mote sanitary living. She is confident
that nothing more can be done 10 rid
the Jail of the vermin and rodents
which infest the walls and halls and
torment prisoners. unless a new build
ing is erected. The sheriff's deputies
and the keepers have whitewashed the
Jail walls and sprayed them. and, con-
sidering the conditions. things are in
fairly good shape.
RECOMMENDS CHANGES.
While certain that eventually a new
Jail must be built, Miss Martin does
not believe in waiting for that time |
to remedy present conditions. Many |
changes could be made that would be
for the better. The boys portion OF
the prison, for instance, might well be
changed with beneficial results. A.
present ii consists of two tumble-down |
rooms on the second floor, where it is
an easy matter for the inmates to con- /
fer with the adult prisoners below. |
Miss Martins suggestion is to utilize |
the old storeroom on the first floor for !
keeping the boys and to turn the pres
ent boys quarters into additional space
for the other prisoners.
INsPECTs OTHER PLACES.
In addition to inspecting the jail, Miss
Martin has also made an investigation !
of the open air relief movement.
which is under the guidance and direc-
ton of Visiting Nurse Margaret Giles |
and Police Matron Dina Ramser AS |
in all other things, the inspector is ret
icent in divulging the results of these
Investigations. She intends making
report as soon as possible, and then
the result will be printed in pamphlet
form 1t is safe to say that the report
will speak favorably of the movement:
and commend the leaders for their en-
terprise.
This afternoon Miss Martin. accom-
panied by local workers. visited the
county farm at Coal Valley. She in
tends visiting Bethany home. anJ
has already visited the Association
house at 637 Seventeenth street. The
work will keep her in Rock Island for
n day longer at least, after which she
will go TO another county to conduct
further Investigations.