The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-10-19

w. H. Graehner of Milwaukee, presi-
dent of the state board of control, has
sent formal letter to the chief of
police making his objections in regard
to tie new city lookup which was built
after the plans for it had been approved
by Judge Conover, the former presi-
dent of the board in a letter sent to
Architect Joseph Lindl. The following
is the letter of President Graebner:
Milwaukee, Wis, Oct. 10, 1911.
Chief of Police, Kenosha, Wis.
Dear Sir:-On September 18th 1911,
/ inspected your city lookup, but to my
regret you were absent. Although I
had talk with some of your city Of
fcials before the lookup was located in
the basement of your new city hall and
was informed Of the fact that it was
to be placed there, it would have been
the proper thing for your official to
submit your plans to the board Of con-
troll for approval in order to avoid COM
plications. ] informed your officials at
that time that l. personally would not
object to locating the lookup in the
basement, although it was not the
proper thing to do, and most lockups
in Easements have proven unsatisfac-
tory.
Should you have submitted the plans
to the board it, first of all, would have
insisted on proper ventilation of the
quarters; you can now ventilate only
by opening the windows, and expert
ence has proven, that this is not done,
especially during cold weather where
fore we generally find such lockups
filled with foul air. We also nave OBJ
jected to locating the quarters SO per
cent under ground, as the result is
that they will be damp and moist, yes
even wet; and although your deputy
informed me that your lookup is dry,
cannot believe it, and especially so
as was informed by Kenosha parties
that it is not dry
Furthermore you should have provid-
ed for separate room for female ar
rests, as the law requires separation
of sexes. also had hoped you would
provide for tramp-room, as the room
in the county jail is inadequate and
very unsanitary so that the board may
find it necessary to order discontinuing
the use of the same. Is it not possible
that you arrange the adjoining (store)
room to your lookup for this purpose?
Mattresses, blankets, quilts and pill
lows are not desirable in lockups; as
they are liable to be mussed up in
different ways. The board recommends
the removal of them, substituting for
them plain board.
Ventilation should be provided.
BY the way, what idiot gave the
interview saw contained in your
Daily News of September 18th. Your
assistant can verify that did not
claim the lookup did not have proper
sanitary equipment. / did not insist
that the lookup should be used only
as a tramp room; certainly did make
the remark, the city should have pro-
vided a tramp room in its lookup ,es-
pecially so on account of the condi-
tions in the county Jail.
Correct! the law does not make it
mandatory that plans for lockups must
be first submitted to the board of con-
troll for approval, but Section 566 A,
of the statutes provides that whenever
in the opinion of the board of control
any jail, police station Or lookup
(whether new or old) used for the
confinement of prisoners is dangerous
to health or life of the persons con.
fined therein-or as not to permit
their separation as provided for by law,
it shall be its duty, etc Now, is it
not easier to correct plans than build
ings?
Finally I claim that the president
of the board did not have chance
to look over the plans of the build
ing and was not fully advised of the
plans for the building of the lookup.
and at that time the president of the
board did not state that the plans
were satisfactory to the state board
Most respectfully,
w. Fl. Graebner.
Pros State Roard of Con4,