The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-05-23

toilets, all OF which have no proper
ventilation, save by leaving open the
doors Of the toilets for the odors to
find their way into the corridor and
into the offices where your men and
women are at work. Would you have
such conditional as these in your own
home?
While we have spoken Of the insani-
tary condition Of the court house and
Jail, as endangering the health of the
inmates, what shall we say Of the dam
ger Of these same people are exposed
to from the horrors Of fire, as well as
the loss Of your records. which cannot
be measured by dollars and cents.
The building has no heating plant,
but the rooms have wood stoves and
any amount Of steve piping in each
room. In case Of fire, there is but one
exit to the whole building, and fire
in the lower hallway would render es-
cape from the building impossible, ex-
cept from windows. The prisoners
would burn to crisp, like rats in
trap, as the only windows they have in
their dungeon are heavily strapped
with iron bars. rendering escape i'm
possible. There is not fire escape to
the entire building. A fire in any part
c. the lower floor should 1t reach the
hallway, would prevent escape from
any part Of the upper floor, except BY
jumping from the second story win
dows. There is not hotel or room
ing house in all Idaho with such in
adequate fire protection. There is q
standpipe on each floor, with about
twenty-five feet Of half inch cotton
hose, and an old chemical fire extin-
guisher, with the result that found
he chemicals in the extinguisher
have deteriotated so as to render it
useless, while the hose on the second
floor is badly defective and unreliable,
when the full force Of water is sent
into it The electric wiring in many
parts of the building are exposed, and
absolutely dangerous. And yet, not
withstanding all this, there is but one
vault in the entire court house, and
this so inadequate as to be absolutely
incapable of holding even the records
Of the auditors office, while it is any
thing but fire proof, for the inside wall
is Of but ordinary thickness, and would
not stand the heat and weight to make
it fire proof. Consequently not a SINCE
record or file can be considered safe
from fire, and this includes every tax
title, every will, every tax receipt, and
the titles Of to 65,024 acres of land,
with an appraised valuation of over
million of dollars, as also titles to city
lots, valued at quarter of a million
of dollars and the personal property
in the neighbcrhood of three quarters
of million.
Buildings are Condemned
In view Of all these conditions which
renders both court house and Jail as
unfit and unsafe for human life, moth
ing remains for the state to do but to
condemn said building and to direct
your attention to section 1882 Of the re
vised laws, which provides that when
ever the interests of the county re-
quire it, and the board of commission
ers of the county deem it for the pub
lie good bond election shall be
called to build court house or jail, or
both. If ever the interest of any county
require it, then most certainly those
of Latah county do, and you would be
recreant to the discharge of a sworn
public duty to longer delay this mat
ter. Latah county has neither bonded
nor warrant Indebtedness, and GER
tainly her people, when reused to the
danger that confronts them, will rise
to the situation and by their vote will
authorize her board of county commits
sioners to protect the lives Of her Off
Gals and her prisoners and safeguar,
her invaluable property by erecting
III y pAoOA olu ouOAuoLC OullOIB6.
We're it not for the fact that your
district court will convene in a few
days, steps would have been taken to
have the prisoners now in jail re-
moved to some safer quarters. Be
cause of this, the only thing that could
be done under the circumstances was
to require certain changes looking to
temporary relief, as per attached copy
or order served April %. 1912. am
glad to know these changes were made
and so promptly.
The laws of Idaho very wisely pro-
vide for the removal Of prisoners to
the Jail Of a contiguous county when
the county jail becomes unfit or un-
safe for their continent (sec. $500;
and this remains operative until a new
Jail is built. or until the Jail is rem
dered fit and safe. This will be
great expense to your county, but after
the disclosures made by my inspection,