The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-21
Marion Has City Rastile But Has no
Use for il, 20 II Stands as
Law and Order Monu-
ment
NOT ANGELS Alb oDA
There Are LEW Violators all Right,
But These Are Handled by
the County Au-
thorities.

are d lew VI Tie S-SS-s
abiding taxpayers of Marion, Iowa,
who are cognizant OF the existence OF
a city jail in the county seat. They
know Of it because they can remem-
her when the municipal bastile was
installed.
There may be one or two Of the
older people in the city who can t.
member some time when this city jail
was used for the purpose for which II
was erected. However, there are
mighty few residents OF Marion who
either know Of the existence OF the
city jail Or Of its use, as such. In
fact, the Marion city jail bids fair to
become a genuine historical souvenir
and may some day be moved to
museum, where 1t may be properly
labelled and preserved as curio.
But. in spite Of the fact that Marion
has city jai. and never uses 1t. the
conclusion Is not to be mace that
there Is no violating Of the laws OF
the land In the county seat Nay.
nay, Listerine. Not so. Marion has
her quota Of lawless characters. 1t
also has a city marshal or chief OF
police, and one honest-to-goodnes
patrolman.
The only reason that the city jail
is being allowed to stand useless,
and the hinges and locks to grow
rusty and valueless is because the
county jail is handler, more commo-
dious, and is, consequently the necep-
tacle for the miscreants of Marion.
Minions Of Law on the Job.
Peter Schultz, chief of police. and
Neill Lyons, patrolman, guard the
city's interest zealously. the former
going on duty at 8 p. m and the lat
ter at a. m. BY means OF this ar
rangemeni the city is patrolled con-
tfnuously and as result malefactors
enjoy their Iawlessness but briefly.
They are almost certain to run afoul
Of one Of the Marion cops, and this
meeting is followed. pronto, by a pa
rade to the Hotel de Ives.
One other man figures in the pres
ervation of order in the county seat.
This is Homer r. James, justice OF
the peace. He it Is who frowns on
the violators OF the laws OF the state
and city. listens to their pleas for
mercy, discounts promises Of future
good behavior, and then sends the
various prisoners back to the county
bastile for periods ranging from fif
teen to ninety days duration.
A major portion Of the law violators
OF Marion are men who fall through
too close acquaintance with one John
Barleycorn. These disturbers FIRE
quentIy find themselves parading to
ward the county jail in company with
Chief Schultz or Patrolman Lyons
Later they are spirited out OF the jail
led around behind the court house
hustled in Judge James office. enter
their pleas Of guilty. and then hasten
back to the county jail to do penance
By daily stints On the rock pile.
Occasionally the Marion police pici
up a man for breaking into cars IN
the Milwaukee yards. Numerous
"vags" fail to trek hurriedly through
| the county seat and are forced tc
spend a month or so pounding rock
Som cone is picked up, now and then
for carrying concealed weapons, and
once in a while neatly, truly burglar
is nabbed by the police force.
But. regardless OF the cause Of tbs
arrest. all miscreants walk the same
beaten path to and from Justice
James Office. and IN the meantime
the little fourlby-eiyht cage In tbs
fire station-Marion's municipal jail
stands idle. a statue to law anf order