The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26
JEMISON THINKS
 IDEA IMPRACTICAL
Both He and Barr Believe Objections to Such a Step Outweigh Other Arguments-Other Citizens
 Give Their Views

 few days. He further states he is opposed to the county selling or disposing of any of it's property and especially the present site of the county jail. His idea is that building should be erected that will take care of the criminal and inferior courts with the jail on top. The position of MT. Pennington in this matter makes three members of the board who are in favor of building an eight or ten-story building with a jail on top, the others being pr. R. F. Lovelady and Hugh McGeever. One member, Maj. w. J. Cameron, is in favor of building a new jail on a site removed from the pres ent location. the other member of the board, R. R. Bivins. is noncommittal. Among the others indorsing the erec- ton of 1o-story building on the present site are T. H. Motion. Col. Felix Me- Laughlin, B. Asbury Thompson and other we'll informed citizens. J. H. Barr. president of the First National bank, is of the opinion that the jail should be removed and built out of the center of the city He is inclined to think the skyscraper plan impracticabe and be- lieves the objectionable features of building with a jail on top would out weigh it's good points. Statesements are as follows;
 No Separation of Jail i Lawrence H. Pennington Since my return l haven't had an opportunity of going over the two sets of plans sub mitted to the board by MT Wheelock on last Tuesday. l don't hesitate to state that my opinion has always been that the jail and courthouse problem should l be disposed of in one, and that they should not be separated
 | Now, in view of the fact that we have made an addition to the courthouse, which will for time relieve the con gested condition, and in view of pro- viding better quarters for the inmates 1 of the jail, it is my opinion that the | interest of all concerned can be best con | served by erecting up-to-date jail on a portion of the present jail site and connecting same by corridors with the | present courthouse.
 | "1 have been thinking of this problem for sometime and have pictured in my mind a building to be erected facing l Fourth avenue on what is now known as big rock jail which would take up 90 feet of space fronting on Fourth ave- nue. This building to be nine or 10 1 stories high; the lowest floors of which could be utilized by the criminal courts and inferior courts the upper stories to | be so constructed as to make a model 1 jail. It would be my idea to erect a | jail to care for from $50 to 400 prisoners which capacity, I feel confident, would | be sufficient for several years to come By erecting the building 90 feet fac hg on Fourth avenue. the cell work of the floors used for jail purposes would take l up 4S feet and on the outside of the cell exercise corridors could be provided with | still an additional corridor for the war den or jail watchman to use in making | his rounds
 By following a plan similar to this it | can be seen that plenty of light and ven- | tilation of the building having the ap- pearance of a jail, there being no barred windows in evidence, thereby overcoming | the objections that have been pointed out in reference to the present jail. While l this Jail is being erected, the prisoners ] in what is now used as the negro wards could all be transferred to the old jail making it necessary to transfer very few | if any prisoners during the time of con- l struction, and when the new building Is completed the old jail. which is now oc- | cupied by the white male prisoners and | female prisoners. which covers a space l of 135 feet, running back to the proposed | new jail and facing on Twenty first street could be cleared off and parked, thereby eliminating a feature which is at present | unsightly.
 q am personally opposed to the county
 
 soever and especially centrally located property, such as this is because the time is coming when this 135 feet, which can be vacated by carrying out such plans as referred to- will be needed for | courthouse purposes
 "As stated before, I have not gone over plans submitted by MT. Wheelock, but have made an engagement with him for Monday to so over them, and after doing this and going into further details, it may develop to my mind If a new jail Is | to be erected it should be placed on a portion of the ground now used for jail purposes"
 Does Not Approve Skyscraper
 Robert Jemison: "As time goes on, persons who own the other property in the neighborhood of the jail may wish to erect buildings c., the sites. They may desire to erect skyscrapers. l do not believe it would appeal to many persons to have an office in skyscraper where they would look down upon jail, where they would be forced to listen to the ranting of those prisoners Sunday and l at other times. and where they would be forced to listen to the dying songs of men | to be executed in the jail. which is so liberally rendered by condemned pris- oners.
 Father Coyle sized the matter up when he told the board of revenue that no reason could be advanced for keep ing the jail in it's present place and that hundreds could be advanced for movin : i it. He also invited members of the board of revenue to occupy his home adjoining St. Paufs church and there learn what he and his assistant and his sister were forced to hear and hear from the incar- | cerated criminals in the county jail. The l skyscraper idea would not correct that situation nor would it provide the santa ton, the fresh air. the sunshine and the exercise ideas that are now held in such great esteem by progl essive and civilized communities.
 "It appears to me that the board would do the wise thing to build med Hum priced jail outside of the business sec ton. It can be done without paying any sale fees or without inuring any prop critics and could be financed easily. But
 if a skyscraper is started the financ al details would be very great. It would be
 subjected to vote and we all know what the past history has been In that ! connection. The jail is 30 years old or more It is unclean, it's sanitary condi-
 tions are a shame to this community and
 that jail should be removed and relieve this exceedn ng acute situation. ! My idea is that 1t is a reflection upon imperial Jefferson to have such condi-
 ton as this. It will be exceedingly humili- ating if pr. Oates does finally have to fContinued an Page sixl