Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-12-19
Conditions Are Horrible;
Infested With Rodents
and Lice.
POLICE DEPLORE IT
Are Loath to Throw a HUI
man Being Into the
Rotten Cellar.

Probably nowhere else in the coun-
try is there city of corresponding
size with such inadequate quarters
for the temporary housing of human
beings who have been arrested for
inlractions of the law, nor is there
immediate prospect of Improvement,
Ultimately probably, when the new
city hall becomes a reality, there will
be a jail which is not infested with
yernn of almost every description
and mere incarceration therein will
not mean illness and possible death.
Jailcrs Ashamed.
And there's no one who deplores
this awful state of affairs more than
members of the police department.
The jailers hesitate to escort pris-
oners to this disreputable uEder-
ground apartment, although they
have no alternative. And once men
and women are behind grated doors
and windows those who have reluc-
family put them there hasten away
from the semi-darkness and nauseat-
ing odors and scampering rodents,
hoping against hope that they'll not
have TO return.
True everything possible is done
to keep this hole in the ground sant-
tary, but such a thing is beyond pos
sibility. Time was. probably, when
the Jail was habitable but that was
years ago before rats and mice and
creeping and crawling things found
lodgings there. Squads of prisoners
work daily at securing floors and
washing walls and benches, but even
though they We're kept continually at
tho task it would be impossible to
make much Improvement.
Nolhlng VII! reiIeVe TINS depIoraple
coldIIloh or aIIalrs put a new JaIl'
ana jhe quicker Inal Is pIoNiaed InG
better 1t VIII be lor the city ana
Offenders OF ts laws TO say holhinG
or employees VINO now are coHhpelleu
10 leopafdI2e lhelr hVes lhtoush as
sociauon with such unsanltary sur
i'"''''i,s'
7''o''"E ''"'s "7''''''
during leisure hours, OF Whlch
there are rev around ponce heau
quarters, members OF the department
nave been known to XIII many rats
IL the city lall IN single nsht Iney
use small calper riile' but huhuhs
is unnecessary, as lhe RODENTS are so
numerous that all the spoltsmeh
nave 10 90 Is shooL.
"A tup at one END OF lhc Jan coiIl-
uor seemingly Is IaNoIlle meeting
place OF the undefsiouhu tr!De, pos
sipiy because mere Is wafer mere 70
SausIN IHelt lhIlS'' lhciu'H'allN,
illEnl ne SaIu NOR re- ia's nav CdSi .',Il
In their chlps on thls particular IuD
IMAM eI9eNheIe III 'He J9Il' az VIZ,
they are hanging by thelr hluu leCt
with theIr noses IN lhe coollng HIulu
they are Qulle op|Nlous' Tor Ihe ulle
being, or What else may De Irahsplr-
ing around Jhehl'
Rats seem 10 ne more lnlISlN AT
nlght than during the DAY IneIeioIe
most OF the rat sh0OuHS Is uohe
after the sun mas set. Ilme VIII come
possibly, when the rats VIII 40 me
hunting put at the present WrllnE
their numbers are not qulle suIllcleuI
Tor an ORGANIZED offensive H'oNe'i'o"V'
Bang! Bang. Bang!
Thov are sharpshooters and quick
ebIntnra mo natroImon ana others
,,,bo ,ro attonnfino io ovterminato
tho rodont triba IN TuIea,e iaiI and
I,cir sI,ats aro how'd I'm ranid suc-
,a.'i,,, onco ,I,o,,re started 10 worl,
yyhon y rat makes his aDpearance on
to,, of mo tnb or aisoviere for that
,nn+tor. no is l,iIIcd If the aim is
t,,,o cina,,Iori, orouqb his DIace
,,s,olI,, is tol,an nv q brofbpr or sis
tor or como other relation who
,nd,te q einiIor rate and co If poes
mill the slaycrs have exhausted their
ammunition or become weary Of the
,,nstir,n t''''l'''''' VI
Does the killing of rats interest
the prisoners. you ask? No, From
the time they are taken into the Jail
they're generally kept quite busy in
the preservation of their lives-those
who are not overcome by the effects
of liuuor. that is. For they are man
eating rats i'm the basement bastile,