Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-05
OLD JAIL TERMED
RELIC OF PERIOD
OF The DARK ACE
Grand Jury Investigates Conditions at
Present Building and Makes
Pointed Criticism.
CALLS IT WHOLLY INADEQUATE
Issue Plea for More Humane Heusiny
OF Suspects, Declaring Struc-
ture UnSanitary.

Need Of a modern Jail for Rock Is
land county Is again emphasized in
the report Of the members of the grand
iury for the May term of circuit court
which was submitted yesterday after
noon to Judge ". T. Church. A copv
Of the findings of the body was direct
ed sent to the board of supervisors.
The grand jury takes up at consider
able length. discussion of the unsani
tary conditions which necessarily OBJ
tain in the present wholly made
quste plant
Complete report follows:
I'VE. the grand jury in and for the
May, 1916 term of the Rock Island
county circuit court, having examined
the county jail of said county in pur-
suance TO law and the instructions of
this court, beg leave by its commit
tee designated therefor, to report as
follows:
We unqua!ifedly commend Sheriff
Richmond and his assistants for the
care evident in all directions to pre-
serve cleanliness and maintain sani-
tary conditions to the highest extent
possible. Floors are clean. walls
vhitewashed, plumbing in good work
ing order. covered buckets provided
for cells. prisoners well fed and en-,
tering no complaints of their treat
ment at the hands of their keepers.
But while commencing our sheriff
for this efficiency. we find 1t difficult
to command language sufficiently Sc
we're to express our condemnation of
the antiQuated. unsanitary and wholly
inadequate plant in which he is CON-
PEELED to operate.
Jail Ancient Relic.
imprisonment. now the recognized
method of iudicially Furnishing certain
crimes. was formerly employed in
most European countries for purpose
Of injustice and oppression. While
the honor OF reforming this condition
belongs to the 18th century. our coun-
~ jail, as regards physical constTuc-
ton. is a relic Of the pre-reform per-
iod.
Science has demonstrated the ne
cessity of life-giVing and life-sustain-
ing oxygen. so bOunteouslv supplied
by Gods pure air; also the deadly eff
fects where this element is denied.
Sixteen cubic feet per hour is a mans
requirement for breathing air, on
which basis each human being should
have 500 cubic feet of air space to him
self. While with this liberal allow
ance a constant direct or indirect re
punishment is necessary. two men oc-
Cupying one of our cells have less
than one-half the space mentioned,
with no repleniShment except through
the bars of the cell door. drawing
therefrom an inside supply with only
small outer windows, far removed and
inadequate. reinforced by no suction
fans or modern devices for inducing
circulation. The natural and inescap-
able result Of such conditions is putrid
atmosphere. breathed again and again
by lungs of all types. laden with Of
fensive and deadly gases. conducive to
headaches, drowsiness, lassitude and
many serious and even fatal disorders.
"Supplementing the discomfort of
the impoverished atmosphere within.
come offensive odors from damp and
noisome cellar beneath. Sewer gas
is also complained of. and out of date
culinary arrangements in close con-
junction with the sleeping quarters,
form an aggregation of discords
wholly uniting the air for respiratory
purposes.
Rats Are Thriving.
Rats abound in liberal quantities
throughout the entire building. This
germ distributor, recognized as a