The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-02
NHEEUNG'S WORkHOUSE CLOSED
LAST NIGHT PRISONERS ARE IN
COUNTY JAIL UNDER AGREEMENT
COUNCIL AurNo1HRS CITY MAN
AaX8 TO SION CONTACT WITH
EERW RA8THGS.
TWO PRSoME1S ARE BENoVEn TO
JAIL AVID woRKRoUSE BEcoAES
TU1Q or PASE.
BuuDM0 WILL PRoRA111 BE
IDAEXD BY CITY HANAaG3-
PRHSoM HAS ESTo&X.

Wheeling's city prison passed out OF
existence last night. Al 10 c'ocN
council passed an ordinance authorizing
tho city manager TO close contrac-
with Sheriff Hastings 10 house tnE
prisoners at the county jail. TWO hours
later-at midniEht-Chtet OF Foiiee
Fred Frazier turned over Thomas NOT.
TON. a drunk. and William Bell. dis
orderly, 10 the county jailer. Locks
were turned at the workhouse on ives.
Chapline street. Lights were swltcnea
out and the PRISONS history was WIZ
ten.
Council authorized the city manager
10 pay the sheriff 60 cents per day loF
keeping and feeding prisoners. Inc
contract is for period OF one yeer'
Norton Is serving a ten-day sentence.
with half time served Bell mas NA
DAYS OF a thirty-day term served
The passing Of booze from West VIZ
rinia made the workhouse deserted
place. Onlv the old timers who spent
about 400 days a year at the prison
came back. and finally Rodney Dickerson
got religion. Henry Grimm went 70 inc
county home and the superintendent was
no longer needed. Next his o11lce WaS
done away with. Then came nal 90. "
wide prohibition. but why speak CT
write Of unpleasant things Nuf Geo.
about a. 900. The city manager has
undcr consideration several propositions
for its future use several persons being
anxious TO rent II.
wheelinz's original city prison was
built in the year 1886 on Wheeling hill.
Two years AFTER the old city reservoir
was built a short distance away. a
history OF Wheeling shows that IN 1886
on ordinance was passed which reads
Council has authority TO erect and OPP
crate a city prison" Records show tnat
Peter W. Kennedy was the hrst CITY
sergeant so that ne must have also had
charge Of the city prison until such time
a. a superintendent OF the workho sc
was named.
Tho >first workhouse WAS large
double story wooden building. with
heavily barred windows. Il had no
basement and but one large room, except
for small compartment for women
Cells were provided at the entrance TOT
unruly prisoners. but the ma)ot''y Oh
prisoners ate. slept and lived in ono
room on double tier hunks that in cold
weather were huddled around big coal
stove.
II was a horrible looking place. Ven
tilators in the roof were made impaSs-
lille BY baroed wire but these WireN
often we're cut and prisoners got away.
Prisoners as well made their escape
when sent as TRUSTEES 70 a nearby spring
for water. os
A. that time a rock pile was operated
ncar tbe uorkhouse, and there prisoners
crncxed stone all day long and when
,bo rnards turned their backs stone
CRACKERS disappeared. The workhouse
vas IN a direct line with the present
city reservoir ,. -.
Ittlc did the men who built tna'
nrIson and IN, pld reservoir hearoy
realizc that tho march NJ time "oulu
soon convert the reservoir INTO l"u"-
aat,or for new and NOR" modern prs
49,, Such vas tho course Of events.
w., h,t was the city prison until yes
,erdey was built on tho walls OF me
eb,ndopeJ reservoir. The reservoir. w
ronrse ALWAYS afforded very rine oAse
ment. 1ro., Chap
The building stands on west .,
linz street and Is a brick stroctu,
w,S huilt III 1905. with harry -
rho SUPERINTENDENT and nc reu'a'"eu -,
80 until the city manager FORM VI
,,nrt WAS put into ofnce. IL
S"l ,,or,. nne,y equipped women's de-
HaS ,stairs offices for the super
;ntnndent and guards. a spacious a,
1870 Litchcn. cells for Nnruly prlso"',
and large main prison ROOM MAJ
1865. eerure by heavy brick walls anu
d.
; harred windows. II is very n'0N-
crn prison building. .-,o- 70
prison history OF Wheeling prior "
,be erection OF the workhouse Is '"'e
sting Way back IN 1908 history r..
c,tc. that visitor was surprsed
And in Wheeling a court house an1 la.,,
". referred TO the old court ms
wherc tho Court theatre now ~
This building was abandoned 10 '''sS
vay for the Virginia theatre ana .ne
resent iail and court house were 60
.d Tho Virginia and Court 'neAli. .'
~..srs no, eSccted however Tor many
,..rs after the old court house ana !a,.
-rcre closed. The old Jail yard was '"e
scene Of executions >.,oornv
Another noted prison IN Nneeilhs
ms the Atheu"um Of the 'Ni' "a.
uIs,orians recite that 1t stood az r""'
,santh and Market streets. but sasFS o.
~, newspaper world say that " $1,000
=, Sixtecnth and Market on inc sue y.
tbc rbcrty theatre. Their" Pr'son''S
~ war were held and prominent news
rarrrncn Of Wheeling. were the h's'
M soncrS.