Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, December 5, 1913, Page 17

ASERIDUSMENACE Below the Leve! of Penal In- stitutisns, IT IS A SCHOOL OF GRIME. The County Jail Was Universally Con- demned by the International Conven- tion of Criminologists, Who Praised Other American Penal Institutions. It Supports the Vicious In ldieness. At the time it was decided o hold the international couvention oi crimi- nolegists in the city of more than a year ago cong printed $50,000 in order that th @ for efgn students of crime might visit at ¢ our expease our pensl institutions. As they went about there was much praise of some of our state peniten- taries and reformatories, but an al- most uni eounty juails, as not merely below the level of our other penal ihstitutions, but as below the standards of all oth- er elvilized countries. Qounty jails are usually open to in- apection, and onc does not need to be very expert to see the evils that were polnted out. The jail is usually in eharge of a sheriff, who is elected each year or two years by popular vote. He probably knows nothing about crimi- modegy or the care of criminals. He 8 elected. because he is persomally popular. He is the superior officer of the county, and, while his services are entirely amateur and inexpert, he S Wrresponsible and without any reg- slar supervision. The jails will often be found to be o filthy condition and without any sflequate ventilation. The inmates Sead their lives largely in common, and the vilest outrages are sometimes com- mitted on the weaker members. In meany jails juvenile offenders are still put in with hardened criminals. The language is often full of that mean- togless obscenity and profanity which make our intelligence as well as our wrtue blush. The inmates are idle, «f eourse, or playing cards. ¥he jail has been termed *a school of erime at public expense.” It is sure- Yy admirably fitted for that purpose. A GOOD TYPE OF A COUNTY J4 A younz man becomes idle and gets fnto bad company. He commits a erime aud is sentenced to jail for six months or a year. He goes from bad eompany to the worst company that the whole county can afford. He goes from occasional idleness to an idlene: that is enfo 1 through a long peri of time. The jail has no reformatory features. Most persons who have been 0 jail for a year are unfitted ever to be turned out upon society again. Such | 2 man is 2 much more dangerous per- soa than he was when he went in, be- eause his tastes have been depraved by bad company and bad practices and be has learned the technique of crime# Imprisonment may be a punishment to the convict and it may not. Teo the #dle and the vicious, who do not regard # as a disgrace, confinement, especially n the winter time, with free food, a good bed and id'e life with congenial eampanions, is not much of a penalty. The jail is a great source of expense %o the county, both directly and indi- sectly. The county has to build the 3ad and pay for the board of the in- mates. Meanwhile the families of these men often require assistance or the children go wrong under the pres- gure of want and loss of social posi- tion. The county incurs this great ex- pense in order to support in idleness & cempany mostly of ablebodied men. The cure is not far to seék—the jails should be merely the receiving stations for those awaiting immediate trial. As soon as sentence is pronounced, the prisoners should be sent to state insti- tutions where they can be put to work or, in case of counties of large popula- tion. to those tasks which the county may assign. Kansas City has a good solution. The annual expense of main- taining the jail had been about $40,- 000 a year. It purchased a tract of 2,000 acres about ten miles outside the dty and moved most of its prisoners there. They made the roads and built the buildings and started an extensive system of truck farming. Considering the increased value of the property, with the roads and buildings and the walue of the products, the jail has be- eome self supporting, and a wage of 99 eents a day is paid to the families <# the convicts.—American City. et al condemnation of our |f§ THE COUNTY JAIL |OPENS UP NOSTRILS,Z CLEARSIHEAD, ENDS COLDS OR CATARRH AT ONGE Instanuiy xcueves Swollen, Inflamed Nose, Head, Throat—You Breathe Freely—Dull Headache Goes— Nasty Discharge Stops. Try “Ely’s Cream Blam.” Get a small bottle anyway, just to try it—Apply a little in the nostrils and instantly your clogged nose and stopped-up air passage of the head will open; you will breathe freely; dullness and headache disappear. By morning! the catarrh, cold-in-head or catarrhal sore throat will be gone. End such misery now! Get the small bottle of “Ely’s Cream Balm at any drug store. This sweet, fra- grant balm dissolves bl the heat of ithe nostrils; penetrates and heals the inflamed, swollen membrane which lines the mnose, head and throat; clears the air passages; i{stops nasty discharges-and a feeling lof cleansing, soothing relief comes immediately. Don’t law awake to-night strug- glicg for breathe, with head stuffed; nostrils closed, hawking and blow- ing. Catarrh or a cold, with its run- ning nose, foul mucous dropping in- to the throad, and raw dryness :s distressing but truly needless. Put your faith—just once—in “Ely’s Cream Balm and your cold or "catarrh will surely disappear. Can you do the work the world wants done? If not, write Mankato Commercial, Mankato, catalog.—Adyv. THOS. JOHNSON Architect Expert designer of House, Bungalow, Office, Hotels and School Buildings. INQUIRE AT Gounty Surveyor's Office Minn., for R RS, This space reserved by the Bemidji Townsits & Improvement Ca, For Price of Lots, Terms, Etc., INQUIRE OF T. C. BAILEY, Bemidji, or write BErIDJI TOWNSITE & IMPROVETNENT CO. 520 Capital Bank Bullding ST. PAUL MINNESOTA | | o 3 x * best choice through a Pioneer ¥ * want ad. Phone 31. * x Of Course We’re In On the REFUNDSALE What'’s more we have made special preparations for this big feature occasion. Never before in the history of this establishment have we been so well supplied to show you class and quality merchandise for so little money. Come in and be convinced. We are prepared to serve you in any and all of the following lines: Groceries, Flour, Feed, Dry Goods, Rub- bers, Shoes, Mackinaws and | Heavy Foot Wear SOME SPECIALS-- Apples, heaping basket full, 75c. Car_load of Pillsbury’s Best Flour just arrived. Leather top Rubbers and Blankets. Boost Your Contestant wants your votes and see that she gets them. $400 CLAXTON PIANO Do your shopping at SCHROEDER’S STORE Start Now. Plenty of Time to getin the Race if You are a Hustler Defective - W. G. Schroeder Groceries, -Dry Goods, Flour, Feed, Shoes PHONES 65-290 Pama you 12.000 votes for every 12,000 votes. Ge. your frieuds to subscribe for The Pioneer. 12,000 votes for renewal subscriptions. Special Prize for Gontestant turning in Most Votes Next Week _Fill out this coupon, mail or bring it to “our office with $4.00 for one year’s subscription to THE, PIONEER:'and get This is a golden opportunity for the young ladies in the Piano Contest. FindZthe girl’: who We issue 100 votes with every dollar purchase and the girl who secures the most votes before February 14th will be awarded the $400 Claxton Piano Subscribe for THE DALY PIONEER SECOND PRIZE We give new subscriber you get and also Lady’s 20 year gold fill- ed watch THIRD FRIZE Street No. ..o Town or City........... County....... R R sl State........ sl Subscrsibe for THE BEMIDJI PIONEER and Rubbers Lady’s ten yar gold gold filled watch. FOURTH PRIZE TOILET SET (Comb, Brush and Mirror.) THIS CONTEST CLOSES FEBRUARY 14, 1914 BEMIDJI, MINN.