The First Jail In Washtenaw And The First Prisoners Confined In It
The county of Washtenaw was organized on the flrst day of January, ia the year of grace 1827, having been up to that time a part of Wayne County for judicial purposes. About the year 1829 the citizens of Ann Arbor and vioinity contributed, each according to his ability, some timber, lumber, work, or other mivterials necessary for the construction of a building that wDuld answer for a county prison. Such an ediflce was built on the " old jail square," with rooms for the jailer and one cell. The cell was made of timber " bents." The shoulders of the posts of each bent projected over the euils of the timbers that the fioor was made of. Heavy oak planks were spiked on the walls and floor. The door was made of timber. At the next term of the County Court after the jail was built Judge Dexter, the presiding judge, ordered the grand jury to visit the jail and inspect it and report if in their opinión it was suitable for the purposes for which it was constructed. Quite a number of the jurymen had served as grand jurymen before, and being of genial dispoaitions, and loving a little fun when there was nothing else to do, framed a set oi by-laws, which imposed ftnes for various offences, such as beiug absent at roll cali, Ac, payable in beer. Every member who had never served as a grand uryman or held office in a grand jury was made to pay his initiation fee. When the order for visiting and iuspecting the jail was received by the foreman, the late Col. Orrin White, and made known to the jury, it was voted that they sliould form in a body and march in doublé file led by the foreman and secretary (our felloweitizen, E. Clark), under the supervisión of the officerin charge. This vote was obeyed. On arriving at the jail the eell door was throwu open and the foremau and secretary stepped in, the door was closed upon them and locked. The merry faces of the " old ones " were at the diamond hole and the question asked, " Do you see a gallon of beer each ?" Little notice was taken of this at first, hut finally the required beer was promised, the door was unlocked, and the balance of the jury came in, bnt not till after a plan had been agreed upon by the two prisoners. While the ten were inspecting, the ioreman and ecretary quietly moved round the cell towards he door, and before their object was suspected ;hey were outside and the door closed and lockedi Once more the question was asked " Do you see a gallon of br each 't" When the fine was )romised the door was opened. The report of hat jury to the court was, that the jail was was worthy oí the acceptauce of Washtenaw County. I believe no prisoner ever escaped rom it only " by due procoss of law." After the brick jail was built the old one remained unuaed for some years, except by some who.sought its shelter where they could sleep off he effects of too much bad whisky. Finally ome one set it on fire and it was consumed. srael Branch, father of Chauncey Branch, was he flrst jailer of the county. B. l i M i 1 On Friday last Mr. D. W. Palmer, of Bridgewater,. was runaway with near the oouuty line, lis buggy demolished, and himself considerably aruised, though fortunately no bones were broken. His horse took fright at some burned and Jaokened stumps which had been extracted rom a field and deposited in the road. He was ;aken to the residence of our late fellow-citizen, ohn J. Eobison, where he was hospitably provided for, and the next day was about his business, though a little sore and lame. We are indebted to the Messrs. Goodsell, managers of the Graplic, illustrstod daily, for an invitation to witness the departure of the Graphic alloon on its Transatlantic voyage, which is exected to take place sometime between the lst and lOth of September, as the prognostications of the Weather Bureau may determine, and regret being compelled to decline, but with our )est wishes f :r the success of Messrs Wise and Doualdson.
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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus