Continuing from last week, on May 13, 1895, George Hon of Meigs Township became the first prisoner in the newly completed county jail. Quite to everyone’s surprise – and perhaps, dismay – Hon managed to break out of the new facility which was considered very modern and escape-proof.

Not many days after Hon had been incarcerated, two young women from Green Township became the first female prisoners to be placed in the new jail. The 1895 jail was the first in the county to have separate quarters designated for females. Bide and Lote Scott, who lived in the Rome community, apparently harbored ill will against the Farmer family who lived close by. According to one newspaper account, the Scott girls attacked the Farmer home one day. The newspaper story states, “They rocked the house, playing h

See Full Page