A Mystery in the County Jail
A man suffering from delirium tremens was found with both legs broken just hours after being locked in a secure cell.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
With both leg bones broken just above the ankles, Charles McArter, arrested several days ago after a prolonged debauch, was taken from his cell at the county jail yesterday afternoon and placed in a ward at the county hospital. How the man broke his legs is unknown. McArter had suffered the tortures of delirium tremens at the city jail for three days. Yesterday he was removed to the county prison. When taken to a cell he was uninjured, it is declared, but three hours later, when he was examined, both his legs were found to be broken. He was then removed to the hospital. His delirious ravings have made it impossible for physicians to set the bones, and the man will be compelled to remain in his present condition until he regains his mental faculties.
“How the man broke his legs is unknown.”
This account highlights the brutal intersection of the criminal justice system and addiction in the early 20th century. While we have moved away from holding people experiencing withdrawal in standard jail cells, the struggle to provide humane care and medical support to those in custody remains a core civic issue.
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