Shown is a 1909 picture post card view of the jail.
Lore, Legends & Landmarks of Old Adams
By Stephen Kelley
September 15, 1999
Continuing from last week, the new county jail was completed and formally accepted by the county commissioners on April 23, 1895. The lot on which it had been erected had been purchased by the county in May of 1894 from the heirs of Dr. B.V. Hoghland. It was located directly behind the courthouse on the northeast corner of Cross and Mulberry streets replacing the old jail which stood on the west side of the courthouse square.
Blueprints for the new jail were drafted by the Champion Iron Company of Kenton which was to provide the steel jail cells for the structure. Samuel Laird of Cherry Fork was the Supervising Architect and John O’Connell of Hillsboro was the building contractor. The new jail contained ample living quarters in the front of the building for the sheriff and his family with the fortified jail located in the rear. A stable for the sheriff’s horses and other necessary outbuildings were also constructed behind the jail. The cost of the new jail including the purchase of the lot, totaled $20,000.
When Adams County Sheriff Marion Dunlap moved into the new jail, there were no prisoners at the time. Some citizens wondered who would be the first lawbreaker to be incarcerated. They did not have long to wait to find out. On May 13, 1895, Deputy Sheriff James W. McKee arrested George Hon of Meigs Township and bestowed upon him the dubious distinction of being the first prisoner of the new county lock-up.
George Hon was known to law enforcement officials in Adams County. He had already been in trouble with the law, having been arrested for theft in Peebles and had served time in the Cincinnati Work House as punishment for his crime. His arrest in May of 1895, however, was for something more serious than shoplifting-he had forged two checks in West Union.
George Hon was in his early twenties and stood six-feet-two-inches tall. He weighed about 180 pounds and was described as having “broad and muscular” shoulders and “…the muscles in his arms and legs are well developed and hard as rock.”
As mentioned last week, the contractor for the new jail-John O’Connell-was so convinced of the new jail’s invincibility, he brashly announced he would give one-hundred dollars and a new suit of clothes to the first person who could successfully break out of it. His promise was soon to be tested. Only three days after being locked up, George Hon-the very first prisoner-escaped! When word of his break-out became public, Sheriff Dunlap was quick to show how the muscular Hon had simply lifted one of the heavy iron doors off its hinges, then opened the side door which faced Cross Street and stepped outside to freedom. It was claimed that “It took four stout men to put the same door back on…” The sheriff was exonerated for the escape with blame being placed on “…the oversight of the workmen, who had failed to rivet the steel barred door on its hinges. Predictably, there is no mention in the news stories of that day which indicate that the overly confident Mr. O’Connell ever presented Mr. Hon his cash “prize” and new suit of clothes for his daring feat.
