In the 'Clink': The Former Latty Jail

From the Progress of Sept. 24, 1997. By Nancy Whitaker, Feature Writer.

Jail tales from the days when every community had a hoosegow

PAULDING COUNTY IS RICH in history. If walls could talk … oh what our ears would hear! It was surprising to learn that the old Latty jail is still intact although no one can remember when it was used last. The former jail house is located at the rear of the current town hall. Mayor Tom Sinn unlocked the hall and the jail, to reveal what jails were like in the 1800s.

The Latty jail still has the original bars across the windows, two holding cells, cots which fold up and hook to the walls, iron bars at each end and some type of metal storage container at one end. (Perhaps for toileting purposes?)

The two cells are actually four feet wide and eight feet long. They are also seven feet high. The floor, ceiling and sides are made of boiler plate or steel. The metal partitions between the cells are also steel plated with solid bars in the rear. The doors to the cells are iron-made bars. Actually, it seems hard to believe that anyone ever managed to escape from this jail.

Women were supposed to conduct themselves in a becoming manner. A lady was put in jail for using profane language. She didn’t have enough money to pay her fine, so she went to jail.

The Village of Latty, located west of U.S. 127 and the south side of Ohio 613, was laid out in 1882 by A.S. Latty and Wrexham Lewis. Both of these gentlemen owned the land on which Latty was platted. The village of Latty was incorporated in 1883 and became a lively little town with hotels, grocery stores, a stave factory, a couple of taverns, a school and two churches. Latty was also located on the Mackinac and Nickel Plate Railroad. In the year 1890, Latty had a population of 594 people. In the 1990 census, the population was approximately 205.

The first village officials of Latty were George Cook, mayor; Charles Ogen, clerk; Simeon E. Ropp, treasurer; and Charles Paulus, the first marshal.

A lot of the villages at this time had their own jails and their own judges, better known as The Mayor. Mayor’s Court in Latty dated back to 1884, but Tom Sinn says that he has been Mayor of Latty for 12 years and does not remember when the last Mayor’s Court was held.

Well, Latty, like most of the towns of this time period, had its own jail. And, yes, it was used. What crimes did people commit in the late 1800s? What was the punishment, and how much was the fine? Wherever there was a railroad crossing and a tavern, you can bet there were good times! There were no vehicles at this time, so there were no DUIs. But, public intoxication was a crime! Listed under the criminal dockets, people who were arrested for being drunk were fined one dollar and costs. Also, they were thrown in jail and had to pay a total of 60 cents for three meals. The fee for intoxication did go up to $5.

Another “no-no” was keeping a saloon open past certain hours. One poor man had to post $50 bail and then was fined $5. These may seem like cheap fines, but that was a lot of money in those days! Then, of course, there was making spirits. You could say they were medicinal but not if you made over a gallon.

In 1885, a person stole a pair of rubber boots. He was caught and had to spend 30 days in “the clink.” His total fines and costs were $5.55. Another incident was the stealing of two pair of pants, a coat, a vest, and some underwear. A citizen filed the complaint, but when the marshal did a search of the party in question, he couldn’t find anything.

In the late 1800s, fighting was common. Not just the men fought and argued, so did the women. You could wind up in jail for pointing a toy pistol at someone. Women were supposed to conduct themselves in a becoming manner. A lady was put in jail for using profane language. She didn’t have enough money to pay her fine, so she went to jail. But, a man could beat his wife and only get a $1 fine. And there was another case when a wife beat her husband. Another incident reported was a girl laughing and acting up in church. She had to go to jail for 30 days!

Yes, the jails were busy, but in most cases, the defendant went to court the next day. The little jail cells were not a place folks liked to be. One common thing young men enjoyed was jumping on a train. But, if they got caught, they had to pay a fine of $1. You could do a lot of different annoyances, from shooting off firecrackers to trespassing, and receive the dollar fine. One time a man stole a pig. By the time the pig was discovered to be missing it seems that the poor pig was the main entree on the supper table. The pig’s owner couldn’t prove the pig had been his. So, he was out one pig.

What a time the late 1800s must have been! Since that time, jails have improved, and now we see a lot more violent crimes. The Latty Jail, no doubt, saw a lot of action in those days. But, it must have been built to last, for it is still standing.

Most of the villages did indeed have their own jails, but if a big crime were committed, the offender was sent to the county jail.

If you lived in this time period, you had better watch your P’s and Q’s. The little Latty jail is a unique piece of history, still standing as it had been yesterday. Adding to the scene was the eerie creaking of the cell doors. One of my main questions was, “Wonder what they had to eat?” Was it bread and water?

Congratulations to the Village of Latty for preserving this piece of history. But, I’m glad I’m not in the clink.