Akron Beacon Journal September 1907
Should a prisoner in the custody of the village of Cuyahoga Falls be fed better than an honorable member of the council of the same village?
Councilman Stanley arrived from Missouri to put this question to the other members of that body at its session of Wednesday evening. He started his complaint when he saw a large bill for feeding prisoners at the rate of 25 cents a meal.
Marshal Evans usually carried the meals to the prisoners from Hotel Warren, where the regular price is 25 cents.
“I strenuously object to paying so much to feed these lawbreakers.” said Councilman Stanley. “Why, I only pay 15 cents when I get a meal downtown, and it’s plenty good enough for me. I’d like to know why it won’t do for these vagabonds that are locked up here.”
Marshal Evans replied that 25 cents was the least that a full meal could be bought for in the village. He said that prisoners who were made to do hard work on the street had to have a full meal to keep their strength. Councilman Stanley then looked up the receipts of former years and produced charges for prisoner’s meals of 15 and 20 cents each. He asked if the prisoners of this year were any better than those of past years that they had to be fed so much better. Marshal Evans replied that the trusts had forced the prices up so high since the old bills were paid that meals cost nearly twice as much. He said that if anyone would find a place were meals could be bought for less than 25 cents that he would buy them.
