I found this article while researching my husband's ancestors. It appeared in The Monroe County Appeal, Paris, MO., Friday, April 25, 1879: A Novel Jail In the primitive days of Missouri the only buildings at Mt. Sterling, the county seat of Gasconade, were a log store and a log court house with one room. During court week accomodations for man and beast were found at Aunt Beckie's, in whose house of 3 rooms, a quarter of a mile from the court house, 60 or 70 persons would lodge and board. Her bill of fare included coffee sweetened with molasses, biscuits made from course, dark flour, and baked until as hard as billiard balls; bacon, venison and wild turkey. Those whose teeth could not crack the biscuits were supplied with "corn dodgers." The penalties imposed for crimes were light, except in the case of horse stealing, which being the greatest of crimes, was punished by 40 lashes on the bare back. On one occasion a man was convicted for some slight offence. The Judge sentenced him to pay a fine of $5 and imprisonment in the county jail for two hours. The man paid the fine at once, but as there was no county jail, the Sheriff was at a loss how to execute the rest of the sentence. His invention, however, found out a method. Seeing an old crate, in which crockery had been brought from St. Louis, he placed it in front of the Court-House. Then making the culprit get under it, he summoned a posse of four fat men to sit upon it, and in this style carried out the sentence. The bystanders were much amused and so quizzed the poor prisoner that, as soon as he was released, he fled from the county---Youth's Companion.