Jail Break in Hampden
by Don Morentson
Hampden maintained a jail cell during the 1930’s. The cell was made of steel except that the top, which was made of two-by-ten planks bolted to the steel cage. The cell housed many citizens who had consumed a little too much beer at the Kelly Pool Hall and John Neilsen, the town constable, would march the offender off to jail for protective custody until the next morning when the citizen was able to go home on his own. Relieving ones self of excess beer on the Main Street would bring a certain fine of $25 to $35 and an overnight in the jail cell. The offense was written up as “leaking on the street”. That was probably the most serious crime in Hampden in those days.
Two bachelor brothers known as “the Swedes” were carpenters. They built many of the barns and granaries in the Hampden area. The Swedes were good citizens but sometimes the younger brother would partake of a few too many beers at the pool hall. On one such occasion he was headed for home when the excess beer in his system was more than he could handle. He leaked on the street and the constable promptly marched him off to jail.
The next morning when the constable came to let his prisoner out of jail he found both brothers busily replacing the planks on the top of the jail cell. The older brother explained that his brother couldn’t sleep well unless he was home so during the night he had sawed a hole in the top of the cell and taken the inebriated brother home for the night. But they were rebuilding the cell so it would be stronger than before.
No additional fine was levied for the “jail break” but the standard fine was collected for “leaking on the Main Street”.
Hampden, North Dakota 
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