§ 514. Confinement of civil prisoner. A civil prisoner, committed to
jail upon process for contempt, or committed for misconduct in a case
prescribed by law, must be actually confined and detained within the
jail, until he is discharged by due course of law, or is removed to
another jail or place of confinement, in a case prescribed by law. A
sheriff or keeper of a jail, who suffers such a prisoner to go or be at
large out of his jail; except by virtue of a writ of habeas corpus, or
by the special direction of the court committing him, or in a case
specially prescribed by law; is liable to the party aggrieved, for his
damages sustained thereby, and is guilty of a misdemeanor. If the
commitment was for the nonpayment of a sum of money, the amount thereof,
with interest, is the measure of damages.