The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-12-13
WARDEN BURKE'S GUESTS
HOW HE LODGES THEM AND CATERS
TO THEIR WANTS.
Idle Prisoners Get Only Two Meals n
Day and There Are No Frills on the
Menu-Other Details OF Life at tho
District Jail.

On Nineteenth street east, between and
e streets south, stands handsome and COM
manding building of brick and brown stone.
This building, something of the shape of a
huge Maltese cross, is the United States jail
for the District OF Columbia. The building
faces the west. There are four projecting
wings, running north, south, east, and west,
respectively, from circular-shaped centre.
The main entrance to the prison is through
the office situated in the western wing; there
Is, however, another entrance through the
eastern wing. Ascending the few steps lead
ing up to the main entrance and ringing the
bell at the door, the door is instantly opened,
and the object of your call asked. II, as was
the case of HERALD reporter one day last
week, desire to inspect the institution
prompts your call, and there arises no reason
able objection against such an inspection, you
are placed in charge of an officer of the prison
with Instructions from the official in COM
mand to escort you through the building and
furnish you with all the necessary informa-
tion.
Following the officer acting as guide
through doorway opening from the Office, q
large square shaped room is reached, the ro-
ouhua VI puO piipOu CIOm buG uOOT UO Uu6
arch-shaped roof of the rotunda, no obstruc-
ton meets the eye. Northward and south
ward from the rotunda run two wings, within
which, and in no way connected with the
outer walls of the wings, rise the tiers of cells
comprising the male department Of the prison,
light iron frame work running from the
floor of the rotunda to the upper tier incloses
them as in cage. There are four tiers of
cells in each wing, and as there are thirty
four cells in each tier, there are therefore 13p
cells in each of the two wings. In all accom-
modations for 272 male prisoners allowing but
one prisoner to each cell. But on each tier
at the end there are two double cells capable
OF accommodating two or three prisoners
Ordinarily, however, there is more than room
enough, the average number of prisoners rum
ming from 200 10 $50. The cells, about 5xS
feet, are In rows running with the wings, but
a heavy wall rising from the first floor to the
height of the last tier of cells the occupants
of the two rows of cells on each tier are there
by shut off from communication with and OBJ
servation OF their opposite neghbors. The
and the small window In the end of each cell
is similarly secured. Above and out bey ond
these tiers Of cells are the real walls of the
prison. Heavily barred high windows and
ample sky-lights admit plenty of light, and
even should prisoner escape from his cell,
these outer walls would still stand between
him and liberty The floors of the upper
tiers outside of the cells are of iron grating,
30 that ventilation is thereby greatly facilita-
ted
Every prisoner is furnished with narrow
iron cot, a straw-flled mattress and pillow,
and with the necessary blankets The build
ing, however, is heated by steam, so that little
covering is needed. A quart tin cup for
but no knife or fork. But two meals are
served each day, except In the case of those at
work, who are allowed an extra meal, and
when an extra allowance is directed by the
jail physician. Breakfast, consisting of hash.
herring, or mackerel, and bread with tea or
coffee, is served at a. M, and dinner at 2:45
p. m. Dinner consists of either bean or vege-
table soup, and boiled meat and potatoes.
with plenty of bread. The Sunday dinner is
generally composed of corned beef and cab
bage. Although all varieties of fruits are al
lowed to be furnished the prisoners by their
relatives and friends the physician In charge
DEGREES otherwise In the matter of pies and
cakes. The jail food is served In tin boxes
about u inches long and inches deep and
wide. These boxes are filled in the kitchen,
and then packed In large wooden crates. At
meal time the crates are carried by two
prisoners detailed for that purpose along the
rows OF cells, followed by third prisoner
who hands the tin boxes into the occupants of
the cells. Other detailed prisoners follow
with the cans of soup, coffee, or tea, as the
case may be. 1t is perhaps needless to state
that no butter, milk, or sugar, is furnished the
prisoners except upon the order of the
physician In charge. THE HERALD man was
Invited to sample the food furnished, and
having done SO certifes to the fact that 1t
was wholesome and well cooked. Though
simple, the food supplied is undoubtedly nour-
ishing and health-giving, il one may Judge
from the appearance of the prisoners.
Every prisoner is expected and commanded
to keep his cell, clothes, and bedding neat
and clean, and failure to do so is punishable
by denial of all privileges and favors and
also by placing the one offending on ''dry"
diet The person OF the prisoner is also com
manded to be kept clean, and for that pur-
pose porcelain-lined bath-tubs are placed in
some of the unoccupied double cells. The
prisoner is required to bathe at least once a
week A refusal to do SO renders the offender
subject to a withdrawal Of privileges and also
to diet for several days ON bread and water.
There is another form of punish inflicted
known as tricing up. This punishment con-
sists in Handwriting the offender up to the
bars of his cell door or window, and is only
applied in aggravated cases of insubordina-
tion, or where the prisoner has committed an
assault upon an officer or fellow prisoner.
The privileges granted the prisoners consist of
the reception of relatives and friends on days