New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-31
CASTLE WILLIAMS A PRISON.
MOST OF THE INMATES ARE DESERTERS.

MOST OF THE INMATES ARE DESERTERS.
Ola Castle Williams. that forbddins looking fort
on the end Of Governors Island. has been put to
many uses. 1t is round and solidly built of heavy
stone. Castle Williams is longer kept to defend
the great port Of New-York but as a prison In
which to confine military offenders.
Castle Williams is now, however nearly full Of
prisoners. and if some other provision is not made
by Uncle sam within the next few months the
military authorities will be at their wits ends Tho
cause of the large number of prisoners there is the
abandonment by the Government of the military
prison at Fort Leavenworth Kansas The last
sion of Congress transferred this prison to the De-
partment Of Justice and it will be turned into a
United States prison July |.
1t the custom until lately to send all the
military prisoners of the Department of the East
Castle Williams. and after fifteen or twenty were
gathered there they were sent in a batch under
military escort to the prison AT Fort Leavenworth.
But this longer be done. and there are al
ready between forty and fifty prisoners in Castle
Williams
The majority OF the military prisoners at Castle
Williams deserters and serving out sentences
varying from three months. the minimum punish
ment for the offence. to two and half years. the
maximum. \ deserter from the United States
Army cannot be sent to any hut military prison.
Should he commit a felony. however. such steal
ing horse while deserving. he be sent to
regular Federal prison.
The present commander of Castle Williams is Cap
tain b. II. Gilman. OF Company r. 18th Regiment.
Captain Gilman graduated from West Point
twenty-three years ago. He is young-lookins man
still. with pleasant features and handsome sol
dierly bearing. He has the reputation of being a
strict dsciplinarlan, but knd-hcartoi man.
The life of a military prisoner il much the same
as that of men in other prisons. with the exception
that the soldier is perhaps better fed than the others
He receives the same daily rations As the rest
of the Army-three meals Of solid. wholesome food
every twenty-four hours. The deserter from one or
the military posts in the East is tried. when cap
tured when he gives himself up. 10y a general
cour,-martial. and when convicted Is sent to serve
out his sentence at Castle Williams. The punish
men, to be inflicted is fixed by law. and varies &C
cording length OF time the Offender has been
in the service. \ soldier who has been in the ser
only thirty days and IS captured or gives HIM
self up within thirty days Of his deseriion cannot
be confined over three months II he stays away
not more than ninety days he can be punished by
six months imprisonment, and II he remains at
liberty ninety days. he can be punishel oy
eighteen months confinement. and Is then dishon-
orably discharged from the Army. II solder de-
serts after he has been six months or more IN the
service. he can BE- confined TWO and a nalI years,
and is dishonorably discharged. Military prisoners
get an abatement Of five days of each month 81
,lp.r sentence for good behavior II prisoner CT
capes while UNDERGOING mis- sentence, ana De- re-
cautIred his original sentence cannot b" in'F'isel
lie
prisoner recently escaped while being taken to
Rellow;'s Island to do some work there. tn" Gov
ernmcn; tug touched at the Battery pier In ms
city and the prisoner jumped of when the guard
was not looking ana was soon lost IN 'he ''"""'
lie has not yet been recap;ured
The sentences Of the military prisoners u con-
onement with hard labor. The labor Of IN" pris-
oners at castle Williams consists OF keeping IN"
grounds in order on Governor Island cartinG 'o'l
and WOO. repairing the roads and such work
They arc also sent TO Bedows Island 10 d. the
same there They wear a large letter on their
ticks so the guards can tell thcy are prisoner.
At night they are confined in cells in Castle Will
Jams The cells u-ed are on the first tier % the
c,eenents The men sleep straw ticks on iron
ha1eteads There IS stove in every cell, 50 that
they DO not suffer from The cold In fact. th'y
generally have the cells too warm FOR health.
While they receive the regular Army rations or
meat, potatoes bread. rice. coffee and sugar they
have not the privilege OF selling the surplus as q"
the other soldiers. and OF purchasing butter ana
other dcicacies with the money. The prisoners are
LET out Of their cells AT u. IN. and are marched
into the mess cell for breakfast. After this meal
they are put 10 work and kept at 1t unt!l noon
when they get an hour for dinner. They then work
until dusk in winter and p. IN. In IN" summer.
Immediately after supper they are locked in their
cells for the night They have no hours for r"crea-
ton In which to play baseball and other games
Neither do they get Burroughs 10 wit this city
II there IS one thing the long-term military pris-
oner gloricG In It H. war-cloud Ike that "hlch
has recently stirred ~, some people ~ this country
He thinks that if should begin he would
have chance to regain his freedom his freedom
at least. from irksome confinement.
Six soldiers ar" constantly on guard over the
prisoners In Castle Williams. There are Twelve
obange- Of the guard every t~cnty-iour hours IN"
guards are taken from three companies 81 tn
troops Governor Island. and are Two hours on
and four hours of duty.
CaIjta.n Gilman. the commander Of the castle,
lives I'm a neat and new brick cottaG" on the Shore
Of the sand and within a short distance OF N"
castle He tod the reporter that The present APP
pcarancc OF Castle Williams was not all ne womb
Ike l. to be but appropriation had recently
been made improve II. he hoped to have II IN
good shape soon ,,
that dcscr'i0ns from he United States Army dii
not reach onc-fOurth the number they used 10. Inc
captain said there many reasons for this.
among them being the fdct mat the class Of men
now entering the s.rVIce was o superior one they
were entirely different from tho men enlisted Ia tn"
Old days IN fac. they had 10 be- or they coud not
get into the Army.
"Probably not man In twenty who tries -
enlist nowadays" said the captain, 'pascs the Is
animation and IS accepted. Then again. the men
are well fed and wei clothed. The term Of enlist
en also been reduced from five to three years.
II the IN tine service. and who enlisted for
five wears. before the new law was passed serv"
faithfully for three years. they VIII receive three
ne furlo nd vi he