The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-04
GOVERNMENTS ONLY PEN
No Prison Owned by United States
Save at Fort LeayenwOrth.
WARDEN FRENCH'S RECORD
Maintains Discipline Through Kind
ness and Firmness-Prisone En-
JOY Military Drill Instead Of
Lockstep Marching-Ciasses in
Manual Training Established.

1t is a remarkable fact that there is but
one United sRtes penitentiaryinthe whole
country.
Until recently "a. Federal prisoners OF
the District were ordered to be confined
in the Albany. n. T., prison by consent Of
the State authorities, but an act OF the
legislature has put an end TO that practice.
The same method OF disposing OF persons
convicted of breaking United States stat
utes has been followed in the States. and
criminals have been confined in one or
another of the State institutions by ar
rangement with the authorities.
At Fort Leayenworth is the only prison
which is United States penitentiary, and
1t is made-over affair from a military
prison. 1t viii accommodate about 525
prisoners. IL is now full to ItS capacity VI,
and the warden has been in this city re-
Gently IN consultation with the Attorney
General concerning an appropriation to be
made for more room
on June 80, 1898, the military prison
at Fort LeavenwOrth was abolished, andtbe
control OF the property passed to the De-
partment of Justice. By the law the mill
tary officers remained in charge until the
Attorney General could appoint and COM
mission civil officials.
Record as Warden.
Warden French had made his record as
warden OF the Indiana state penitentiary
for five years and he was made the first
warden Of a United States penitentiary
on September /, 1895. The prison force
consists OF warden, assisted by seven
officials and fifty guards, and Is con-
Quoted on a nOnpartisan basis, though
Warden French is a Democrat.
The territory tributary to this prison
lies in Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and In
dian Territory, and while only Federal
prisoners come from the States, all kinds
come from Indian Territory, which is I'M
der Federal authority. The number OF
prisoners in the prison July 1 was 525,
which is the capacity. Every Attorney
General since 1872 has urged Congress 20
build government prisons. and at the last
session OF Congress bill was introduced
to appropriate $3.50, 900 to build a mod
ern prison TO take the place OF this one,
which would then be restored to the mill
itary authorities. The bill is now pend
ing.
Warden French discipIines by kindness
permitted To strike a prisoner except in de
Tense OF themselves or others; neither are
they permitted to use profane or abusive
language. The convicts are only put in
stripes as punishment, the uniform being
gray. Punishment is meted out in the
shape of restricting privileges, shutting off
letter writing, cutting down the food or
tobacco, putting in the dungeon, and, in
extreme cases, claiming to the door.
There is no lock-step marching, the prison.
ers going through a kind Of military drill
when falling in to march to and from quar-
tiers. Labor is believed to prevent discOn-
tent, and classes in manual training are
established.
AS an examr,G Ct che proficiency u the
men, an eIeven-roon brick prison parson-
age, with stone trimmings, which would
have cost 81 ,O00, was put up by the prison
ers from the very ground, they making the
brick and quarrying the stone, at an entire
expense in cash OF $500,
The work inside and out would compare
favorably with that Of first-Class wOrkmen.
These men were instructed in brick and
stone work by building up and tearing
down plain walls, then making doors, then
windo VS., till they were efficient. This
is especially notable when it Is considered
that these prisoners are OF class much
more inclined to the punching of cows and
other similar field work.
Work as q Tonic.
The men are kept at work all the time,
even though the work may be useless eX-
cept as a tonic. The prison farm consists of
900 acres, and on this the prisoners raise
all their vegetables and feed for horses and
other stock. They live well, the menu com
pairing favOrably with that OF many board
lighthouses, and the cost is only 9 cents GER
day per man. Warden French believes in