The sun., 1897-01-17
ARIZ0NA'S UNIQUE JAIL.
DEsPERAD0Es GUARDED BY KEEN
MARHSMEy AND 4 DESERT.

Skill OF Some of the Guard. with Gatiing
Guns-Torrinc H-rt In which Cutthroet-
Sweiter-ssngu,nary Conaicts with the
Convicts-The Terror or the Desert.
Los ANGELES Cal. Jan. s.-The famous old
town OF Yuma. on the western edge Of ofArizona
Territory. close upon the east bank OF the Colo
RADIO River, Ia unique In several respects. Years
ago IL was the most dreaded frontier garrison
TO which Unole Sam assigned his soldiers. II 10
known the world ovor for It's remarkably hot
weather records, and every summer Yuma and
the climate there nre sources upon which news
paper humorists and parauraphers. far and wide.
draw with reckless extravagance. Yuma has
been the scene Of many Indian fights
In the two last centuries. In 1918 one
OF the most important battles between
savages-in point Of the numbers engaged in
the fray and those killed on the battlefield
took place at Yuma between tho Apaches and
plmas. and some 5000 bucks and squaws wore
slain. Then. too. the history of Yuma from
1885 until 1860 abounda In tales Of conflicts
sanguinarv and desperate. between the whites
emigrating from Texas and the South. across
New Mexico and Arizona, to the golden land Of
California. Probably no other fort on the ex-
tremo Western frontier has ever hold no many
men, first and last who later became famous
military leaders. as Fort Yuma. Gems. Custer.
Phil Kearny, Beale. Albert Sidney Johnston.
Longstrcct. and Mcdowell all served q year or
two Of their army apprenticeship there. John
Phgnix uieut. II. A. Derby. the first American
humorist OF the modern style, died there.
But IL is the Territorial prison at Yuma that
makes the historic old town best known all ovor
the West In these days. There is not another
penal institution like IL in all America. Go
where you will. up and down the Pacific coast.
md you will find Yuma prison everywhere as
well known as Sing Sing is In the East. Whom
the mining excitement was at its height In
Arizona In 1870 and 1880, when the Tombstone
and Prescott mines were pouring out thousands
OF dollars in golden bricks every day. and men
OF every degree of vil:ainy and lawlessness
swarmcd into the Territory from every State
and Territory In the Union. the need OF
strong penitentiary for the Increasing popu-
latlon Of criminals became Immediately appar-
cnt. Rufians. thieves. escaped conv victs and cut
throats from all parts OF tho Union iocked to
Arizona by wagon and train. and infested tho
mining towns. and when arrested and thrown
into the rude jas OF the easy. slow going Mex
lean period they had no difficulty in escaping
and resumlng q lawiess career. In 1877 each
county jail WAS designated as n pcnitentiary by
the Arizona Legislature, under the idea that
change Of namo would perhaps keep the con-
victs within bounds. A few years showed tho
futility OF this idea. and In 1870 proposition
WAS made to build a Territorial prison. and
Yuma was selected as the site. II was not until
1882 that the prison was finished.
Truly, better choice OF n site for the Arizona
Territorial Penitentiary. as It is officially known
could not have been made. II stands upon an
eminence overlookin ing the Colorado and the @ la
rivers for miles. On one eide Is the Colorado
River and on the other three sides there
stretches away for miles and miles as desolate
and trackless and hopeless desert rs man ever
looked upon. No one. not even the Indians,
brought up on tho skirts OF that great area Of
sand and cactus. dare to go across II unattended
and without provisions OF food and drink. Tho
most desperate criminals abandon all thought
OF gaining liberty by attempting to fee
across that almost limitless burning waste.
high wall. as5 by 3o5 feet. incloses the prison
yard. The wall has height OF 10 feet. and 1t
is feet thick at the base and feet thick at
tho top. Within 1t are the main prison build
ings and the shops. The main building is ia
feet long by 55 feet wide. II has thirty four
cells, eA feet long BY : feet wide and IL feet
high. The prison building is solidly constructed
OF rock laid in mortar. and in tho centre OF all
| the walls Is inserted n heavy iron grating. A
similar grating Is laid In the masonry above
and below each cell. so that upon the COM
pletion OF the whole prison building. of which
OHD - Decu HnlsHeu, u Will nave
an enormous skeleton OF iron, which will
serve as an effectual bar to n convicts
| escape, even were he to dig through
| the massive stone wall. Adjoining and con-
| nected with the prison are n large. airy dining
| room. a kitchen. and n laundry. In spite OF the
| terrific heat OF the climate these buildings are
remarkable for their comparative coolness
| The prison Is lighted by six electric lights OF
l.20O-candle power each, so placed rs to throw
food OF light over all parts Of the prison
building and into every coll. Two 45-foot cleo.
trio light masts serve TO light up tho whole in,
! closure, the surrounding walls and the town OF
| Yuma. Tho water for the prison is pumped
from the Colorado River by a steam pump into
an enormous tank. The water is thick with
m nd when fret raised. but when allowed to set
tie II becomes passably clear and sweet.
| Every ho goes to see the Territorial pom
| itentiary is interested In the Calling guns which
| are placed on the guard stands arranged at in
| tervals along the top Of the walls. The larges
and principal gun Is in charge OF young MeXi
can. who boasts OF his Apache blood. lie Il
rated as the best marksman with Gatling CUR
In tho United States. Gen. McCook OF tn,
| United States army says that his manipulation
OF the complicated weapon and his accuracy %
has an excellent field for target practic,
over tho Gi!n mud flats, just above tn,
| placed at n distance OF 200 yards he vii
hit four times ont of Ave with the Gntinr gun
| Whom II is remembered that he can rre 80,
| shots a minute the possibility OF IL convicti
escape is too small tn calculate. A recent tcs,
Of the marksmanship OF this young Apache
gunner was made. From behind a stone wal
100 tin cans VI the size OF common fruit cam
were thrown ono ut time haphazard in The air
Just ms clay pigeons are automatically thrown
NJ shooting matches. The Apache had his gur
ready, and had !" aim as 9uick as flash 2
pierced ~ ont OF the 100 before they fell behinC
the stone lnClosnre,
ON another prison wall lisa old army sharp
shooter. Capt. L. NJ Buell., W ho Is almost equally
expert with this weapon. He has praCtised a
shooting with n Gatling gun for fourteen years
and has never yet been known to miss his man
aud his GOODNESS ana nerve have heen tried IN
score OF desperate hand to- hand encounters will
bandits and murderers. lie can hit n target sii
by eight inches placed 1000 feet away sever
times out of ten. He Is noted as the man VIII
put bullet into Nnsquez the famous bandit
who for more than q decade raided up and inwi
California, and seemed TO bear ~ charmed life
In all there are thirteen guards employe,
around the prison. each armed with u rifle AN,
revolver, while there Is n liberal supply Of shot
| guns for emergencies.
| RpfOrmatOry measures are not prhct ctised n