The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-03
4 FEDERAL PRISON HERE.
An Atlanta Paper Says it is to be Only
Temporary.

Temporary.
The South at last has a government
prison, and no more federal prisoners
will be sent to Columbus, Ohio, Judge
Newman. says the Atlanta Constitution
| yesterday issued an order to the effect
that in the future all prisoners convict
ed in that district shall be sent to The
penitentiary in Raleigh, N. c., instead oil
the government penitentiary at Column
bus, O., where they have been sent in
the past.
| The order establishing a federal prison
for the South does not in any way affect
or iniure Atlanta's chances of getting
the permanent government penitentiary
for the South. 1t is the policy of the
government to build a penitentiary here
that will be owned and controlled EN-.
tirely by the government, and not be
hampered by State authority.
Judge Newman's order was based on
an order of Attorney General Griggs, is
sued two days before, which constituted
the branch of the government pen
the State penitentiary at Raleigh a
Southern branch of the government peni-
tertiary. Attorney General Griggs docs
not state why the change is made. but
it was a matter of necessity. The feder-
al prison at Columbus, o., is Over-crOwd-
( ed and it is almost impossible to care
for any more convicts here.
The establishment of the Southern
prison is just what the people and the
officials of the South have been clam
oring for many years. Hundreds of
Southern men convicted of minor of
lenses against the government have been
sent to Columbus for terms ranging from
one to three years, and before their
terms have expired they have fallen vic
tins to the severe and rigorous climate
Of the north. Lewis Redwine, the we'll
known Atlanta man, was one of the
prisoners who came near to deatn in the
Columbus prison because of the climate
there. In nearly every case the convictS
return to the South at the expiration of
their terms with badly impaired health.
Judge Newman has contended that a
prison should be established here in the
South as a measure of humanity; that
the rayages Of the climate of the north
upon the systems of the Southern pris-
oners was far greater punishment than
the law or the courts ever contemplated.
While it is said Raleigh is not salts
means, it is far superior on account of
location to the prison at Columbus. o.
The Southern offenders will be treated
better because of the fact that they will
not have to endure such severe change
in the climate. All of the government
prisoners who will be convicted at the
term of the United States court which
begins next week, will be sent to Raj
elgh instead of to Columbus. The peni-
tertiary at Raleigh is a very excellent
prison. 1t is substantially built and the
convlcts are allowed all comforts con-
sistent with their condition. The orded.
issued by Judge Newman yesterday was
us fonows:
The honorable, the attorney general.
having on April %, 1888, designated the
Ohio penitentiary, at Columbus, O., as
the place of confinement for all prisoners
thereafter convicted in said district. and
it having been in due form shown to the
court that the honorable. the attorney
general of the United States, did on
February &c, 1898, revoke said designa-
tion and in lieu thereof designated the
North Carolina penitentiary, at Raleigh,
\. c., as the place of confinement for
all prisoners thereafter convicted in the
United States court of said district and
sentenced to Imprisonment in peniten-
tiary, it is, therefore, on motion of the
United States attorney for said district.
oruered that the North Carolina peni-
tertiary, at Raleigh, N. c., be, and the
same is hereby designated as the place
of confinement for all prisoners hereaf-
ter convicted in said court and sentenced
to Imprisonment in penitentiary. In
open court, February IS, 1898.
WILLIAM Il. NEWMAN,
'TTnited States Judo,e