The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-23
ANACONDA news.
IN THE PEN GRAVEYARD.
Twenty-Seven Have Died While
Serving Terms.
HALF OF THEM INDIANS
Some Interesting Facts in Relation to
the Penitentiary-There Have Been
Twelve Wardens "A Good
Story on ONeill.

Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Deer Lodge, May 21.-The contract for
building the penitentiary at this place
was let by the government in 1870 and the
building, small stone structure which
forms the north wing of the present mag
nif1cent ediice and which is used as
band room by the newly organized band,
was ready for occupancy in 1871 George
McBurney and another man were the con-
tractors and the contract price was $40,-
co., After finishing the "pen" McBurney
built the McBurney house, the largest and
most substantial hotel building in this
city and which still bears his name. 1t
proved a disastrous undertaking for him,
for not having the means to carry 1t to
completion, he was forced to borrow, and.
mortgagng the property and fortune 60
ing against him, he lost ALL Before COM
pleting the pen job his partner committed
suicide.
There have been - wardens of the peni-
tertiary since it was opened for the ac-
commodation of prisoners in 1871. and all
we're men of integrity of character and
deep sense of humanity, against whom
never a charge of corruption or inhuman
treatment of prisoners was made. Follow
ing is list of the wardens in the order
in which they served down until the time
when, eight years ago, the care and main
tenance of the prisoners was given by
the state into the hands of contractors: ].
n Buck was the first warden, followed
successfully by James Gilchrist. Fin Eng
FISH, Neal Adriance, J. M. Fish. w. w.
sBotkin, Ed Creel, Robert Harris, Hugh
lot In mo
Thomas McTague and Captain James
Reynolds. and all conducted the prison
with ability and care, but at no time was
it ever in better hands than under the
management of the present contractors.
Messrs. Conley and McTague, who are
fully abreast of the times in all things
pertaining to prison Improvement safety,
welfare and comfort of the prison in
mates.
And that the health and well-being of
the prisoners has been one of the princi-
pal concerns of all those in authority,
both past and present, is fully evidenced
by the remarkably small death rate oc-
curing at that institution during its ~
years of existence.
In all that time there have been but q
deaths, less than one per year, and of
that number five were from violent causes,
three suicides and two shot by guards.
In a little enclosure 5ust south of the
prison wall, which bears more resem-
blance to a corral than a graveyard. lie
the bodies Of the 81 men who have died
while serving out the terms for which
they were sentenced, Twelve, or nearly
one-half, were Indians, to whom, as
consequence of the close confinement,
p1 tson life Is nearly always fatal. The
noble child Of the forest, who spends his
happy days in roaming the boundless
praires, climbing the far heights of the
eternal Rockies sporting in the crystal
waters of the mountain streams and
breathing the pure air vouchsafed to him
by the Great Spirit, from all of which he
draws life, health and happiness, when
spent behind the prison walls soon falls
prey to that dread disease, consumption,
wastes away and dies and becomes no
more 1.-THE white mans burden.
Realizing that at no distant day the
present site of the prison burying ground
will be needful for other purposes, and in
accordance with the spirit of humanity
which actuates their conduct of the PEN
itentiary, Messrs. Conley and McTague
have decided to soon have the bodies ex-
humed and removed to plot to be Sc
cured and set apart for the purpose of
pen graveyard within the enclosure sur
rounding the public cemetery in \, est
Deer Lodge. This is a humane and COM
mendable undertaking and no one will re-
gret that as future decoration days roll
opportunity of strewing flowers upon the
graves of those poor, unfortunate crime
laden outcasts who have gone the way
OF all humanity, and whose graves are
never cared for and seldom seem
Below Is given a list of those buried in
the "pen'' graveyard, together with the
crimes for which they were sentenced
and the number of years they were to
serve. When it is considered that as high
as 400 prisoners have been confined in the
pententiary at one time, and that the
average number for the past few years
has been about $50, it will be seen that the
death rate has been very small, indeed.
There are now about 300 men in that in
stitution and two women. Eight women
is the largest number of females incar-
cerated there at any one time. The first
to die and be laid to rest in the little bury
ing ground was San Pierre, Flathead In
dian; died March Is, 1881; consumption;
aged 2S years.
Pierre, Flathead Indian; died Jan. 10,
1885: consumption; aged IS years.
Joseph Boxer, Indian; died Jan. 1, 1885;
consumption; aged "a years.
George Godas, half breed Indian; died
March 2, 1890; consumption; aged 20 years;
murder; sentenced for life from Lewis and
Clarke.
Allen Lewis, negro: died May o. 1890:
consumption; aged Sc years; burglary;
three years, Lewis and Clarke.
Ed Brady, died June 10, 1890; injuries re-
ceived by jumping from train; aged about
IS years: two sentences, forgery and bur-
glary; eight years, Silver Bow county
Grizzly Bear, Piegan Indian; consump-
ton; died June 25, 1890: aged q years;
grand larceny: five years, Fergus county
Two Eagles, Assinniboine Indian; con-
sumption; died July s, 1890: aged % years;
grand larceny; year and half, Choteau
county,
Ivory, Piegan Indian; consumption; died
June IS. 1891: grand larceny; eight years.
Fergus county.
James Condor, died Aug. 25, 1891: aged
80 years; gunshot wound: burglary; two
years, Lewis and Clarke county.
Charles Rodgers, died Sept. q, 1891; aged
% years; forgery; three years., Cascade
county.
James Ryan. Dec. 81, 1891; suicide; third
term: one year; forgery; Silver Bow
county.