Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-12-20
GUARD ROOM
Some Interesting Facts Concerning the
Ohio penltentlary.

ne SudTu IOUlu lS Ull6 Hdlu entrance
to the Ohio penitentiary. Every man
sentenced to the o. p. gets his first
view of the interior of his future home
when he enters the guard room; and
every prisoner who has completed his
sentence passes out to freedom through
the same route. 1t is the inlet to inn
prtsonment; it is an outlet to freedom;
and since it came into existence, many
thousands of unhappy mortals have
heard the sharp click of its ponderous
door as it closed behind cutting them
off from the outside world for years,
and, in many instances forever Many
sad and fearful events have been en-
acted in here. Young men who had
sat stoically in court, and listened
calmly while the judge sentenced them
10 a long term of imprisonment, per-
haps for life have broken down and
wept on reaching the guard room; for
then a full realization of their unhap-
py condition suddenly dawnei upon
them. The heav;, bars that met their
gaze at every turn, gave back no sig
nal Of sympathy, and, when the great
door snapped shut behind, they glanced
back, instinctively, in the hope n
doubt, of obtaining a last look at the
world beyond. The guard room separ-
ates the East and West halls, and from
it may be obtained a full and unob-
structed view of both cell houses.
Unless new prisoners are arriving it
is not a very lively place by day. The
day captain and a few safeguards are
about the only persons to be seen. The
cell houses are empty, the prisoners all
at work and everything IS quiet.
At night, however, quite another
scene is presented. Then the guard
room is very lively and interesting
place. Besides the Captain of the
night watch. who makes the guard
room his headquarters, the fire watch,
composed of several guards, runners.
reporters, visitors, who sit talking to
their friends through fine screened
windows, and many others, are found
here at night. A continuous flow of
talk and laughter is heard on all sides,
and were it not for the heavy bars tina.
are everywhere in evidence, the guard
room at night might be likened to
hotel lobby.
The Captain of the guard room holds
a responsible position, one that re-
quires much caution, for he must be
careful and not let the wrong man pass
through. He is stationed at the big
iron door that opens into the Dull
pen" a small enclosure just beyond the
guard room, and wherekprisoners just
received are searched. vThis door, and
these leading into the East and West
cell houses and the yard. can be open
ed only by the captain of the guard
room, and are operated by system of
levers.
All visitors see the first sights of ,.e
big prison in the guard room and are
always impressed by the perfection of
its workings, and they, like prisoners,
hear the massive door close with a
thud behind them, making prisoners of
them, too, but, happily for only an
hour or so.
To the front of the guard room is the
administration building, containing the
warden's private Office; also the Offices
of the board of managers. and the
clerks office The ante room, where
visitors remain while waiting to be
conducted through the prison. is here
also. In the ante room hangs an enor
nous frame containing the pictures of
all the wardens of the o. p, from the
time it opened for business to the pres
ent day.
Probably the greatest crowd to be
seen at any one time in the guard room
is when the evening count is being
taken. This count takes place imme-
diately after the prisoners are marched
to their cells from the dining room, af-
ter supper On entering their cells,
each prisoner stands at the door with
his fingers protruding through one
bars so that the guard can see them as
he comes along the gallery, locking
each cell and counting the men ait the
same time. and then hurrying to the
guard room with the figures.
At that hour the guard room is jam
med, and nothing but blue uniforms
brass buttons. canes and clubs are ir
sight. The guards form line and, as
each one reaches the desk he hands
in and announces his gallery count
After all have done this, a prisoner
clerk adds uD the whole and compare
the total with the official count in the
transfer Office. If found correct sig
nal is given to prissNer in the yart
just outside the "bu' m" who stands
with bugle ready to sound the recall
and an instant later, the clear notes gC