Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-16
I'M PRISON FOR LIFE.
Members of District Colony in West
Virginia Penitentiary,
CRIMESFOR WHICH THEYPAYPENALfY
PaIIesen and McUin Only White
Men in the List.
THE WORK TIL + Y ID .

THE WORK TIL L Y DC
There are now seven members III "a7h-
ippton.s ..ljfe" colony at the West Virginia
penitentiary at Moundsville, and the sur
roundings seem to agree with those VINO
have been there long enough to become
acclimated. Two of them, Ernest Rodgers
and Charles l.. McUin, the former colored
and the latter white. were sent up last
week. The total number in the prisons lie
colony Is about sixty. and four men are
now confined in the death house. awaiting
the dates when they will expiate their
crimes on the scaffold
Not all of those who are in prison Tor lie
are murderers. for many of them are DONG
time under the habitual criminal act when
provides a life sentence upon the thru con-
yiction These life convicts are required 10
work and some of them by reason OF 'heii
experience and long service occupy what
would be called good positions outside DTS
on walls 1t Is true that the daily routine
of the life convicts is almost as HOMOGENEOUS
as It could possibly be, but those who obey
the rules and who do not have to be qiscl-
plined have an easier time tnah prisoiieia
might imagine. What they get to eat Is
good of its kind, but the variety Is iot
very great. and no one would ever commit
a serious crime for the purpose or gong
there to sample the edibles. Whlie III .he
different shops the men know nnthihs put
work and although they stand side by side'
the uniformed visitor to the shops fallS 10
understand why the workmeu do not III
their heads and speak or bow, especlaltE
when there is an acquaintance existing De
tween them
Those who compose the life colony from
this CITY are Olof Pallesen and Charles
McJin, white. and Talmage Walker Geo
Ashton. George Grant SeWell James row
ell and Ernest Rodgers colored Oiof ial-
Lessen and Charles L, McCfn, the White
men, committed crimes. the details of when
are still fresh in the memory of the people or
this city The former. who is "a Norwegian.
was a steady going man, but he had been
out of employment, and. probably craZed by
thoughts of being unable to provide for his
family. he killed his wife and Mrs Julia
Hengesbach. the wife of a neighbor. who
happened to be visiting his wife at the time
of his outbreak. A big carving knife was
| the weapon used.
Plea of Insanity.
Insanity was the plea offered and the
| jurors who sat In the case returned quail
| fled verdict and a sentence of life imprls-
| onment was imposed. instead of the death
| penalty
| Since his arrival in the penitentiary Pal
| Lessen has greatly improved in health, and
he is Woodworking man. He is employed
| in the bakery.
| When McI-in killed Robert Turner on 18th
| street northeast. the 2Sth of December. 1913.
| the testimony against him was so strong
| that nobody connected with the police de-
| partment had the slightest idea that he
| would ever escape the gallows. Because OF
| jealousy on account of attentions paid a
| young woman by Turner, McUin threatened
| the life of Turner and then stabbed him to
| death He had already killed a man in
| Tennessee. and it was believed that this
| fact would be the means of insuring the ex-
| ecution of the sentence OF death Inc CON
demned man had friends, however. and the
sentence was committed. His health was
badly shattered and his mind Was not In
| the best condition when he reached the
| prison in West Virginia. 1t was recently
| announced more than likely that he
| would eventually be put TO work in one of
| the branches of the clothing department.
| vnrious1y Employed.
| George Grant Sewell. who took the life
| of Susan Mahoney in a street fight in
| South Washington. the 2sth of October.
| 1885, Is in the tailor shop, where he has
| mastered the work assigned him. and some
of the garments upon which he has been
employed may now be worn by some Of his
old friends in this city. Ernest Rodgers
who was sent to the penitentiary for the
murder of Frank Hook, committed The
crime the day after Christmas last year
He ard Hook had a row in South Wash
irgton. and Rodgers. who had threatened
!
Returning to the scene of the trouble he
used the weapon with deadly effect. The
character of the work 70 which he viii bt
assigned in the prison has not yet beer
| determined.
Talmage Walker another colored man whC
will spend the remainder Of his life behind
. the bars unless executive clemency shall
| be exercised has been at work In the skir
! department long enough to make some I"
! the stylish garments that are to he fount
| on sale in some of the large cities. and i
he were doing the work for private firm
outside the prison he would earn salary
| enough to support family. The crime
| for which he is paying the penalty wa:
the taking of Hamilton Shorts life Th'
nth of November. 1899, he struck Short OF
the head during row in front OF the Mary
land House on BrightWood avenue, am
two days later his victim died. SeYera
colored men had participated in a row Ii
| a saloon, and the men who engaged in tht
| fatal encounter met in front Of the Mary
| land House for the second time that even
| ing resulting in the death OF Short
Because of the bruta! conduct on the par
OF George Ashton, when he took the If
of Ida Jackson. the 9th OF November
1899 the verdict of the jury. fixing the pen
| atty at life Imprisonment surprised the OF
hcers connected with the case. The crime
| was committed at 40 18th street the hom
| of the victim, and the womans friends Were
, | unable to recognize her upon inspection
| after the discovery of her body. Ashton
, is now a yard man" at the penitentiary
having taken the place made vacant by tn
death of William X. Reed. colored. a If
prisoner from this city. who died the 2otl
. OF last April of pneumonia
The Prison Bill of Fare.
The food furnished the life prisoners
the same as that given those not ''lifers
Breakfast usually consists of white bread
gravy strip and water. Coffee is some
{ times served and the monotony is FIRE
; auently varied by adding butter. For din
| ner. meat a meat pudding. cornbread an
; either soup or water are supplied. Suppe
: | Is about the same breakfast, with tn
exception that a meat stew is generally %
the bill of fare and occasionally potatoe
| are served
. Prisoners who did time In the West VII
, | g.nia prison and have returned To Wash
: | ington say they are treated well as lon
. | as they behave themselves. but the foo
: they say is by no means equal to tina
| furnished in the prisons in this city.
I Killed Bull with a -PitchfOrk.