Evening star., 1902-03-22
Penitentiary Located at Foot
Of Four-and-a-H Half Street.
THE ARSENAL GROUNDS
BUILDING OCCUPIED FOR THIRTY
YEARS PRIOR TO 1868.
Change Made Necessary by the Civil
War-Convicts Sent to State
Institutions.

many visitors to the capital, particularly
those who are conversant with court and
police matters, who wonder al the absence
of prison on the plan of a penitentiary
in which those convicted of crime in the
District may be sentenced to a term of hard
labor. For the past forty years the Mary
land 'penitentiary at Baltimore the Albany
On. " penitentiary. the Auburn tN. "
reformatory and the West Virginia peniten-
tiary at Moundsville have been places of
confinement for prisoners from our courts.
und r contract with the government. The
hast named place is the present destination
for District criminals
There was time-for over thirty years
prior to loG3-when the convicts found a
straight road from the court house door
down ~ street. to the penitentiary of the
District of Columbia. This prison was erected
under the act of Congress of May 81. 1895
on the plans drawn by Thomas Carberry.
who also superintended the work 1t was
located on the north end of the military
| reservation IT street,, then known as the
Washington arsenal grounds, now occupied
by the United States Engineer Corps for it's
school of application. 1t included the pres
cnt residences of the commanding officer
and the field officers. east and west of the
circle: the cells were leo i'll number. in four
tiers. with the store and other rooms be
tween them. while the shops were south of
/
which was walk and railing for the SEN
tries, incloSed all
Work Begun in 1927.
|, The work was commenced in 1927. Mr.
Henry Smith being the builder. and by ISL
over $l00.0N was expended it. In the
latter year the building was ready for the
purposes intended, though much remained
/ to he done.
The warden appointed by Gen. Jackson
was Col Williams of Virginia. His first
prisoner guest Williams, who had
been arrested by a constable named Will
liams. He was committed to the Gust tOdy of
Warden Williams at the Jail pending his
trial. and on sentence found himself again
in the custody OF the warden at the peni-
tentiary.
Another of the early tenants Of the cells
was one of the bricklayers who had been
employed in their construction. He had
taken more than usual pains in his work
on one cell. and his fellow-workmen noticed
it and asked why he was spending So much
time upon it.
Why" he replied. iokingly. this is the
little room | expect to occupy and L shall
want the best"
This remark was recalled by his COM
panionS at the time Of his arrest, conviction
and sentence to confinement and hard la
bor for larceny not many months after,
and he was assigned to the Identical cell
he had taken such pains with.
In the early days Of the institution there
much work to be done in filling up
and improving the grounds. for the east ern
portion was low. A part of the ground was
worked as Il kitchen garden and there was
much cleaning up. affording opportunity
for the hard labor imposed In year or
two, however, the manufacture of shoes.
| broorns and other articles was introduced
and much Of the labor was indoors.
AS may be supposed. there were among
the inmates some deep dyed In crime while
others We're serving their first terms. a few
hnfrc 20
tional reputation were among the number.
The larger portion of the inmates were
| colored men and boys. and the females
were few. Grand larceny was the most
common offenSe committed by the prison.
efs and as the value required for such
charge was but five dollars, the large pro-
portion of that class is explained.
Some had escaped the death penalty.
through executive clemency, and were
serving life sentences, but there were
others whose terms ended life, as the site
of the grave yard in the southeast part
of the inclosure attested. Considering that
its location was near what was termed a
residential swamp. the general health of
the inmates was remarka be and the hos
pital often without a patient.
Under Board of Inspectors.
The pententiary of the District was con-
Quoted under rules and regulations promul-
gated by board of inspectors, and was In
charge of a warden, whose force consisted
of a deputy warden. clerk and twelve or
fifteen overseers and guards. The latter
were we'll armed. and with loaded muskets
walked the wall inclosing the prison and
workshops.
When the prisoners had become proficient
in their work many easily performed the
task required and some earned extra money
In fact. there We're many cases in which
the inmates preferred the pen" to the
Jail: and more than one the expiration
of the time allotted pleaded for permission
to remain. This was true of the colored
convicts principally. and one of this class
is remembered to have been refused per-
mission to stay, and immeda tely upon his
return up town he committed a larceny in
order to get back to his quarters
Col. Williams. the warden. appointed in
1881, was in few years succeeded by Mr..
Isaac Clarke. and those who came after
him were Col. John b. Dade Maj. Robert
Coltman, who died in office: Jonas B. Ellis.
Thomas Thornley,. Charles P. Sengstack
and Hiram l. King. The last named was
appointed in 1861.
When the war had been in progress two