The Washington times., 1902-05-13
DETAILS CONCERNING
FEDERAL PRISONERS
Annual Report on Subject by
u. S. Attorney General.
QUARTERS NOT SUFFICIENT
Government Has to Have Its Law vio-
lators Confined in Various Institutions
Owned and Conducted by the States
Boo at Fort Leavenworth.

The report of the United States Attor-
ney General for the year ended June 20.
| 1901. contains some interesting details
concerning the Federal prisoners-i- e..
persons who have been convicted Of vio-
| lations of the laws Of the United States.
The total number In custody on June 30.
1901. was 3.O30. The Government has not
sufficient quarters for SO large num-
Der; accordingly. SOC are confined in the
United States penitentiary at Fort Leav-
enworth Kan, ninety -sevcn at McNeiIi
Island. Wash. and the remaining 2.127 in
various State institutions. where their
maintenance Is provided for from the
United States Treasury.
During the last fiscal year 1850 persons
were sentenced to Imprisonment for vio-
lations of the laws Of the United States,
1859 of whom we're born in this country.
and only ISL foreign born. The crimes
for which these men were convicted num-
ber over forty. Prominent among theso
offenses are violations of the postal and
revenue laws and counterfeiting.
The popular idea that illiteracy Is re-
sponsible for most Of the crimes commit
ted is not borne out by this report. which
shows that LII Of the prisoners could
read and write. while thirty-two could
read only. and 457 could neither read nor
write.
Single Men Predominate.
The single men outnumbered the mar
ried men by 1s0. How large portion of
the crimes committed by these prisoners
can be ascribed to youthful reckiessness
may be judged from the statement that
945. or nearly 5s per cent. Of the per-
petrators were under thirty years Of age:
258 were received under twenty, ss1 be-
tween twenty and thirty. 1868 between
thirty and forty. 201 between forty and
fifty, and only 1856 over fifty. Fifteen hun
dred of those sentenced had never before
been imprisoned.
The largest Federal prison is that at
Fort Leavenworth. Kan.
Hard Work Good for Men.
The theory that hard work is good for
mans health appears to be borne out by
the fact that the percentage OF days sick
during the whole year for the SOC pris-
oners confined in the penitentiary at Fort
Leavraworth was only All.
The report of the record clerk OF this
institution in reference to the former oc-
cupations of the prisoners discloses sur
prising state Of affairs. OF the total OF
s0s. i42. or nearly 80 per cent. stated that
their former occupation had been farming.
Seventy-six claimed to have been labor
ers. 80 cowboys, 30 teamsters, 10 cooks.
and 10 BARRIERS. In other words. 10 per
cent of the prisoners had followed the sir
call;ngs referred to- the remaining % per
cent being variously distributed among
sixty-fve other vocations. The list in
ciudes one plumber. one physician. one
school teacher. one banker, two druggists,
one electrician. one gambler. one tele-
graph operator. two tailors, two medical
students, two photographers, four mer-
chants, four sailors, and three soldiers.
There was only one commercial traveller.
The list does not include single lawyer.
Report of Chaplain.
The report of the chaplain for this
during the same year shows
that of 31f prisoners interviewed. 132
claimed to have been total abstainers, 133
10 have been addicted to the use of strong
rink. and ffty-one admitted that they
we're Incorporate. Two hundred and
ieventy-two claimed to have been reared
n Christian homes, and only forty-ive
hat they had not had the advantage OF
christian training.
The prisoners in the Leavenworth pen
tentiary are engaged in building a new
tone prison which will be a model OF its
lind. When it Is considered that very
ew of these men have had any prior ex-
'erience. the construction by them OF so
arge building is remarkable. They
lave nearly finished the interior-cell-
ouses. boilerhouse and laundry building
and have built up about 1.750 feet OF
he prison wall at an average height
rom the foundation OF 22 feet OF stone
eet thick. and IL feet of brick inches
hick. Besides this. there is farm op-
rated by the institution which had last
ear under cultivation by the prisoners
9S acres. the estimated value OF the
ield from which was Sl5.3i5.