Evening star., 1902-08-16


victs from the northern and western states
will be confined in the Fort Leavenworth
penltentiary as soon as that Is completed.
At Mcneil Island, Washington state. there
is third federal penitentiary, built many
years ago. This has capacity of only 100
and is utilized for the confinement of
United States prisoners convicted in Alaska
and Washington.
Boarding Out" Convicts.
But now that Uncle Sam has completed
one big national hotel, where rooms and
board are free. and is fast bringing an even
larger Institution of the kind to completion
the two having joint capacity of 1890
the old system Of boarding convicts out in
the state penitentiaries will be considerably
reduced. There are now about 5000 federal
convicts distributed about the country, but
even were every bunk of the Atlanta Fort
Leavenworth and Mcneil Island penitentla-
ries filled there would still be about thou
sand convfctS who would have to be board
ed In state prisons. However the Atlanta
penitentiary has been built on lines which
will admit of its enlargement to as great
proportions as those of Fort Leavenworth
whenever Congress may see fit to appro-
pirate the money
To board out his prisoners 1t costs Uncle
Sam all the way from 35 to IS cents per
man per day, and over 2,100 are now being
supported outside of the federal peniten-
tiaries. These have been sent preferably
to the penitentiaries of the states in which
they have been convicted. Congress has
made the restriction that no federal con-
wet, wherever incarcerated shall be en-
ployed at contract labor; nevertheless many
United States convicts beg to be allowed
to work for the contractor in order that
they may earn the few cents overplus given
each day to those working extra time. With
this pin money prisoners in the state peni-
tenuarfeS may purchase little luXuries con-
tributing to their happiness.
tederal convicts in the state prisons are
n yhn
men who commit precisely the same offense
may be subject to entirely different codes of
discipline, depending upon the institution
10 which they are sent. Thus one may be
TO the doubling up" system. One may be
forced to maintain absolute silence during
working hours and the other may be per-
mitted to talk at will.
New "Good Time" Law.
A new good time law for federal prIs-
oners has just gone into effect this summer
Previously the reduction Of a federal con-
Vlcts term for good behavior depended
upon the practice in the state prison to
which he was sent. Thus one Of our two
men taken above for illustration might
have year only reduced from his term
while his brother in crime might be re-
lieVed OF two, both having received the
maximum reward for good behavior The
new good time" law for federal convicts
wherever incarcerated, gives five days off
In each month for sentences between six
months and one year; one to three years,
six days off per month; three to five wears
seven days off each month; five to ten
years eight days; ten years or over, ten
days.
Probably the next federal penal reform
VIII be the adoption of the parole system
under which certain prisoners will be al
lowed to leave the penitentiary and to live
at nome under certain restrictions until
their terms expire.
There are about fifty federal life convicts
now serving sentence. Each of these lives
In the hope of pardon and the Department
OF Justice Is continually in receipt of pc
tltlons for mercy. Photographs showing
results of disease are sometimes sent and
in one recent case an unfortunate obtained
specimen from a hospital which he sub
mitted as proof Of his own pretended dis
ease.
Federal Executions.
The law as to the execution of federal
convfcts is uniform. Hanging is the only
legal death which capital offender against
the United States proper can suffer Thus
a federal hanging, when necessary, takes
place even in a state where capital punish
ment is abolished or where electrocution has
been adopted. Twelve years ago a United
states prisoner was sentenced to hang in
Omaha. although capital punishment had
been previously abolished in Nebraska The
post office, and there being no gallows
owned by the state, the prisoner was hang
ed In one corner of that ground on an inn
provised scaffold. Federal capital offenders
are generally executed in the nearest county
jailS.
1t costs Uncle Sam about $50 to hang a
man. Some time ago the question came up
in the Department of Justice as to the fund
from which this expense should be paid and
witty official gravely told the Attorney
General that the money should be drawn
from the appropriation for 1.-The support of
prisoners"
Federal executions average only about
two or three a year outside the Dis
tr1ct OF Columbia, but it is surprising
that they are not more plentiful inasmuch
as there are eighteen civil offenses punish
able by death under the federal statutes.
These are treason. aiding and abetting to
commit murder, robbery or piracy on the
high seas or in places under extreme juris-
diction of the United States. rape in fort
upon the high seas. corrupt casting
away of vessels on the high seas piracy on
the high seas, laying violent hands by sea-
men upon their commander to prevent de-
fense Of vessel, robbery on shore by crew
landing from piratical vessel, ofenses on
the high seas, in harbors or bays out of ju-
riSdiction of a state which on land would
be punishable by death; robbery or hostility
against the United States under color of
commission from foreign state, making war
the United States on the high seas. forci-
bly, confining vessel a negro with at
tempt to make him a slave or sell him as
such, landing from vessel and seizing a
gro with such intent maliciously burning
dwelling house barn inside the reserva-
ton Of a fort, dockyard, etc; burning ves-
sells of war afloat on the high seas. rescu
ing by force persons found guilty Of a cap
ital crime.
The most phenomenal federal offepse on
record is now puzZling the authorities here.
An official who just returned from Mar
SHALL N c.. discovered that the top Of
a mountain six or seven miles from that
place a woman "moonshiner'' is openly ply
ing her illegal trade A warrant can be OBJ
tained for her at any time, but it would
be futile to serve it, inasmuch as there Is
no means of carrying the prisoner down
the steep mountain side In order to deliver
her into the hands of the marshal. She
weighs $50 pounds.
JOHN EtFRETH WATKINS, Jr.
r>1..L1. S,,;o;do IN Doria