Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09
HIGH PRISON NUMBER
DR.. Lorenz at Top Notch in
Moundsville.
MANY LIFE PRISONERS
WHAT wAsHINaToNIANs ARE
DOING IN THE PRISON.
Machen Said to Have Run Of the Place
knows His Work
Well.
Special Correspopdepce OF The Star,

MOUNDSVILLE. w. Va, July 8. 1905
Ten former residents Of Washington are
life prisoners in the West Virginia state
prison here who, with the BAT other prison.
ers from the capital, constitute nearly one
third Of the present population of the
prison.
DR.. George E. Lorenz, one of the men
convicted of having participated in con-
spiracy in the so-called post office cases,
has the highest prison number-1164. He
reached here on the morning of July T. In
dependence day, but he felt far from be-
ing independent. In the course of two
years he will feel somewhat Independent
again. for he will then be released TO
return to his home in Toledo, Ohio. I'M
less the government should send for him
to stand trial again. This, 1t is thought,
is not likely and the feeling prevails in the
prison that Macheh is not to be tried
upon any more cases. 1t is the general
belief here that he entered plea OF guilty
In the last case by reason of having
reached an agreement with the prosecuting
officers that he would not again be called
into court. DR.. Lorenz, it is believed, VIII
also remain here until the expiration OF his
two years sentence unless he Is recalled
to Washington to give testimony against
some of the men who are still under In
dictment
Despite the fact that the prisoners are
not supposed to come in contact with
much of the outside world, many Of them
seem conversant with what is gong on
respecting the inmates of the prison, ana
are able to tell things of interest to people
far away. A prisoner Of the ordinary
class knows much more about the post
Washington, and If he can be seen on the
side, he does not mind telling what ne
knows He also is able to tell of the hab-
its and conduct of all the other prisoners
Any of them will say that Machen has the
run of the prison. as well as the men who
have been connected with the institution
for many years, and Will volunteer the
statement that they don't see how Warden
Haddox managed the prison so well with
out him. The casual visitor to the prison
would never imagine from Machens con.
duct and knowledge of prison affairs that
he is there as prisoner.
Works Early and Late.
Seated at his desk in the main Office there
is nothing visible about him to indicate
that he is anything other than the CHIEF
clerk or manager OF the prison. put "heh
standing the texture of his trousers and the
tell-tale stripes give him away. Machen IS
at work early and late. He is one of the
first men In the big stone structure TO De
about In the morning and is one of the last
to retire. All during the long hours Of the
day he labors faithfully and Well upon the
books Of the institution, and his long hours
have not yet had the effect OF reducing ms
weight.
The Croft brothers are naturally not so
active Samuel Croft is unable to reconcile
| himself to prison life He still maintains
his innocence, despite the fact that the
| twelve men declared him guilty and JUS
| tice Prtchard passed sentence upon MIN.
Prison officials and others who have come
| in contact with him in the prison feel that
| the Jury made q mistake in his case, and
| that he should never have been sent here.
Discussing his case, Machen and LorenZ
| have declared that Sam Croft is guiltless in
| the matter of which he was convicted, and
others recall the plea made by Maj. Holmes
Conrad, the chief prosecutor, in declaring
| him innocent Sam Croft never forgets his
case, and Is unable to understand why he
should be made to suffer for what, he says,
| he did not do. He still hopes for the best
and feels confident that President Roose-
With DilIer 3. Croft his brother, 1t is an
entirely different matter. He takes prison
| life comparatively easy. and does what work
| he can In caring for the sick in the hos
pital His hours are by no means as long
as are those of Machen, nor Is he the active
| man that the latter is. Both Groffs get
| ting along in years and have experienced
| the hardships of war; while Machen Is yet
| q young man.
| Perfectly at Home.
DIR. Lorenz seemed perfectly at home when
| he reached here Tuesday and greeted
| Machen in the office. Because of his medi-
| cal skill he will be assigned to work in the
medical department of the-prison. Such
| work viii bring him in daily contact with
| the Croft brothers in the hospital.
| TWenty-siX other prisoners came here
| with the batch" of which DR.. Lorenz was
| one. six white and twenty colored One of
| them was John Ryan, alias Riley, the rail-
| road man, who was arrested for the theft
| of trunks that We're shipped by him to
Texas. 1t was his first offense, he declares.
| and lie attributes his conduct to the use
| of whisky. Richard Bruno. colored. one of
| the party, is to remain here for fifteen years
and Oscar Lee and James w. Robey are
each to remain here eight years.
A Sad Case.
| A sad case was that of a young man
| named Henry Hudson. who Is under SEN
| tence of one year for alleged embezzle-
| ment He had never before been arrested
| and thinks he would not be here now had 1t
| not been for the conduct of James NJ. A.
! Watson, one of the more distinguished pris-
| oners from Washington. Watsons down.
| fall, it Is said, involved the employer OF
| Hudson and the latter concluded that he
| would not let up upon anybody who robbed
| had no idea of robbing his employer. but
| his lot was that of a gambler. He had
| played the ponies and games Of cards and
| the night he lost less than 500 of his en-
ployer's money at poker he did not have
| the nerve to go to his father, tell him the
| truth and let him make good the deficit.
| Now he Is thoroughly disguised with the
| gamblers life and declares he will never
| play the horses or games of cards again.
| Il wasn't guilty." declared Henry Robin
| son, colored, another member of the party,
| ''but l said so because my lawyer told me
| the other side had so many witnesses
| against me-"
Three women brought up the rear of the
party and were escorted to the female
| wing of the prison upon their arrival. They
| will do work In the laundry department.
Work Engages Attention.
| There are many persons who have an
| idea that prisoners do but little other than
| to devise means of getting out of prison,
but such is not the case with all of them.
| People often wonder what engages the at
tention Of the life prisoners and frequently
| ask the warden or one of his assistants how
| they put In their time.
/ by working" Is the fnvariable answer.
| land thinking about friends who may get
them pardoned."
| There is seldom life prisoner who thinks
he will die in prison. While 1t Is true that
most of them are model prisoners and can
be trusted. It Is also true that most OF them
think they will be pardoIed when the time
approaches for them to leave this world.
When prisoners are brought here from
| Washington they are chained together 90
| aocl1ryaIv that ono RrYard e01sld unana0a