The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-21
From the Washington Post.


f THERE is a philosopher in the
Moundsville penitentiary that man is
surely George E. Lorenz. None of
his former self-possession or self-respect
has apparently deserted him. In his little
photograph gallery on the third floor
of the kitchen and chapel building Borenz
gives one the impression of business
man loaded with just sufficient cares to
guarantee a. good income without any of
the troubles facing the merchant with
bills to pay and nothing to pay them with.
Lorenz's duties are confined exclusively
to photographing incoming and outgoing
prisoners. In each instance he takes a side
and front view of the subject. The room
in which he works all alone is light and
airy, and compares in furnishing most ia
yorably with the majority of photograph
galleries In small towns.
Inasmuch as his time Is not fully occu-
pied in taking and developing the photo
graphs of prisoners 4sorenz Is permitted
to develop photographs of not only the
various prison buildings, both interior and
exterior, but also of places of interest In
and around Moundsvile. These pictures
iiC iidiiBCS III LILO OIulIldIy grass pdptI-
weight and sells to visitors to the prison
for % and 80 cents apiece.
During the time that I was in the pho
tograph gallery a party of visitors pur-
chased $3.50 worth of souvenir paper
weights. The guide told me that after
paying for the Photographic supplies used
in photographing prisoners, Lorenz was
the sole beneficiary of the souvenir sales.
AS to how much Lorenz made a day the
guide was unable to say, although he
said that all visitors entered the pho
tograph gallery and that many souvenirs
were purchased.
Lorenz was dressed in plain gray suit,
indicating that he was a member of the
highest class in the prison so far as de-
pertinent and general behavior are con-
cerned
Instead of the close-cropped hair that is
usually associated with convicts. Lorenz
had evidently only visited the barber
when necessary to prevent ragged locks.
If you can imagine the rehabilitation of
nervous and physical wreck after sew
eral months spent at the seashore or at
a sanatorium. during which time COM
a good idea of how George W. Beavers
looks at this time. With his. head studi-
ously bent over a book, in an effort to
avoid the gaze of the visitors, George
w. Beavers was seen in the prison
library, the picture of health. There is no
indication In the clear eye, healthy COM
plexion and erect form of the incidious
drug which had been sapping Beavers
vitality before his condemnation to prison.
Beavers is the prison librarian. All
books, magazines and papers coming to
the prison are. placed in his charge and
given out to the prisoners much in the
same manner as books are loaned to pa
irons of the public libraries. In catalog
ming and distributing the literature Beav-
ers is assisted by two other convicts, one
of whom was evidently a new prisoner, as
he was clothed In the ordinary prison
stripes Beavers was dressed in the drab
suit, indicating that he was graduate
in the good-behavior class.
The library is located In a large, airy
and light room on the floor underneath the
photograph gallery. While l was in the
library the curtains on the east side were
pallor often associated with convicts Is
not seen in the complexion of either Lo-
REM or Beavers.
Machen also has soft snap in the Of
Ace of the clerk of the prison, where he
has as his companion ]. NJ. A. Watson,
the government clerk, who was discovered
to be something like $4,000 short in his
accounts Machen's work consists of do
ing what little bookkeeping is required
of him by the prison clerk. That the
work is not onerous is indicated by the
leisurely manner in which he pursues his
duties.
Prison life has not, seemingly, agreed
with Machen. While not exhibiting the fe-
rocious activity of lion In it's cage, there
is a constant suggestion in his manner