The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-10-17

will be confined. This institution,
when completed, will be the largest
and best equipped Federal prison in
the country. II was begun in 1898,
and will probably not be finished for
several years. 1t has frontage OF
500 feet, with depth Of 900 feet in
the rear. The wall which surrounds
the buildings and incloses sixteen and
one-haif acres will be thirty-one feet
in height. The entire reservation in
c1udes TAO acres, $50 under cuitiva-
tion, and an equal amount in pastur-
age, the rest being still covered with
timber. The prisoners are white, col
ored, Indian and Japanese. Twenty
four are military prisoners, while the
others are offenders against the civil
law. The majority of the Indians
came from Indian Territory, and their
crimes are the result of too much bad
whisky. The Mexicans are being pun
ished for smuggling-one of them, a
shoemaker, having sent in several
hundred dollars worth OF Mexican
opals hidden in the Innings of shoes
The two Japanese were caught seal
poaching off st. Georges Island last
year. One hundred and three are
serving life sentences. One hundred
and thirty-four are TRUSTEES" en-
titled to wear the blue uniform and
white numbers and allowed more
freedom in their movements in the
prison. Gray is the regulation uni
form of the Federal prisoner, and
stripes are worn only by refractory
men as punishment for habitual dis
obedience to the rules. No women
are sent to Leavenworth.
The prison is like a model town.
and in time the officers expect 20
make 1t self-supporting. Uncle Sam
is economical, and as far as possible
the prisoners are made to earn their
food and clothing In many of the
State prisons the inmates are allowed
to work overtime, for which they are
paid, the money being held for them
until the time of their release. A
Federal prisoner receives no pay for
his work at any time, those in author
ity thinking that the plan works un-
fairly, as some of the prisoners would
be in position to make more money
than the others, and the Federal Gov
ernment's aim is to treat all men
alike. When man is released he
is given transportation to the town
from which he came, SIS In money,
new suit of clothes, hat and shoes.
II he Is released in winter an overcoat
is added.
The Indians are usually model pris-
oners and are excellent workmen.
They have little to say, and in almost
every instance are obedient. The In
dian has sensitive nature, and as a
result of it-or, rather, the inability
to practice self-restraint under strong
provocation-some Carlisle graduates
have landed in this prison. At the
close of their school days they re-
turned to their tribes, and were shown
little consideration by the older men.
Education had equipped them for a
new and more useful life and then
failed to provide a proper place for
its development. The grief and NOR
tification resulting from this condi-
tion soon led to drink, and crime was
the result. A number of these In
dians are engaged in dressing the
stone which is to ornament the front
of the building. They are known by
such names as Wash Beaver, Crazy
Snake, Panowaski Tiger, Handy Bear,
Amos Rabbit, Tiger Tom, John Run
about, BrownTakes-the-Gun, Fred
Charging Eagle, John Hogkiller and
Willie Little Head Many Of them re-
ceive letters from home, and one man
has regular correspondence with his
sweetheart, who rejoices in the name
of Lucy Standing Goose.
The two Japanese, who speak little
English, are engaged in the tailor
shop. AS far as possible everything
needed in the prison is the handiwork
of the inmates, and the shops in
which these articles are manufac-
tured are interesting in many re-
spects. The men are usually proud
of their work. and frequently ask the
foreman whether he thinks them ca
pable of earning an honest living on
the outside. In several instances re-
leased prisoners have obtained worl,
on the recommendation of the war
den, and 1t is not uncommon for dis
charged prisoners to ask for letters
as to their ability as workmen.
In one of the shops l was shown
some remarkably well-made shoes.
This place is busy, as the keeping of
nearly thousand men in footwear is
no small item. In the next aisle a
number of prisoners were making
harness for the horses which were
doing the hauling. The tailor shop,
which is equipped with electric irons
for pressing and electric sewing ma
chimes, turns out all the clothing used
by the prisoners, as well as the neat
uniforms worn by the officers. Old
clothing and carpets are cup up and
woven into rugs to be used in differ
ent parts of the building. All the
brooms and scrubbing brushes, mops.
ETC.. needed are the work of a few
prisoners, and In this department a
slender young man wearing q
"trusty" uniform silently handed out
! one brush after another for my in
spection, and as l had word OF
| praise for each article OF his work
manship a faint smile lighted up the
pale face, and timid bow OF thanks
was his only response. In the tin