The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-04-16
"A ON PRISON TRAIN
Youthful Prisoners Taken to
Fort Leavenworth, the Place
They Dread.


ing Aud Lang Syne" and the 225
young prisoners who were left behind
shouting words of farewell to them,
seventy-four army prisoners. under
guard of thirty-four regulars, march
out of the old castle on Governors is
land. They were departing from this,
the best of all military prisons, for
the federal penitentiary at Fort Leav-
enworth, Kan, there to complete their
sentences.
Most of the seventy-four that went
away are young men, and every one
among them had at one time or other
been soldier of the United States
army. They represented all three
branches, artillery, cavalry and infan-
try of the service and some from near
ly every military post in the depart
ment of the east. They are long-term
men and had been ordered transferred
to the stricter prison in the west on
account of the present crowded con-
dition of Castle Williams the occupants
of which when the order transferring
the seventy-four was received, totaled
nearly 800.
AS on the previous occasion, about
year ago, when Castle Williams was
partially depleted through a transfer
of prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, none
of the prisoners are in the Castle Will
Jams brass band, an organization con-
sidered among the best in any of the
military prisons.
THE talents of the talented kept
'em at home with the rest Of US good
ones" remarked youthful prisoner
yesterday in explaining how it was
that the musicians, the elocutionists,
and slight of hand prisoners all man
aged to keep away from dreaded Fort
Leavenworth.
Nearly all the prisoners had friends
or relatives in or near New York, and
apparently all OF these--cousins,
sweethearts and wives-called at the
prison to bid them good-by. The re-
suit was that the guards had to keep
close watch all the time to see that
no contraband, such as whisky, knives
and revolvers was transferred to the
prisoners, not to mention the remote
possibility Of a change of clothing, the
possession of which, in the past, has
been responsible for so many escapes
from Governors island.
Each prisoner, as he packed up his
few belongings, had them inspected to
see that the bundle contained nothing
forbidden by the regulations. The un-
lucky were downhearted at the fate
that was sending them to Leavenworth
while those that remained behind were
downcast through sympathy for their
less fortunate fellows.
Finally the time to fall in" came.
There came the blast of bugle, and
down the steps leading from the pris-
on galleries scampered the seventy
four. In the circle inside the prison
were thirty-four trim regulars under
command of First Lieutenant Dewey
of the twelfth infantry, the gaurd desi-
grated by General Grant to convey
the prisoners to Leavenworth. The
men formed in pairs, and then the
rollcall began, and as each man an
swered here" an officer looked him
over to make certain that he was in
fact the right man.
The rollcall ended and the identi-
fications complete, the band on the
gallery started up lively tune. The
regulars in the guard formed on either
side of the column of prisoners, fit
teen men to side. The other four
men in the guard were non-commis-
stoned officers. The band played live
ly tunes to cheer up the men, but not
one of them could be made to forget
the real situation. Then the big gate
leading into the prison circle swung
command. March" and the column
was off. AS the last man disappeared
through the gate the band switched
from "A Hot Time" to "Auld Lang
Syne" and the seventy-four had seen
Castle Williams for probably the last
time in their lives.
An army transport was waiting at
the Governors island dock for the pris-
oners. On this they were taken across
the bay to Jersey City where special
train was waiting. When they leave
this train they will be in Fort Leaven-
worth. And Fort Leavenworth."
said soldier of the twelfth yesterday,
isn't Castle Williams. Make no mis-
take about that. Castle Williams is a
picnic, but Leavenworth is-well, you
can guess what l want to say"
There is no comparison between the
prison life of Castle Williams and life
at the great federal penitentiary at
Fort Leavenworth. At Castle Williams
the prisoners, If they behave, are al
lowed liberties about the island that
would never be tolerated at Fort
Leavenworth where the prison is run
under the strictest sort of regulations.
After choosing his own boss many
a man is dissatisfed-so it's him for
the divorce court.
Oyster stews served in some res
taurants prove that the proprietors
belong to a society for the prevention
of cruelty to bivalves.
The average farmers wife has
MIGHTY lifflo rosnoct for a 0norfv