Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-03

| which act passed the 10 day of July. 1890
| This scheme was published by Samuel
| Blodgett junior. then and still OF the
city of Philadelphia. as agent OF the
commissioners. a copy of which scheme
is herewith exhibited. Tickets were sold
| for 81"
| In pursuance Of this plan the lottery was
| held funds obtained and nearly century
was designed. The earlier designs show
| a structure similar to the Capitol. In that
| 1t has rotunda and dome. but during
the course of erection plans were modi-
| fed, the dome eliminated. and nearly a
| century ago what is now the home OF
! the United States courts in the District of
Columbia was erected.
twenty-five Years in Service.
The cell corridor. or cage" as 1t is
| known In this building is one of the
| most interesting features of the court
| house for there, while awaiting their ar
raignment or during their trials. thou
sands of prisoners have been confined
And in this long. gloomy corridor for
| twenty-five years has sat Deputy Marshal
Springman. Familiarity known 10 all at
| the courthouse as Mr. JIM.
| To the prisoners he is certainly MI
Jim" and while his own life has been
quiet one, his face is lined by the cares
and troubles of others. for he takes the
i
| him for so many years much to heart.
The murderer with the blood OF his TEL
| low man upon his hands. and the negro
| charged with larceny pour their troubles
into his ears as he sits In great arni-
chair before the door of his office. And
he rarely, If ever, has trouble with his
prisoners. He never goes armed unless
| he Is conveying a desperate character
single handed from the courthouse to the
Jail And he has handled in his time all
Iof tuanty-fiVe Thousand prisoners.
| In MIR Jim's' Office room many pris-
oner charged with murder has lain. tren-
bling with fear or with stole nonchalance
| has awaited the verdict OF jury weigh
ing his case upstairs, for the deputy mar
shall never allows an accused murderer
| out of his sight.
Few men know the criminal history OF
the District Of Columbia better than Dep
uty Marshal Springman, but he says: Il
| try to forget 1t as much as can.
One successful jail delivery only from
this cell corridor is recorded in the his
| tory OF the courthouse. and but one at
tempt which promised anything like sue
| cess has been made since Mr.. Springman
| took his post In the gloomy crypt twenty
| FIVE years ago.
| In May or June, about 1882. keddy
White alias "Old Chief White" Jim Wal
| tiers and George McCauley. an expert iron
worker. were confined In what Is now used
as cell for the women. With them was
Josh Anderson. an accused murderer.
| Escaped Through the Bars.
| An iron cage. which still shows the
marks of the jail-breakers. 10 built around
a window set high in the wall, which
\ looks out upon the south front of the
| courthouse.
| McCauley. trained to detect the weak
points in iron work. sought for and found
two bars which might be forced apart.
L vzyh ma
1 all Of the men. save Anderson. who for
some reason did not take advantage OF
the aperture. had escaped. Shortly
after that. however. Waters and White
| gave themselves up.
What about the attempt made in your
timer"
| He rose and went to a locker in his
once and returned holding an iron bar