Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-04-01
ConviCts at U. S. Military Prison
At Leavenworth Marched Out
While Buildings Burned.
GUARDED BY 1900 SOLDIERS.
At First Prisoners Were Glccrul. They
Yelling let IL Burn''--Ncrv soon
Changed Their Tone.

Le1vcuvorth, Kan. April lit took
1900 United states soldiers 20 maiu-
tain order and to prevent prisoners
from escaping during FIRE which
destroyed four buildings Of the federal
military prison here early today.
All the 500 prisoners were marched
out Of their cellhouses when it seemed
that the whole prison certainly would
Doe destroyed and were held under
heavy military guard until the fire was
gotten under control Then after some
of the cell houses had cooled sufficient
ly they were marched back again. The
fire was discovered by a sentry before
midnight who fired his pistol and the
fire call was sounded and the entire
garrison at Fort Leavenworth turned
out The Thirteenth infantry, armed
with rifles was thrown around the en-
tire prison.
The fire which probably started i'm
the prison tailor shop gained rapid
headwoy against the prison guard
working with buckets and small hose.
The fire department OF Leavenworth
answered an emergency call and Joined
forces with the soldiers iu "a hattlc
against the flames The fire was cou-
fined Co the central row of buildings
and consumed The Industrial depart
meut- of the prison Including the
paint shop. tine tailor shop. carpenter
shop and laundry The cell houses
rapidly became filled with smoke and
got sunoratingly hot.
PRISONERS GLEEFUL.
When tho arc first started there was
glcg among the prisoners. Let liz
burn they yelled The water pres
sure was very poor and as the water
sputtered u-elessly from the hose the
prisoners laughed and Cheered. The
flames leaped higher and a gust Of
wind whipped smoke into the nearest
of three cell houses.
The tone OF the prisoners changed
then, For Gods sake. take us out
they screamed, battering against the
steel bars In great terror. COL. Laugh
borough saw the danger Of the sltua-
tion when the leaping flames got very
near the cen houses and ordered the
prison provost guard 10 unlock the
doors. The 500 prisoners fell in. each
convict with his hands on tae shoulder
OF the man in front OF him. Al double
quick time marched % the fartherest
corner OF the prison inclOsurc, where
they huddled while 100 prison guards
guarded them with leveled rifles. Two
of the terror-stricSen crowd Of con-
victs tainted.
Half an hour after the fire broke out
the Leavenworth city fire department
reached the fort Nothing could be
done 90 save the burning buildings,
however, and the firemen devoted their
attention 10 saving the main structure.
A new military prison Is under pro-
cess Of construction, and 10 ifs not prob
able that the burned buildings win be
rebuilt.
A few men were overcome by the
heat during the fire.
Maj. Thomas II. Slavens comman-
dant Of the prison, said the fire prob
abiy was caused by defective wiring.
He placed the damage AT $4,000.
BURNED BUILDINGS.
The buildings burned we're among
the oldest at Fort Leavonworth. They
were erected IA 1851 and 1865 under the
supervision Of Gen. J.. G.. Easton, and
were first used for an army commits
siry stona house. IL was many years
later that they became a part OF the
United States penitentiary and later
converted into "a military prison fol-
lowing the erection of new federal
prison here
The prisoners now confined there,
about $40 men, arc practically an short
term army offenders convicted iu court
martals.