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 We're Glccful. They
Yelling LET IL Burn"--Ncrv Soon
Changed Their Tone.

Le7venvorth, Kan. April lit took
1900 United States soldiers TO main
tain order and TO prevent prisoners
from escaping during a 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
be destroyed and were held under
heavy military guard until the Gre 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 az Fort Leaveuworth turned
out The Thirteenth infantry, armed
with rifles was thrown around the en-
tire prison.
The fire which probably started in
the prison tailor shop gained rapid
Roadway against the prison guard
working with buckets and small hose.
The fire department OF LeavenwOrth
answered am emergency call and Joined
forces with the soldiers in "a battle
against the flames. The Ere was com
fined t0 the central row of buildings
and consumed the Industrial depart
'neuJ5 oft The prison including the
paint shop. the tailor shop. carpenter
shop and laundry. The cell houses
rapidly became filled with smoke and
got suf0C1tinsly hot.
PRISONERS GLEEFUL
When the Gre FIRST started there was
glce among tho prisoners. Let it
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 cel houses.
The tome of the prisoners changed
then. For Gods sake, take as out
they screamed. battcring against ID.
steel bars in Ereat terror. Col Laugh
borough saw the danger OF the sltua-
tiOn when the leaping flames got very
near the cell houses ana ordered the
prison provost guard 60 unlock the
doors. The 500 prisoners fell Ga, each
convict with his hands on tle shoulder
OF the man in front OF him. At double
quick time marched 10 the fartherest
corner ~ the prison inclosure, whore
lNfA NNUAiEA MAiHAf ANN lllnhA AAAA US
guarded them with leveled rifles. Two
OF the terrOr-stricken 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 to save the burning buildings,
however. and the fremen devoted their
attention 10 saving the main structure.
A new military prison Is under pro-
cess OF construction, and II is not prob
able that the burned buildings win be
rebuilt
A few men were overcome by the
heat during the fire.
Maj. Thomas II. Slayens, Comman-
dant Of the prison, said the fire prob
ably was caused by defective wiring.
He placed the damage at $4,000.
BURNED BUILDINGS.
The buildings burned were among
the oldest az Fort Leavenworth. They
were erected In 1857 and 1855 under the
supervision of Cen /. @. EastOn, and
were first used for an army commits
sarv stone house. IL was many years
later that they became part OF the
United states penitentiary and later
converted into "a military prison fol-
lowing the erection Of new federal
prison hcre.
The prisoners now confined there
about 500 men, are practically am short
term army offenders convicted n court
marLals.