The Washington herald., 1909-01-08

Special 90 The Washington Herald
MoundsviIle, ". Va. Jan. THE Dis
trict OF Columbia IS always more or less
interested in the big penitentiary in
MoundsviHe, ". Va, where so many
District prisoners are and have been con
fined. member OF The Washington
Herald STAFF recently visited the place
and was personally conducted through
the institution by Acting Warden c. G..
Dawson.
The prison is too vast for description in
detail. The main building is Of stone and
steel. two blocks in length. and impress
sive in its rugged strength and simplicity
OF design. The great walls inclose seven
acres OF ground. upon which are many
separate buildings for various purposes.
The whole place Is sanitay in construc-
ton, conduct, and care. Large, well-ven-
tilated quarters are provided for sleeping,
eating. and working Approved employ
ment is required of the well and modern
hospital accommodations are furnished
the ILL., Electricity gives the light, anc
running water is everywhere at hand
Many Prisoners from Washington
There are about I,200 prisoners in the
prison. Of whom 30 are women. and %
/ from the District OF Columbia. They are
well FED and warmly clothed. The bic
prison runs ike a piece Of fine machin-
/ erv. and over il is an air Of order and dis
( cipline dav and night. Everything IS
! scrupuIously neat and clean and In keep
/ ing with the strict system which obtains
/ Naturally one wonders who controls tht
/ place.
/ When the late Warden c. r. Haddo1
/ died last February, c. Q. Dawson, whI
WAS then the deputy warden and captain
was appointed as the acting warden and
placed IN charge Of the institution. HI
was born in Frostburg, Nd. in 1876. anC
I in ISIS moved 10 West Virginia. where h'
/ has since resided. He received his edu
cation in the public schools in which h
( took hOnOrs. He became a building con
] tractor was the recorder ard marshal o
his home town in Preston County. "
Va served six years in the Naticna
/ Guard or West Virginia. rising from pri
iIata 90 captain. and was appointed a
. captain Of the guards Of the West Nir
Cinia Penitentiary in 1897. since whic
time ne has been continuously CONNECTED
with the prison. Of every detail Of whicl
he las a complete personal knowledge
known for Prison management.
II Is in his prison work that War3e'
b Dawson is best known TO the public, an
in il ne has TO superior. With th
/ strength Of steel and the quickness 0
I thought. coupled with an utter ignoranc
OF fear. he is a man both respected an
feared More than once has he bee
compelled 70 battle for his life. and
proved himself the master in every in
stance.
since he took charge OF the priso
a. many Improvements have been made an
others are under way. A noteworthy fac
Is his aggressive stand against consunF
ti0n. an ever-present problem in ell pris
on life. 4 new laboratory. fitted with II
struments and appliances. has been IL
stalled. in charge q an expert Tuhercu
lars are Isolated ard classified. pure mil
, and fresh eggs are provided IN sbuI
dance. and large pOrches and other PROV
sions are made 10 give them plenty
fresh air and sunshine In addition. III
, new Wright treatment has been puJ int
! practice IN reliance upon the remarl
, able results which have been Obtafne
Z lEoll II Dl LflCLltdl o-lttLS VI t44e LaAiD-l'
and state governments.
b. Prepared for TubercuIosis HOspita
Warden Dawson thus has the subje,
Z well in hand. but If TIE occasion sha
arise, which seems 10 be quite unIikel,
3 ( he viii recommend the construction Of
tuberculosis hospital on the 300-acre pri:
on farm one mile east Of the tow
81
70 lawns, and flower beds abound, and niue
} open space is kept for the welfare Of Il
prisoners
The officials and prisoners have gres
confidence in Warden Dawson. Il is T,
exaggeration 10 say that in the handlir
Of prisoners he has no equal He is duiC
to recognize and reward merit. kind b,
firm IN dealing with dsmerit, and alwal
--r