Evening star., 1909-04-20
|MANY SITES VIEWED many At RECEPTION
Locations Offered for New Thousands Attend Social Ses
Reformatory Inspected. sion in D. A. R. Hall.
Fifteen PLACES VISITED MRS. MCLEAN GREETED
May Be Made Sons Of the American Revolution
Within Week. Serve as Hosts
METHODS oF coNv1cTs CAMP MUSICAL THE AUDITORIUM
hudson Learns How Chicago
pr;so,.rs Ernn,oved in the Omen
Country Restrained. scott-otner happenings
Fifteen PLACES VISITED
Recommendation May Be Made
Within q Week.
METHODS OF A C0Nv1CTs' CAMP
Commissioner Judson Learns How
Prisoners Employed in the Open
Country Are Restrained.

Preliminary plans for the removal of
the penal institutions Of the District from
| their present location on the Eastern
branch, in the southeast section of the
| city, othe new sites outside the limits
| of the District of Columbia are progress
| ing rapidly.
Within a week, 1t is expected. the COM
missioners will have before them definite
recommendations as to the location Of the
| reformatory. and workhouse which are to
take the place of the present Jail and
workhouse BY the time the sites are
determined upon. it is believed. the spe-
cial penal commission will have outlined
it's plans for temporary structures and
for the beginning of the work of con-
struction.
Methods Of Convicts' Camp.
Engineer Commissioner William v.
Judson yesterday visited a convict
camp in Fauquier county, Va, to famil-
iarize himself with the methods of re-
straining prisoners employed in the open
country in clearing land, erecting build
ings or similar work. Accompanied by
Fred c. Lee, the secretary of the penal
commission, which has charge of the
plans for >the buildings to be erected,
terday morning and spent the entire day
In the inspection. As the paragraph In
| the District appropriation act authorizing
the new penal institutions provides that
the prisoners in the Jail and workhouse
| shall be employed In the construction of
the temporary building. the establishment
| OF prisoners camps on the new sites is
contemplated.
| he was much Impressed with the methods
of restraining and caring for the prison.
| ers in the camp which he visited, and
with the character of the temporary
| structures in which the prisoners are
housed He said that he would advise
that similar plan be adopted in the
establishment of the new penal institu-
| tions for the District.
Restraint of Prisoners.
The prisoners are housed at night in
structures which have galvanized roofs,
canvas sides on wooden framework and
| wooden floors. Each prisoner has chain
around his ankle and at night all of the
individual chains are locked to long
building. AS the chains are long, the
prisoners have more liberty than they
would have If locked in one of the usual
small cells of prisons The individual
chains remain on the ankles of the pris-
oners during the day.
Maj. Judson declared that the life is a
very healthy one for the prisoners. as
they live out of doors. He said that the
buildings there used are practica Bile for
use on the new sites of the Washington
and are within the means available to the
Commissioners, costing about SO per pris-
oner. 1t costs about $40 to keep and
guard each Of the prisoners a month, he
learned, and one does about $40 worth of
work month, so that 1t is a profitable
plan for the state The prisoners are
worked in gangs of about fifty or sixty.
Fifteen Sites Inspected.
Capt. E. M. Markham. assistant to the
Engineer Commissioned. and NJ. c.
Hazen, District surveyor. are engaged in
an inspection of the several sites offered
the District under the bids which were
opened April 10. They returned late
Saturday night from looking over the
tracts of land south of the DistricT near
the Potomac river. Tomorrow it is
planned to visit other sites in Maryland
north and east OF the District. and by
the end Of the week all Of the land will
have been inspected.
Fifteen sites were visited by Capt.
Markham and Surveyor Hazen last week
Those in Virginia are located near Law
ton. Pohick, Woodbridge. Occoquan,
Prince William, Stafford and Fairfax
counties. Those in Maryland were near
Glymont, Indian Head and Marshall
Hall. In Charles and Prince George
counties. There are about 10000 acres
in all.
OF these sites, twelve are on the Po-
tomac river and can be reached by boat
from the District. Eight of them have
also railroad facilities and can, there
FORE be reached from the District by
rail-
Natural Resources Scrutinized.
The inspection made by the two off,
cials was thorough, as on horseback they
rode over a greater part of the land. stud
bied its topography and it's resources. AS
it is contemplated to have the prisoners
of the institutions to be established work
during. the periods of their confinement
the officials took special pains to find out
what natural resources the tracts of land
| have for putting prisoners to work. An
| other feature considered was deposits of
stone that could be used in the buildings
| 10 be erected. All of these features, as
well as the price of the tracts, will be
! considered in picking out the permanent
sites.
| Congress appropriated $lOO.OO for the
purchase of the two tracts of land of 1000
acres each, and the erection of temporary
| structures thereon. The District Commits
sioners desire to get the land at a low
| figure, in order to have suhcient money
left to erect good temporary buildings.
| AS the prices at which the tracts have
| missioners want to pay, it is expected
! that some reductions may be asked Of
| bidders who have sites that are suita ble