The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-02-07

Much ilUle was IOSi IN the iirst Few
days because of their unfamlliarity
with their tools but they were coach. I
"a increasingly lu the work 10000
feet Of lumber was used and the
builing was made In sections. when Z
the floor was being laid at one end
the other end was already covered. /
II was found necessary. owing TO the
lay of the land. To build one side on
% foundation Fortunately there were
TWO stone u1sou- among the pris.
onrrs and this side Of the peniten-
tiary now rests ON a thrce.foot foun.
da'ion OF stone that Is as complete
and solid and lasting as any in the
land
The building IS 275 feet long and
- feet wide and win hold with
comfort 1000 men. Il is divided into
two great sides, one for the colored
prisoners and one for the white. on
either side Of these divisions runs
row Of cages with dining han in
the center. Each Of the cages is
separated from the other. OF these
cages already five have been install.
ed and there will be twenty OF them
In the penitentiary when they have
all been forwarded from the St
Louis firm that has the contract
for this work.
other notable features about the
temporary penitentary are the pre-.
cautions in case OF fire. There is a
hose connection every 10 feet and all
around the combing on the inside
there runs a platform on which have
been placed barrels full Of water in
order that any fire that may break
out may be controlled from the top.
There are also windows every ten
feet insuring the fact that the
building will be well ventilated. In
fact. every provision has been made
for the well being and safe keeping
Of the prisoners.
The precautions for safe-keeping
| could not be improved upon. At each
end Of the two main divisions Of
the prison are cages in which a
guard IS locked and access TO the
lnsile is obtained only through these
/ cages. The whole prison is surround
7 oil ltt ttsfr
! high, with the wires strung only six
/ Inches apart and II is, moreover.
| charged with electricity The man
who goes mp against that fense will
have the surprise Of his life. Stands
are also 10 be placed all around this
! enclosure in which armed guards
will keep a watch night and day.
This IS the story Of penitcntary
built with marvellous speed and en-
tircly adequate FOR the purpose for
which Il was created. II Is in no
sense a mere stockade and will serve
for the detention Of the unfortunates
OF the state until such time as the
state pcniteutiary shall have been
built II stands out on the prairie
remote from any other building. and
is notable feature I'm the history
of American criminology a witness
10 the things that men OF ability
can do when they are put TO Il. II
marks an epoch in the history of
/ Oklahoma achievement. Nine DAYS
after the pencil was first put 10
paper, 20 draw the plans Of the build.
ing. there came across the prairie
on Saturday afternoon, 227 men
whose movements had been chron.
icled by the press OF the entire
country. They were the illustrlous
people Of crime Their journey had
been chronicled with the same at
tention and minuteness of detail thai
cha"acierizes the movements of a
presidential candidate, and they
founl waiting for them a smoking
hot dinner and beds already made.
upon which they might rest from 10
WEAKNESS Of the journey. Brodnax
had done his part.
And Dick did his. In all that Jour.
ney from Lansing to Kansas City,
and on the long trip from Kansas
/ CITY 10 McAlester. not one single
incident occurred Not a prisoner was
scratched The Journey was monoto-
nous 70 the last extreme The prls.
. onors were as wellbehaved as the
ordinary chair car load OF passen.
gers. Who can tell what their hopes
/ may have been or what desperate
plans they may have conceived? But
/ the fact remains that nothing han.
/ pouod II must have been a bright
/ epoch IN the lives Of these men an |
| womon-for there were fourteen