The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-10
Atlanta Institution Has Very
Few MiIIionaires
SOME PRIVILEGES GIVEN
Prisoners of First Class Are Allowed
to Have Certain Things as Long
as They Obey the Rules Laid
Down For Them.

tlonhl eve lne past week mas Deen d.
rected upon the Atlanta federal prison.
which has just become the temporary
abode of Charles Wyman Morse, former
New York ice king, millionaire banker
and consolidator of steamship lines.
SO far this prison has sheltered but few
millionaires. That may be due in part
to the fact that 1t has only been in busi-
ness about eight years. Then the gov
eminent has been somewhat slow in con-
victng Its alleged millionaire violators of
law.
There were Greene and Gaynor. con-
ylcted of harbor conspiracy frauds, each
of whom was reputed worth more than
a million, but Morse far outshadows these
and all others who have yet been brought
here for involuntary confinement
B. d. Greene and John f. Gaynor, con-
victed before Judge Emory Speer, and
sentenced to four years each in the fed
eral penitentiary, have about sixteen
months more to serve In collision with
former Captain oberlin M. Carter. they
were charged with having robbed the
government of something like 100000 in
connection with the Savannah harbor
and other similar works.
Greene, who was a former captain in
the United States engineer corps is in
excellent health. 1t is said. and his engi-
neering knowledge is being turned to
good account in the construction depart
ment of the prison. This department is
engaged in building a large stone addi-
ton to the institution, which will con-
tain cells for nearly 1000 more convicts.
Tt viii be completed about 1915.
Gaynor improving.
Gaynor was suffering with locomotor
ataxia when he came to the prison. At
one time he could not walk. He Is in the
prison hospital, where he has improved
wonderfully, and is now able to walk
about the room. He may never get per-
manently well, but he will probably
leave the prison 10 per cent better off
than when he came into 1t.
These facts about them have leaked
out on account of the prominence OF the
prisoners. Nothing could be found out
about them by inquiry of the prison Of
f1cials. They will tell you all about the
institution, but as to individuals, nothing
There's only one copy of who's who in
the Federal Prison. and that's the war
denis record, which no outsider may in
spect
I'm gladly tell you all you want to
know about the institution said Warden
William H. Meyer, land you may look
through fer yourself and see what there
is to see. But as to individuals can tell
you nothing. It is all right for newspa-
pers to discuss their cases when they are
in the courts, making a fight for their
liberty, but when they come here they
are paying the penalty. and we feel that
we owe them that protection. Nothing
regarding individuals is ever given out
except in case of an escape, or for good
and sufficient reasons upon authority
from the department in Washington"
You may learn that there are 1856 in
mates in the institution, of whom some
30 are negroes, about 500 white men and
Is Indians; you may gather from govern
ment reports that more than 100 of these
are farmers. more than $50 laborers, an
even dozen are bankers, and that among
others there are bartenders, brokers,
cooks and other classes; you may like
wise become informed that 70 are there
for embez2lement, in 10 cases of national
bank funds. GO are murderers. 125 are
counterfeiters. 90 are 'moonshners, and
more than a hundred others violators of
internal revenue laws. Many are postof-
flee robbers. others used the mails to de-
fraud, seven are former white slave
traders" and three willfully sold oleo-
margarine for butter.
Identity Is Lost
But who is and whence came No 215s
or 2S44, you may not know or anything
else about him. Identity is completely
lost in a set of figures, appearing on the
back of the coat worn by each man,
which in Morse's case reads ~. S. p.
2ns'
Absolute cleanliness is one of the first
principles within this institution. 1t is
demanded both of the men and their sur
roundings. There is O. penalty attached
TO throwing food on the floor In the din
ing hall. Yet during the meal SO much
of it somehow gets there that the floor
is scrubbed twice day
In this hall approximately 800 men
gather three times q day-7:S0 a. m, IL
noon and 4:35 p. m.-for meals, breakfast
consisting, for example, OF hash. bread
and butter and Coffee dinner, beef stew.
sweet potatoes, bread butter and water,
and supper of lima beans, salt pork,
bread and coffee, as the bill happened to
be one day this week. Sunday the bill
may be extended by coffee and perhaps
one other vegetable, as Dreaded tomatoes
for dinner.
But simple as 1t is, everything is Of the
best quality. No table gets better meat
than that at which Greene, Gaynor and
Morse now sit. And there is no complaint
here about the high price of living War
den Meyer gets a report on the cost of
feeding daily For Sunday, January 2,
II showed 7s7 prisoners were fed at total
cost OF $685. of which products valued
at s50sss came from the prison farm, leay-
Ing the net cash cost sa6.96l, or .oissN per
prisoner, or gross cost of .111625 for three
good substantial meals for each man for
the day. Where else could one get three
such meals at a total outlay of Ill cents?
Rules in Dining Room.
Speaking or conversation is forbidden IN
the dining room so here are some rules
which every convict learns quickly:
Hold up your right hand for more
bread
Hold up your cup for more coffee or
water.
Hold up your fork for meat.
Hold up your spoon for soup.
Hold up your knife for vegetables"
and you MAY even complain of food or
service II 1t is justified
"Hold up your left hand for permission
to speak TO any officer about the food or
services in the dining room"
But frivolous or groundless complaints
are discouraged by penalties. New pris-