Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-01-21
IN THE COLORADO
PENITENT|ARY
coNvIcTs DOING CONSTRUCTION
WORK ON NEW HOSPITAL
BUILDING.
A MODERN STRUCTURE
EXCELLENT SCHOOL IS MAIN.
TANNED WITH PRISONERS
FOR INSTRUCTORS.

Denver.-Alfred Damon Runyon in
the Denver News gives the following
interesting account of affairs at the
state penitentiary at Canon City:
The new hospital building. which is
being constructed by the convicts
themselves. will be the most modern
and complete structure of the kind in
the United States, and will be a mon
ument to the administration of the
present warden. 1t is the old female
department, entirely remodeled and
reconstructed. 1t is two stories high.
of the same heavy stone as the rest
OF the penitentiary buildings, and is
absolutely fireproof.
Great wide. light wards line either
side of the downstairs portions. while
there will be rooms upstairs for the
svery sick. The physicians and nurses
have the best OF accommodations. and
every detail OF the new structure cor
responds with the best hospitals in
the country. The sick convicts will
have better care than they might be
able to have on the outside. and the
only suggestion Of prison about the
whole place Is carried by the iron
bars at the windows.
The present hospital Is small and
inadequate. 1t will be used for school
rooms by the warden. when the new
building is ready. The night school.
established by Chaplain Blake. is one
OF the features of the penitentiary,
and one which has been productive OF
an immense amount OF good. II is
now held every night in the chapel
and Is attended by scores OF prisoners.
Starting with primary grade. the
classes run to the highest mathemati-
cal and other instruction.
The teachers are prisoners. and
some OF them manifest an ability in
instruction which would put many u
high-salaried pedagogue to shame
There are classes In English for the
Mexican. Greek and Italian prisoners.
instructed either by their countrymen
or by American prisoners who under
stand those languages. For instance.
one OF the Spanish teachers is Ferdi.
nand Sanchez. the young Mexican who
killed a girl for her life insurance
money In Denver about twelve years
ago. He is an excellent teacher, too.
Sanchez liz also the prison photogra.
pher. He was young man when he
was sent TO the penitentiary and his
hair is now quite white. His parents
are very wealthy people.
Nagahashi, a Denver Jap. Is n very
apt pupil in the first grade. He is
learning English. Nagabashi killed a
fellow countryman in q fit Of jealousy
over girl and Is serving a life SEN
tence. There Is only one Chinaman in
the prison. and he does not attend
school He is serving n long term for
shooting another Chinaman at Du-
range.
The school is encouraged In every
way by Warden lyman and the prison
ers take a decided interest. The pris-
on has a well.appointed library. which
| is about to be removed from its pres
ent quarters. n small stone building in
the prison yard. to the old hospital
portion. Warden lyman also takes
much interest in the library and Is
constantly enlarging 1t. The prison
ers are permitted to take any books
from there that they desire. and read
them in their cells.
The new library will be a vast i'm.
provement over the old.