The Green Forest tribune., 1910-07-01
ABANDON FAMOUS OLD PRISON.
Old Penitentiary, Built 70 Years Ago,
 Will Soon Be Torn Down.


 tiary board to abandon the old pen tentiary, the walls and building of which will be demolished within the next three weeks The improvements al the new penitentiary southwest of the city will soon be completed and the prison ready for occupancy by all the conyicts now confined by the old walls.
 With the abandonment of the old penitentiary will disappear one of the historic institutions of the state IL has been in existence for 70 years, and during that time there have been confined within it's walls many fla nous criminals. IL has also held many prisoners of war Before the occupancy of Little Rock by the Union forces, on the evening of Sep tember 10, 1865 federal prisoners were confined within it's walls. and within 12 hours after portion of General Steele's army had crossed the pontoon bridge al the foot of Commerce street it was changed from a Confederate to a Federal prison
 The prison with it's walls was com pleted in 1840, the total cost of site and improvements not exceeding $10, GOO. Il was on November ,, 1898, during the second season of the Ark ansas general assembly. that an act was passed providing for the estab- lishment ef the prison. The bill pro yided for the creation of commits sion to purchase a site for the prison and to begin the construction of the building. The act carried for the pur- pose an appropriation Of $20,000. The session of the legislature lasted only 40 days, and the bill providing for the establishment of the penitentiary was the most important measure passed by the body
 The commission, as soon as ap- pointed, entered upon the discharge of it's duties, it's first act being the purchase of the property upon which is now being erected, and which is nearing completiCn. the new state capitol. The comm ssion paid $20 an acre for the property, which in those days was considered a very high price. The property was in a forest, which extended as far east as State street and in every other direction.
 But little progress was made in the construction of the walls and buildings until the Third general as sembly met in 1S40, when $40,500 was appropriated for their comple- tion and the work went rapidly on until the prison was finished
 ]. was completed it was destroyed by fire, on August ,, 1S40. being fired hy convicts in an effort to escape rom the prison. A desperate convict named Morgan organized a conspir- acy by which he intended al the cCrvicts should be liberated His plan was to make dash at the big gate, Overpower the guards, and, after seiZing their guns, set free all his fellowprisoners. A dozen or more fearless convicts were selected to carr out this part of the pragram Whom the rush was made. s4y,a;l prisoners assisted the guards in quelling the revolt While Morgan and his band were speeding toward the gate, the leader, with knife in one hand and piStol in the otter, slashing and shooting in every direc- tion, convict named Pettigrew, serving 5-year sentence, gave Warning to the guards, who closed the gates, and shot Morgan to death ettigrew was shortly afterward glfnted pardon by Gov Drew.
 During it's existence, the convi,ts in the Arkansas penitentiary were employed at many kinds of work. Shortly after the Civil war. maniI- factur.ng industries were carried on within the walls, all the labor being performed by the prisoners. A DOT tion of Markham street was paved with Bedford blocks, which were made by the convicts. The ccnvcts have been used in making brick, in build ing houses and sewers and for sev- eral yeas were employed in the coal mines of Johnson county. The uues- tlGn as to how Arkansas ccnvtcts should best be employed, so that their labor would make the institution self-sustaining and at the same time least come in competition with free labor. has been live one, and an un solved one, since it's establishment 73 years ago,