The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-30
By JAMES h. MORROW.


ships and many banks and a trumpeung
throng OF Wall street imitators and syco-
plants following him around, meanwhile
trying-each man for himseif-to get
catch = fugitive hint as to the movement
of stocks and bonds.
II would take a smart detective TO find
any OF the vanished liegemen and para
sites who acclaimed Morse king of the
realm OF money and emperor OF the land
OF mammoR. Soldiers OF fortune-good
forune-they are marching under more
happy banners and kissing their swords
in oath 10 chieftains not yet in Jail.
Stripped OF his 3l. once a bagatelle. to
be spent, perhaps. for box of cigars or
a little luncheon downtown. but now the
precious sum Of his available possessions.
Morse. alone in his cell and reflective.
may have exclaimed with Samuel: How
are the mighty TALENT" And Walsh. out
at Leavenworth. another banker. but
from Chicago magician with railroads
and the money Of his depositors. may
have also moaned with Morse in the dis
nal language Of the Hebrew prophet
Strong Prison Rule.
Why was Morse punished" I asked
Robert Y. la Dow, superintendent of
Federal prisons. whose office is in Wash
ington and who has given fifteen years
10 what can be called the science OF
-penology
II hnOw nothing about the case Off
cially,' Mr.. Ia Dow answered. What
information I have was obtained from
the newspapers. Eliminating Mr.. Morse
from your question, let me say that pris-
oneTs in national penitentiaries are pro-
hibited from receiving anything from the
outside, unless they have the written
permission OF the wardens. II the rule
We're not rigidly enforced. weapons and
saws could easily be smugged 10 the
prisoners by means OF books, food, or
clothing, in which event. II Is obvious,
escapes and murders would be common.
Money is contraband, because with It
favors might be purchased. Prisoners
are permitted TO have beds, bed clothing,
wash basins. and so on and they may
have Bibles and the photographs Of their
relatives. Even so small a thing as a
lead pencil is denied them for the reason
that if they had any of the facilities for
writing they could pass notes back and
forth and work up a mutiny They can
write letters on stated days in room
set apart FOR that purpose. but guards
are with them constantly"
Morse was confined I'm an isolated
cell for day or two said. Does that
mean he was put I'm a dungeon
There are no dungeons IN Federal
prisons, We have dark isolated cells.
but they are Only used In exceptional
cases. Prisoners no longer can be whip
ped or punished physically. However.
some OF them must be disciplined occa-
sionaly So they are sent TO isolated
cells. where, away from all sights and
sounds, they have opportunity TO regret
their violations Of the rule and to make
good resolutions for the future Isolated
cells are made OF concrete and are s
feet wide, Il feet long, and % feet high
Each CELL lighted by a window 4 feet
square, contains one electric globe and
is heated by steam and Is properly venti-
lated. Prisoners are sometimes required
10 crack stone while undergoing solitary
punishment. They sleep I'm the cells and
eat there throughout the disciplinary
period There is no physical suffering
No Longer Brutality.
Modern prison methods" Mr.. La Dow
went on to say. and he spoke with au-
thority, because he is one Of the most
eminent penologists IN the country. have
been Invested OF all brutality We have
gone so far as 10 abolish the lock-step
al Federal penitentiaries because that
ancient way OF marching prisoners 10
their meals and work Is unnecessarily
humiliating 10 them, and IS not necessary
as measure OF safety
TT was adopted In the first place. I
am told, 10 prevent prisoners from at
tacking one another. Walking In lock-
step, a man could not break ranks with
out throwing the whole line in confusion
and thus he could be Immediately over
powered II he meant 10 escape or 20 as
sault guard or a fellow prisoner.
Nor do Federal prisoners wear stripes,
except those In the lowest grades. whose
conduct has been unusually insubordi-
nate. Practically all o. the men are
dressed in such clothing as is worn by
citizens on the outside only the letters
oner-are painted on the back OF each
coat as method OF easy identification in
case man should get away. Criminals
have violated the laws. but they are
human beings. and should not be need
iessly degraded. insulted. or abused"
Who Is the shrewdest criminal you
have ever known" I asked.
Il suppose an Englishman. whom
shall call Blank, was about as versatile
as any prisoner we have had in recent
years and about the most interesting
from penal point OF view. He was
arrested in Tennessee. 7 think, while en-
gagged in the business Of notifying a
selected list OF persons living in foreign
lands that relatives Of theirs had died
leaving large estates. and that he was
legally authorized TO find the heirs.
You see. he practiced an old swindle,
but he reversed 1t. employing it against
Europe instead Of the United States. He
was convicted OF violating the postal
laws and sent 20 the Ohio penitentiary
at Columbus where ne soon became edi-
tor Of a newspaper published in the
prison. He was a bright fellow and
wrote intelligently. moderately. and scien-
tihcally about penitentiaries and their
management in his lighter touches,
which he concentrated under heading
called Peters Pick-ups.' he was about
az witty the ordinary professional
paragrapher. Many a man. he once
wrote, would rather stay here than TO go
home and face his mother-in-law.
"TruSty" Privileged.
BY printing the pictures of the guards
from issue 20 issue he accumulated a
fund OF $50 One Saturday night-he was
what is known as a 'trusty and had
In. H.