The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-01-11
MUCH INTEREST
IN PRISON PLOT
JACKSON AFFAIR CAUSES STATE
WIDE COMMENT. NO FREE
LABOR USED AT MAR
QUETTE.

Unusual interest has been shown
| here in the past few days in the story
of the uncovering Of the plot to blow
up the Jackson prison, and bring about
"A general Jail delivery IL was intensi-
fled by the report that the first init
nation of what was afoot came from
Warden Russell, of the Marquette pri-
son, to whom James Burke, one of the
convicts recently transferred from the
Jackson prison, had revealed the de-
tails of the plot.
1t is learned here that Deputy War
den Catlin. OF Marquette, who recently
returned from the state of Washington,
where he went TO get a "trusty" who
had escaped while he was working on
the farm left Immediately on his re-
turn for Jackson. with Burke in charge
II was the original plan to keep the de-
tails of the discovery of the plot Sc
cret. but there was leak somewhere
at the lower end of the route. In all
probability the newspaper men observ-
ed the return of Burke i'm the custody
of Deputy Warden Catlin, and at once
connected il with the discoveries at
Jackson prison getting a substantially
happened.
The secrecy thrown about the affair
was designed to protect Burke, who
will be exposed to the vengeance of the
xuh it,
the plot. 1t is improbable that Burke
will he returned TO the Marquette pris-
on and IL is certain that he will not be
recommitted to Jackson. If he is con
tinued i'm prison he will probably be
sent to Ionia, where none of the men
connected with the plot are confined.
The three other men in the plot who
were sent to the Marquette prison with
Burke surmised at once when he was
taken away what was i'm the wind, and
they knew that he was about To expose
the ramifcations of the conspiracy to
which they were parties.
It is said that there is much inter-
esting information i'm connection with
the case that has not yet come to the
surface. but that may make some read
able chapters later on.
No Free Men at Marquette.
The trouble at the Jackson prison is
generally ascribed TO some of the free
men who have been employed to work
on the contracts along with the con-
victs. A large force of such men is
employed, and ii is the idea generally
held that a number of them must have
been accomplices Of the prisoners who
were i'm the plot and were the men who
had Struggled in the explosives and
other material planted until plans for
the getaway should have been all
framed up. These free workmen are
also blamed for the general use of
drugs i'm the Jackson prison.
All free labor was done away with
in the Marquette prison some years
ago Warden Russell found that drugs
and whisky and other contraband arti-
cles were being Struggled into the pris-
on, and i'm a number of cases traced
the responsibility to outside men who
were employed as foremen in the
shops, and in other cities. by the con-
tractors. AS result, he gave orders
that no outside labor was to be admit
ted to the prison to work along with
the convicts. and prison labor was
] broken i'm to fill some other places.
The practice at the Marquette prison
is to have the guards also TO fill the
duties of foremen. They supervise the
work being done In the shop. as well
as maintain order. This plan has been
found to work out admirably and since
it was made effective there has been
no trouble about the smuggling i'm of
articles forbidden the convicts. and it
is not believed any drugs have gotten
into the prison in years.
1t is possible that the board of the
Jackson prison will forbid the employ
ment of free labor along with the con-
victs. Governor Osborn favors this
stand IL there is any more trouble be-
cause of the smuggling in of forbidden
articles. Warden Simpson has been
authorized to forbid the entry Of WISH
tors at Jackson prison without his
special permission.