The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-05-11
PRISON At
TRACT|VE PLACE
Only a Few People from
Maine Found There
Big Penitentiary at Atlanta More
Like a Beautiful Country Estate
Than Like Jail

One of Uncle Sans great penal in
situations, which is of some interest
locally, because of the many Grim
nails sent to it from the United
States courts seated in Portland, is
the Federal penitentiary at Atlanta
Ga.
Maine has not contributed literally
to the personnel of the inmates at the
FedeSal penitentiary but still al
nearly every term of United States
court, sitting in Portland someone is
sent to Atlanta and perhaps, judging
there, many of them are more COM
Portable than in their original en-
vironment. The best known native
of Maine, now at Atlanta Is the
banker and ice king, Charles w
Morse, formerly of Bath. but a resi-
dent of New York whenohe was SEN
fenced to Imprisonment.
There are now at Atlanta, 13 pris-
oners who have been sentenced from
the United States courts seated in
Portland, and 10 of them are yegg-
men or post office robbers. The
longest term prisoner is the negro
desperate. Minot St. Clair Francis
caught after a thrilling man hunt
through central Maine following a
break at the Red Beach post office
and sentenced to 16 years in June
1908. William Huddell of the fam
Gus Huddell gang, who was sem
fenced at the same time to eight
years has since been transferred to
the insane asylum.
Next in point of sentence time to
Francis is William j. Kelley of New
Brunswick who is serving IA years
for assault on Deputy Collector of
Customs Burns at Houlton, and
whose case tried year ago in
February came near becoming an in
ternational affair, since his counsel
Hon. Mr.. Carvel, member of the
Canadian Parliament claimed that
his client had been arrested by
the United States officers on the Ca
madam side of the border.
The other post office robbers i'm
prisoned besides Francis, are Frank
Murray, eight years; Thomas F. Lew
is, seven; Paul Richter, Frank Wag-
ner, George Sullivan, George Elem
ing, and Robert Thompson 5 years
each: Andrew Golden and Charles
Crawford a year and day each. The
last named was the young yeggman
wounded last fall at Topsham when
trying to escape Post Office Inspector
Robinson and Police officer Stetson
of Brunswick.
1t might be explained here that the
extra day, over a years sentence is
imposed merely as technically,
since no criminal can be sentenced to
the Federal penitentiary unless for
more than a year.
The other two members of the
Maine delegation making up the -
and who were also sentenced to a
year and a day are Josiah Allen of
Togus for selling liquor without a
United States revenue stamp; and
George II. Skillings for embezzling
funds from the Portland post office.
The Federal officers resident in the
Maine districts, who have taken pris-
oners to Atlanta recently are all de-
lighted with the big prison, to which
additions are still being made, and
they are still more pleased with the
methods of administration and the
hospitality which has been dispensed
them
The warden of the prison is Will
liam H. Meyer, one of the most pop
ular of Federal officials, and under
him is a big force of clerks guards
and foremen of departments. These
lin which the prisoners
work represent almost every ordin-
airy trade including those for tail
ors, carpenters, shoemakers, laundry
men, cooks, bakers, teamsters, stone
cutters, stone Settlers blacksmiths,
brickmasons and COncreterS
There is a big hospital under the
charge of Dr. Alfred l.. Fowler, which
cares for the entire prison force as
we'll as the prisoners.
There are now about 1900 prison
ers at the penitentiary, and with the
governing force and employees the
number of residents reaches nearly
he 1400 mark, good sized town In
Itself.
In looking over recent annual re-
port of the prison, It Is interesting
10 note, that of the 1851 prisoners
confined at that time the largest num-
ser for any one crime was 172 and
he particular violation was for sell
ng liquor without a United States
'eyenue tax stamp or allied offenses.
Next in order comes counterfeiting
md passing, with 165 confined for
his offense, So yeggmen were in
PRISON for post office breaks. and 81