Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-20
THE JAIL OF THE DISTRICT.
By James Croggon.

July the care of the jail will pass to
the District Commissioners from the
supervision of the Department of Justice.
which has had charge of it since March.
1872. Capt T. H. Mckee. the warden
appointed by the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia, then will give way
to L. S. Zinkhan. the superintendent of
the Washington Asylum. The support of
the Jail in the early days was furnished
by the Levy Court Of the District. the
corporation of Washington paying one
half. Until 1864 it was under the i'm
mediate charge of the marshal, who ap
pointed the jailer and guards. The State
Department had it's oversight until 1871,
when it passed ts the Treasury, and in
1854 to the Interior Department, the war
den at the latter date becoming a presi-
Dental appointment. In March, 1869, the
wardenship was transferred to the SUI
preme Court of the District. but the re-
ports were still to go to the Interior
Department, and on the reorganization of
the department Of Justice, IN 1St2. its
supervision went under the superintend-
ent of prisons of that department.
AS is well known. the present jail of
the District is on reservation IL, fronting
10Th street between B and c streets
southeast, and is a substantial red stone
structure, erected about forty years ago
by the government. In this reservation
are the almshouse, hospital and other
buildings under the care Of Mr. Zinkhan.
The Jail occupies the northeast portion,
and between it and the Eastern branch
are the detention camp and potter 9
field.
Under the act Of 1884 the Secretary of
the Interior was directed to select a site
and construct Jail with a capacity for
800 prisoners at a cost not exceeding
100000. Little was done under this act,
but in June, 1872, 100000 was appropria,
ed for such structure. and on the plans
of the supervising architect of the Treas
ury the building was constructed. The
whole cost was about 100000. One
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars
was placed on the District. Before the
plans were finally adopted Chief Justice
Cartier and the supervising architect WIS.,
tied all the noted prisons in the country
and improved on them.
Building Is Secured.
When in 1901 the judicial control over
the territory of the District passed from
the Maryland courts to the newly ap-
pointed judges. William Kitty. James
Marshall and William Cranch of the Cir
cult Court. accommodations In the base
ment of the north wing Of the Capitol
were furnished and Jail became neces-
sity for the confinement Of prisoners. A
small brick structure in the square be-
tween New Jersey avenue, South Capitol,
B and streets southeast was used for
Jail purposes for a few months and later
a brick building in the alley north of c
street between Az and 9th streets was SO
used until early in 1904. This was known
as McGuirk's Jail, from the fact that
James McGuirk was confined here prior to
his execution for the murder of his wife
in 1903, which execution took place near
the Peace Monument Under Marshal d
G.. Brent one keenan, was the jailer.
A permanent building was proposed In
1902, an appropriation being made there
for by Congress. The site selected was
just north of the Toulouse in judiciary
square, and brick building two stories
in height was erected at a cost of about
$4,000. Here, until 1910. not only the
prisoners charged with crime were con
fined. but dangerous lunatics, fugitive
slaves, unfortunate debtors and. at times,
violatOrS of the corporation and the mill
tia laws 1t was early found necessary
to improve the sanitary conditions, and
for about twenty years the inmates. other
than the debtors. were deprived of a
place for exercise. for there was no in
closure around it. About 1925 some of
the ground was walled in and the interior
improved, lettering the conditions gener-