Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-09-28
A VISIT 10 Tk ur,.
 PfN|TFN Mh
 Beer John McVay, Bud aud Other Jefferson ty Prisoners Ar
 Seen There. ROTEsaE PRISON IS WELIS s'sr' ". <. Alexander is Quite Sic H,ke Hospital How the Place is Con>.. ea~ duHed By ritcock. ,sar'
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PRISON IS WELIS
By a Staff Correspondent.

pN d t0tdH ' OIL tSDOHuF0t.
 went out to the state penltentiary yesterday to See for myself how the state cared for it's prisoners and it's institution My escorts were nrlee T. Bullion secretary to Governor ponaghey. and Secretary of State Earle W. Hodges. and our host was Supefihtendcnt J. \. Pitcock, who in addition to being a most efficient head or the state prison, is skilful auto mobile driver, and despite the fact that he says nis wife owns the car, he drives il most of the time.
 He caiied for HIS al the State Capitol and in twelve minutes we were at the big steel doors that are guarded throughout the day and night by picket men and other prison guards.
 Once inside the prison walls the 'freeman,' as they call the unsilack- led citizen there, is thoroughly i'm pressed with the systematic manner in which the superintendent and his as- siStants conduct the affairs Of Arkan- sas' big penitentiary There is dis cipline there, too, and the men in- side comply with every rule and seem to Be we'll satisfied with their lot. The grounds are clean and we'll kept, the buildings are attractive and in good condition and the good sani- tary condition of the place is desery- ing of praise for the attendants.
 There are the offices of the prison superintendent and others in the state government service there, q residence for the superintendent and the physician, a hospital barber shop, dining hall, blacksmith shop. tailor shop, and stables. The dining hall or rather the "mess room is as clean as the kitchen i'll well kept home. The hospital shows equally as good care and there are separate apartments for the men and women. An aljoin- ing room, filled with all Of the medi- cines necessary for emergency and other cases, is known as the drug store and the penitentiary physician's office is here. *r4
 The main building is used as the stockade for the imprisonment of prisoners over night, as most of them are given their freedom to walk about the prison walls during the day. Tn smaller brick building adjoining the main building is the electrical room, where the machinery furnishes the power for the lighting Of all the state institutions, some of them sev- eral miles away. Natural gas has recently been installed in the boiler rooms and the lighting service is of such a fine quality that the grounds are as light as day every night.
 On top of each of the four corners of the thirty foot walls is picket's house. They are little round affairs. resembling a brick cupola and not much bigger than a twelve foot room. Inside of each miniature apartment is an iron bed, chair and other ar ticles that will not take up any too much room, mostly pictures. The pickets are each supplied with shotgun and they stand or sit ill the doorWavs of their little rooms throughout the day and part of the night. They are men who have years to serve but in whom the superintend- ent has absolute confidence. On of them said:
 q have four years to serve yet. I've been here three. l killed man over at Benton. He tried to kill me and I shot him. I had no money nor friends who would come to my alu. They gave me seven years, bat nope to make up for lost time when get out and go into business again ant treated well here. get plenty to eat. obey the rules of the prison ana nave all the clothing aud bed clotnins ! need True this prison lie grows tiresome at times. but guess have to make the best of it. until my term