The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-08-15


spector of the Western penitentlary
on his return from Leavenworth re-
Gently. when you reach the United
States prison you have that gloomy
feeling of blush tint and you
have that with you when you reach
the outer gate There you a"e met by
a formidable looking military guard
and there you halt. The bell rings
and the guard appears on platform
ten feet above the ground; he lowers
a basket, your card is placed in it
and then sent by messenger to the
warden's Office. If you pass muster,
you are invited inside. You have
passed through two gates already and
now you go through two more and
are then inside the prison. Presto!
the scene changes; from gloomy
walls and bars you find yourself in
a well-lighted and beautifully finish
ed corridor, white tile floor, Italian
marble wainscoating eight or ten
feet high bright and attractively
painted walls. In the distance is
heard beautiful music and you are
told this is the luncheon hour. Just
why the music and luncheon hour
you learn in a moment. Passing
through the hall, you come to the
dining room-an immense room seat
ing l 1000 or more, all enjoying their
noon meal-and stationed at one end
of the room a brass band of 80 or
40 pieces playing, not ragtlme, but
classical music. Every man is work
ing hard putting away a working
mans meal, and it is good wholesome
food, too. This room, like the hall,
is finished in Italian marble and rub
bed tile floor. 1t is bright, cheerful
and sunny, and the men look as un-
like prisoners as in any manufactur-
ing plant or in the streets of Pitts
burg.
ION the other side of the corridor
is the auditorium, seating 1000, with
its Italian marble wainscoating, op-
era chairs, large stage and we'll
lighted. In the auditorium enter
tainments are given and on Sundays
the Protestant services are held. Ad-
Joining it is the Catholic chapel, seat
ing $50 or 200. This little church
is as beautiful in detail as any Cath
olic church in our city. Nearby are
the kitchen, pantries, storehouse,
cold storage and refrigerating plant.
and, in fact, everything and every
convenience you would expect to find
in an up-to-date city hotel.
This, OF course, is the pleasant
side of Leavenworth. Passing through
the large spacious Italian marble hall,
with it's tiled floors and fine wood
finish, YOU enter the cell blocks, and
there your admiration for Leaven-
worth ceases. The cell houses are
poorly planned. The two completed
cell blocks radiate from the main
building and are built on the wagon
wheel plan and result in shutting out
the sun from parts of the building
and interfering with good ventila-
ton. The cells are small and cramp-
ed. On account of the crowded con-
dition of the prison two men are
placed in most of the cells. We
were pleased to find that some Pitts
burg gentlemen, now visiting Major
McCloughry's hotel, are given sep
arate rooms. To view the cell house
alone is worth trip to Leavenworth
for the Western penitentiary inspect
ors were considering building the
new Bellefonte penitentiary on the
wagon wheel plan. The cells at Riv-
erside are too small, but they are
larger than Leavenworth, and it is
difficult to understand why, With the
mistakes before them, the govern
menu drCulISClS WOulu udhO IAO
blunder of planning these small
rooms, but no doubt this will be cor
rected in the new cell blocks yet to
be built.
THE prisoners are we'll treated
given all the liberties and privileges
possible, but military discipline is the
rule, and woe the man who gets in
wrong Major McCloughry, the war
den, is a big-hearted fellow, and as
long as the prisoners obey the rules
he is their friend and counsellor, but
rules is rules
''In the prison yard fine base
ball field has just been finished with
a grand stand seating about 500, anc
there the Leavenworth mines viii
play ball this summer. They have
five ball clubs, three made up o.
whites, one of colored and one red
the Indians. The umpires will be
Nd