Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-06-03
UNCLS SANS BIGGEST
NAVAL GUARD HOUSE
Commodore A. V. Wadhams Tells
of System Employed and Life
Lived at Portsmouth Prison,
Where He Is COmmandant-
Two Classes of Offenders

Navy. who, with Mrs. wadhams, is spcnd- /
ing a few days In the city visiting Mr. and !
Mrs. II. S. Howard, before going to their ,
residence in Wadhams, N. Y, holds an
important position as commandan- of the !
Portsmouth Naval Prison. Portsmouth n. !
H.. the largest naval prison in the coun- !
try. In an interview given "A Free Press {!
representative yesterday, Commodore
Wadhams told something OF the system
employed at this prison, and Of the life
as it ia lived there
During the war; Commodore Wadhams
was called from the retired list Of the
navy and assigned to duty in Washing
ton. d. c.. as ,ue representative of the
navy department at the national head
quarters of the American Red Cross. On
November 1, 1919. Commodore Wadhams
wss again placed on tie retired list. but
WAS recalled to uctive duty March g. 1920.
and on March II, he trok command OF the
ravaI prison at Portsmouth. relieving
Lieut. enant- Commander Thomas Mott Os-
borne, who resigned, he having been spe-
ca!ly appointed iieutenan.-t commander in
1877 to take command CT the prison.
: Upon his original retirement from ac-
: tive duty. Commodore Wadhams was APP
pointed ny Governor Charles T.. Hughes
Of New YorL as member OF the Board OF
0 Pardons ane Parole for State prisons IN
/ New York. Tte served as a commissioners
lin this capacity for five years and during
tn:t time collected valuable Information
which 1avcd the way FOR his appointment
y 10 the position which he now holds.
Az has been stated, the nav al prison
y at Portsmouth is the largest Of It's kind
: in America. being tire only one on the At
;iantic coast. although :here is one on
:. Paris Island. South Carolina. The pres
y ent building at this naval prison was buiit
u about 20 year" aSo.
e During the war there were $500 prison.
Il ers in this prison. At this time. there are
& only about 800 in the prison. but sone
3 100 are soon to no sent from the Pacific
coast as Congress failed to appropriate
. Imoney to build prison on that coast.
u In speaking of the class of men who are
~ in the naval prison at portsmouth,
! and how they are treated, Commodore
u Wadhams said:
e "The men confined in all naval pris-
IL ons are divided into two classes--miltary
e offenders and criminal offenders. The
\. military offenders are those who have. in
II their anxiety to enter the war. enlisted
l. under false names or lied about their
81 ages. Among these are. also. men VINO
rs have deserted. and who have ovcrstaid
IS their leave. also those who have been in
20 subordinate. refused to obey orders and
other military offences. the consequence
- of which they little realized.
. "All of this class are very young men
:, many of them never having obeycd orders
- at home, in school, or anywhere. Conse
:" quently. it Is very difficult for them tc
u, do SO after enlistment None of these men
10 as far as we are able to ascertain. have
u any criminay tendency and are not con
~ sidcred for moment in the crimina
III class. On the contrary, they are excep
er tionally well-behaved young men.
ne THE criminal class includes those VIII,
ne have committed murder those who have
a assaulted others with deadly weapons
IN, those who have stolen government prop
to erty, who have defaultcd when in posi-
ng tons of trust, having charge of commits
sary stores, and there are among tina
. class few moral perverts.
~, The discipline at the prison is in tn
~. hands Of the prisoners. We have, connec
zee ted with the prison. enlisted personnel o
~. the navy, some 65 men in all, who act a
Wv guards for the prisoners as they go abou
~ the navy yard. They have nothing to d
H. with the discipline of the prison.
ISIS 1--WE have organization called tn
en- Mutual Welfare League. which was orig
TN mated by Commander Osborne. when h
of was warden of Sing Sing prison. Thi
a League consists of a board of delegates c
md II members. elected by the prisoners. Th
eft board of delegates elects an executiv
eek committee Of five of its members, in whol
i've is the administrative powers of tn
League. An investigating committee
an, Ii members is impanelled by the executi,
.',' committee. from which there are seecte
az, five men. who investigate all reports an
'o'' make recommendations as to punishment
We" The executive committee also appon
nm the CHEF sergeant at arms, who IS II
i'e' chief Of police Of the prison. lie sclec
es his own police officers from the 7riso!
OF ers. All of this is subject to the appro
mt al or disapproval Of the commanding O
was ficer.
tate "\nv mon wbo ore rcnortcd Nv office
Ion' or prisoners are brought TO secret trial b
b. fore the five men selected by the invest
ON getting committee. All questions and a
ate; swers before the court are written dow
tate and IN open court, the offender bell
tate present to make such further statement
he sees fit, the proceedings Of the seer
g., court are read aloud. and the offender
informed what the sentence OF the seer
"." court Is. The finding OF the court and I
oe sentence Is read by the commanding
Oc- f;c.r No e.n.arca con he o,,xia o,,, .
rles cent nv his annrovaI. Often son,crres a
tne rlore severe than he thinks should be
'eH' fictcd and are consequently modified.
lhce There are three Marine sentrirs on I
lays outside Of the prison at a distance of fire.
are one to 1000 Feet apart during the ia
linst time. They are placed rear what is ca
ares ID the dead line as TO prisoner Is
cleo lowed to pass OYER the dead line exut
not by authority and ander guard. Tho de
list. lire is simply Path. with no fence
sng surrounds a large field where the pr
cleo oners are allowed to play baseball 20
is OF bal; and basketball every day in the ye
weather permitting.
Two nights in the week, moving r
SER lures are shown, and one night W.
STA there is IN illustrated lecture. Ev,
10 night. there are schools. technical scho
,ourt ms we'll a. ocadamic ScbooIs orc mn
me tractive feature to good many of
lhted men. one man. recently when his Il
aded was up, asked II he might stay lon
court to complete his studies, as he had ne
tined before been to SO good school.
aiken I'VE have various religious excrc
'ater on Sunday, consisting of Roman Catho
equity Protestant, Christian Science and Jew
and Welfare League. a Christian Scie
was worker is at the prison all day long
tes- frequently until late in the evening. tt
lmost Is also Welfare specialist, formerly v
been the Y. NJ G.. a., who directs the mer
show the gymnasium and at their games.
truck There Is an excellent and well eq
alibi ped gymnasium. library consisting
1 the thousan ds of volumes. and a fairly 8
onIy band members Of which are Of cou
mays found among the prisoners.
Ulcers 'Thc commanding officer has S
~ tho consisting of three lieutenants of
: tho navy, a chaplain. two paymasters, a ,
fist M nd "a n