The Washington times., 1923-04-15

them have been exhibited In the
Middle West. Cleveland. Detroie
and New York, in noted clubs
and art organizations. before elite
and aesthetic audiences, who
looked at them with stimulated
or with languid glance. But
never, probably, have there been
simpler and more sincere COM
ments than the prisoners words
OF approval in this penal instI-
tuition where. according to the
inmates, they receive the most
considerate treatment in the coun-
try.
The prison count the night be-
fore showed S41 on the roll. but
that very morning thirty-two had
been sent away to the Federal
prison in Atlanta The distrdbu-
ton was as follows: Two hundred
and thirteen males and twenty
seven females, colored; ninety
three males and eight females,
white.
''I am giving them eight reels
OF Carmen tonight ut $780," ex-
planned Major Peck. 81 have had
religious pictures. but they don't
like them 50 well as comedy"
WANT RADIO SET.
F1ambeau also talked with As
sistant Chief Clerk J. w. Pratt,
who has been many years here
and has charge of all the money
and jewelry OF prisoners, keeping
1t in the safe, and it is his fur
Their duty to read all the incon-
ing and outgoing letters, since
he Is the letter censor. Mr..
Pratt is from Mississippi, and he
lent Flambeau q snapshot OF him.
self taken with Congressman Sis
son of Mississippi.
What would the prisoners
most like to have?" Flambeau
queried. "a graphophone. books,
magazines. another picture ex-
hibition to follow this one?''
ST think" answered Major
Peak, "a radio set IL what they
have fixed their minds on. Some
of our friends wanted to help US
raise the money for 1t, as. of
course, we have no funds here
for such a purpose, and besides,
we can't directly ask the public
to contribute. But / believe the
money is going to come. I have
two checks here, and a so bill,
and some more promised, and I
think, somehow. from somewhere,
that money is coming for the
radio outfit. Yes, it improves dis
cipline very much. ] am thor
oughly in favor Of such features.
and am grateful for the interest
shown in sending these pictures
here. A radio man has promised
that he would contribute $50 to-
ward furnishing radio system if
the rest were provided"
MAJOR PEAKS REPORT.
Major Peak, who has won the
hearts OF the prisoners by his
impartial thought for their well
fare, is a youngish man, who has
been four years in the Washing
ton Jail and fourteen years in the
service altogether, having been
previously at Fort Leavenworth
during the war.
This JAIL" he said, ct think is
about the best I have visited.
Our ventilation Is fine"
In his annual report of last
year to Congress. through the
District Commissioners, Major
Peak reported that the total
number of prisoners for the year
at the Jail had been 5000, 81 per
cent being colored. Temptation
gathers the bulk Of its Victims"
he wrote, between the ages Of 20
and 20 years. More than $500
prisoners, or 20 per cent Of the
years grist, were between those
ages. And the most frequent Of
tenders were among those nearest
to the legal age OF manhood. Not
in years has the percentage Of
intelligence and education been
so high among men sent In for
first offenses. And the wonder
is that such capacity for straight
thinking should have failed to
avert such petty pitfalls. >"
Just how Major Peak managed
to make such q record does not
appear, but 1t 10 q fact that he
ran the expenses $4,000 less than
the preceding year. although he
had nearly 1900 more prisoners.
EXPENSES ARE CUT.
His report states:
THE jail began it's fiscal year
with an appropriation of $4,000 be-
low the total granted in 1921. 1t
served $4,000 more meals and
housed 1,478 more prisoners than
during the previous year. 1t
reduced the cost of maintenance
per man Is per cent, including
the salaries of officers and guards