davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1923-04-01
By CHRIssIE j. ANDERSON.

By CHRISSIE j. ANDERSON.
"a W USIC - the word itself
M makes us vibrate with a
AVA new inspiration. How
many of us ever stop to think
what an important factor music
is in the activities of mankind!
How we enjoy the community
sings, and who does not love to
dance? Shakespeare, the great
interpreter of human character,
says!
"Ihe man tVhO has not music in
himself,
Nor Is not ntoUed with concord Of
sweet sounds,
Is int for treGSOns, stTGtG5ens,
and spoiLs."
Help humanity to understand
and interpret music and we will
set in touch with the higher
vibrations of life, dream and create
higher ideals. LAS we think. SO
we are" is true saying.
Music briefly defined is har-
mony. The goal of harmony is
perfection, namely, the agree
ment and concord of all elements.
1t is the inspiration of the soul,
and by means of it the beautiful
Of life can be developed and en-
The Washington times., 1923-04-01
Type of Penitentiary''

month. The refinery is operated
night and day.
When man IL sentenced to
serve q term in the State prison
here, he is first sent to the receiv-
ing station. q few miles north Of
Baton Rouge. Here, since Henry
Fuqua took charge, only two paid
guards and an overseer, as he is
called in prison dialect, are en-
ployed.
As the men are received they are
searched, "frisHed" and assigned,
not to a cell, but to q cot and q
personal box. In the latter they
are permitted to keep their few
personal belongings. They are
photographed and their body marks
noted. Finger prints and Bertillon
measurements are not used, be-
cause local sheriffs could not under.
stand their meaning.
ASSIGNED TO JOBS.
They remain in the receiving
station long enough to be thor
oughIy bathed, disinfected and as
signed to the best type of work
to which they are suited. Then
they are dispatched with q trav-
cling sergeant to the main camp
at Angola. When. they arrive
there they are assigned at the
entrance receiving gate to any one
of the six camps or quarters.
Each camp IL commanded by d
captain and one guard, who hold
twelve-hour shifts each. TRUSTEES,
that II, men who have, through
their association with the camp
captain, proved that they could be
trusted to any extent, are appoint
ed AZ convict guards. Approx
nately is per cent Of the men
now confined In the institution
are TRUSTEES. The trusty guards,
white for white or black for black.
live in guard houses and do not
associate with the regular pris-
oners. and. furthermore. no pris-
oner IL allowed to come within
thirty feet Of convict guard.
Each camp dornitory building
is guarded at each corner by pris-
on boxes, where the trusty guards
hold sway. Each prison box has
a rifle, shotgun or revolvers and
six cartridges, which are assigned
to the guard who comes on duty.
The insides of the dormitory are
patrolled at night by two convict
guards. The TRUSTEES are told to
shoot to kill anyone who crosses
their line by night. Trusty guards
under Mr.. Fuqua's administration
are credited with 50 q month
while they maintain their good
behavior. Oten these men save as
much as 5000 for use when they
are freed.
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

reappointed William B. Gibben as
superintendent Of the institution.
THINGS IN BAD STATE.
At that time more than $50
paid guards were employed to
take care Of the prisoners. They
were for the most part riff-raff,
for the job paid but $40 a month
and board. Brutal DULLES, with
huge whips. patrolled the fields,
where men worked intermittently.
The hospitals were filled with fe-
yer and disease; regular hours
were unheard Of; food was poor;
vermin everywhere.
Mr.. Fuqua requested that he be
given free rein to hire and fire"
as he saw tit, providing he never
lost q prisoner and never In
creased the tremendous expenses.
This power was vested in him,
and he has lived up nobly to his
agreement.
Six months later there were
fewer than twenty-five paid
guards; the men were segregated
into semi-military quarters; reg
ular working hours were put into
force, women prisoners had their
own separate camp, competent sur
geons and expert engineers were
called in consultation. A regular
garrison, instead Of . partially
equipped, poorly run institution,
had arisen; business man had
taken hold; system had been in
stalled.
Today Angola penitentiary IL FAST
becoming one Of the show prisons
of the country. Soon It win be
known as the most remarkable in
stitution Of It's kind In the world.
Certain it is that its plantation win
be the largest in the entire South.
and the most fertile.
There are 1890 acres OF land
within the plantation under cult
walton. OF this 5000 acres are pas
ture land and 5000 acres sugar
cane.
NOW SELF-SUPPORTING.
The prison is self-supporting.
with the single exception Of wheat
Over 5000 head OF cattle, 8S7
mules, 200 horses and colts and
10000 fowl are kept within the
reservation.
The fourth largest sugar refinery
south Of the Mason Dixon line is
situated In the middle of the insti-
tutional levees. In 1921 over 6,000,-
900 pounds of granulated and 1,000,-
900 pounds of lump sugar were
produced by the convicts at this
refinery. Twelve Of the largest
sugar refinery boilers In the world
are located here. Five OF them con-
sumo 10000 barrels Of oil per
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

which the State controlled should
be the solution. So for the next
fifteen years Louisiana fell heavily
in debt through the expenditure
Of immense sums annually for the
payment Of guards and the super
vision by corps Of engineers of
roads. canals, levees, etc., which
the convicts constructed.
The burden was terrific. In
1916 the system was again
changed. The legislature decided
to construct a large penitentiary.
Money was appropriated and plans
were drawn for the building Of q
huge State-owned prison.
If this bond issue had been spent
as intended, this story would never
have been written, for hundreds
Of such institutions are today in
operation. Fortunately there lived
In Louisiana man Of vision, a
man who believed that humanity
and progress are the watchwords
Of the generation, a man who had
courage enough to come out in
the open regardless Of party poll
tics and declare that his platform
as chief executive Of this famous
Southern State was one of bust
nesslike institutions run by bust
ness men. This man was Gov
ernor Parker, the incumbent,
whose proud boast Is, 'I am
not a politician, and this Is the
first public office I ever held"
IN ROOSEVELT RANKS.
Years before. John M. Parker,
a common planter and a Demo-
crat whose word was law, had
left his party ranks and attached
himself to Theodore Roosevelt,
when the latter's hat was in the
ring. In those days, as candidate
for Vice President, every section
Of the country knew Honest
john" But more recently than
this the nation has been again
aroused by the ringing words Of
this splendid American who warns
The Washington times., 1923-04-01
By FRANCIS j. TIETsORT.

~ RINCE GELASIO Gaze
- TAM, the new italian am
u bassador to the United States
and formerly a mining engineer
employed in the Western States.
who returned to Italy to join the
colors during the war, for the
first time has publicly told the
story Of his famous war exploit
the blowing up OF tho mountain
Col di Lana, which In 1915 was
known as the "eye" of the Aus
TRAN army in the Alps.
He tells a story Of something
new under the sun. as far as the
lay public is concerned. It con-
Germs how war Is made under
ground. War in the air, war on
land, war upon and beneath the
sea, are tales twice told, but only
in engineering and technical mag
azines and department reports
can one learn Of the mysteries
and perils Of subterrsnean fight
ing.
On at least two occasions dur
ing the war armies were blown
siyward to death by mining oper-
atoms, once on the western front
and once in the Alps. Prince
Caetani tells Of phases of the lat
= ter instance of wholesale exter-
nnination of fighting men.
MUSSOLINTS MAN.
It is perhaps worth while mon.
tioning that this municipalities
ambassador Is one OF the most
interesting diplomatic figures
now at Washington. Represent
ing the new and virile govern
- nnent OF "Afussoiini. he came to
the United States with a much
more intimate knowledge of
America and Americans and
truer insight into our national
life than most ENJOYS.
What he knows Of the Ameri-
can psychology is not based
merely on visits to New York or
Washington. or upon current
newspaper accounts, or the books
OF foreigners who have looked US
over for q month or two and
then returned home to illumins
the world. He knows us because
OF long residence In tho United
The Washington times., 1923-04-01
NEW ITALIAN AMBASSADOR BLEW TOP OFF MOUNTAIN

the underground world could hear
someone picking hard and hasti-
ly above my head. That same
night q prisoner told me that
they would have fired their
countermine three days later.
"At IL p. m. all our garrison
was withdrawn into the several
galleries. The last sentries were
retired shortly afterward. Our
trenches remained for moment
completely deserted.
''Bonfiolo, Grimaldi and i and
another officer were seated at
the entrance Of q gallery. 800
feet from the center OF the mine.
At 1880 we received orders and
pulled the strings of the detona-
tors.
THOUGHT NINE FAILED.
There was a dun noise, Q
slight tremor. I thought the mine
had failed and rushed to the
nearby entrance, Illuminated by
the white glare OF the moon.
when suddenly all became dark.
A cataract Of earth and rock fell.
When the stones stopped falling
I crawled out Of the half OBJ
structed entrance.
''The snow cap of Col di Lana
had become black. The whole
topography had changed. Every.
thing was silent, deserted, dead.
''Our soldiers crawled out OF
the galleries. walked quietly up
to the peak and occupied the
huge crater. Col di Lana was
ours!
Towards the north side Of the
peak, on the enemyls side where
the fire was hottest, an Austrian,
hall buried at the entrance of a
gallery, called for help and
mercy.
"a young Sicilian infantry COZ.
poral, made up his mind to save
him, and with a few men crossed
the fire zone and started to
work: the enemy saw them enter
the mouth Of the tunnel and at
tempted to bottle them by she'll
ing the entrance. But they stuck
to the job; for three days they
worked to save their unfortunate
enemy under constant danger of
sharing his fate; but they saved
him"
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

Very few prisoners have ut
tempted to escape from the Lou
isiana State Prison since the Par
ker administration. OF those who
have attempted. none have gotten
clear away. Hounds are used to
chase d man as soon as It Ii dis
covered that he has disappeared.
It d interesting to note that upon
Paul j. Rainey's return, Louisiana
bought many Of the hounds with
which he hunted African game.
But the prisoner seldom has .
chance to break away, Tor every
two hours count 10 made, and K
anyone has disappeared the dogs
are called out and man hunt
commenced. The guards follow on
mules, and the dogs. when they
have freed man, commences bay
ing 80 that the guards can ride
right upon him.
In count which has been kept
at this Institution during the past
five years, Of the S45 men who
have been honorably discharged,
only Ia per cent have come back
on second offenses. IN Ohio Is
per cent come back and In New
York State more than IS per cent.
It IL also interesting to know
that the dangerous age for crimi-
nails or those with criminal in-
tent IL twenty-five. Seventy-fIvo
per cent OF the men confined com.
mitted the crime between the ages
of eighteen and thirty, and 40 per
cent Of the white men confined
have had college education.
NATURE OF CRIMES.
Most OF the white men confined
to penal Institutions in the South
are sentenced for forgery or lar
ceny; almost so per cent Of the col
ored are confined Tor murder.
First-degree murder II punishable
by hanging. but under the Parker
regime this must be done within
the jurisdiction OF the locality In
which the crime was committed.
Not q man has been legally exc
cuted IN the penitentiary for. ten
years.
Although IN some prisons I have
been told that prohibition has I'm
creased crime. I was Informed at
Angola that 1t had decreased It in
the South. The automobile and
the war are two Of the major mat
ters that have added to modern
crime.
Before the war 80 per cent OF
the men confined in Louisiana wore
colored. Then after the war and
ever since, the ratio has only been
"a per cent colored. In one por-
ton Of the prison quarters there
The Washington times., 1923-04-01
Unbelievable AS 1t May Sound There Are No Cells No
Bars, No High Walls, No Iron Fences No Vern1iI, No
Uniformity of Clothing, No Prison PaNor--ANTost
Radical Change From the Present
Type of Peniter1tiary"

anew that the foundations upon
which our Government rests are
again being shaken, but as usual
to no avail, this time by the
hooded mob"
A man OF high ideals, he has
long had in mind q plan for rev.
authorizing prisons. He had lit
tie or no faith in the honor sys-
tenn, but even less in the man.
acled, close-cell confinement gys-
tenn of the then Louisiana State
prison. He knew that something
radical had to be done, and he had
the courage, against the convic-
ton of his running mates, to ten
the voters Of his State what he
would do were he elected to Of
flee. Though the latter were at
first incredulous, and his friends,
much alarmed. begged him to de.
sist, he finally convinced the ma
jority that his trusty system idea
was a sound one, and as result
he received the highest honor his
State can confer.
Like Oglethorpe, Of Georgia,
back in revolutionary days, he
thought he knew how to make
man. And Governor Parker has
made many men In this State in
the past three wears.
IDEA PROVED SOUND.
It is unfortunate that the laws
of Louisiana which govern cleo
tions are such that Parker can
hold office for only one term, but
1t is hoped that whoever succeeds
him will continue his good work,
because he has proved beyond
question of doubt that his idea is
fundamentally sound.
Angels do not become celestial
overnight. Convicts are not con-
verted in a week, but the slow
process Of teaching the man who
has done wrong that he will be
given every chance to do right,
is that which is working miracles
at this institution.
I'VE trust eur men just as
though they were coming up here
to recuperate after some severe
Illness" Governor Parker told the
writer. I'VE don't baby them.
We don't believe in making things
easy for them. We give them the
hardest kind Of work. We treat
them fairly, squarely and hui
namely"
Governor Parker's first official
act after assuming his position as
chief executive was to inform
Henry L. Fuqua that he would
still be retained as general man.
ager of prisons, providing he stu
desired to retain this important
position. Mr.. Fuqua, who had
held office three years previous,
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

neers) and Il enabled mo 20 do
my work. Eventually we began
tunneling toward the center OF
the peak.
1--WE bored 100 feet. then drove
a 42-degree raise with the inten-
ton of getting close to the sur
face under the enemy's first line
trench.
upon the suggestion of two OF
our miners we had an eighteen
foot sectional wood augur forged.
The rock was soft and decoln-
posed. From the roof Of the raise
we drilled almost vertically until
we broke through to the sur
face. By that time the Austrian
aentries were feeling our blasts
under their feet. They notified
Headquarters that we were
mining the Austrian position.
Headquarters answered them not
to get uselessly excited: that the
Italians were probably only
mining for shelter. They lost
three days phoning up and down,
and to this we owed our success.
Towards the middle Of March
the enemy started counter-min-
ing. We had started again drift
ing horizontally and were gaining
depth. On the seventh day OF
April the enemy blasted it's first
countermfne, but the shot had
been placed too high and was
somewhat off line. The shock,
however,, was very heavy and
part of the ceiling OF our tunnel
caved, burying Bonfiolo and four
soldiers. We got them out alive.
We had gained further depth,
and started again
COUNTERaIINE READY.
'"rhe enemy then sank three
shafts trying to locate us, but
passed under their drifts at not
more than three feet distance.
We could hear them walking and
dragging bags full of dirt.
april Is we loaded five tons
of 95 per cent gelatine in two
chambers about thirty feet apart
and tamped the galleries.
"At 10 p. M, April IT, I went
up for the last time in the raise
and connected the electric wires.
] was alone. and in the silence of
The Washington times., 1923-04-01


confined at Angola, there are but
eleven paid guards in the camp,
and not a man has been lost in
many years.
NO BARS, NO CELLS.
Furthermore. unbelievable as 1t
may sound, there are no cells.
no bars, no high walls, no iron
fences, no vermin, no uniformity
Of clothing, no prison pallor; all
this a most radical change from
the present type of penitentiary.
Prior to 1901, the laws Of
Louisiana were to the effect that
prisoners held in confinement by
the State could be leased to COM
panies and plantation owners Of
repute at certain fixed sum. in
order to complete projects in
which the individual lessees
were interested.
These prisoners were manacled,
guarded by brute force, horribly
treated and often numerically
beaten. They built roads, con-
structed houses, titled fields.
gathered in the crops and worked
on the levees.
Officials knew this lessee system,
with its devious paths Of brutality,
would not only attract the atten-
ton OF other States, but other
countries.
So. in 1902, bin was passed by
the State legislature prohibiting
convicts from being used practi-
cally as slaves by individuals or
companies. And then arose the
problem. a problem which con-
fronted other Southern States as
well, Of how best to look after the
unfortunates whose acts made
them subject to confinement. All
sorts OF schemes were tried.
CONvICTS ON ROADS.
South Carolinaa, Georgia, Ala
bama and Louisiana decided that
hard labor. road building and gov
eminent operation Of projects
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

ing this sortie, Ambassador Cae-
tani said:
"At the top almost we hung
with our fingers and shoe nails
on the icy cliffs, but try as we
might, we could not make the
last necessary step. Time and
again our pluchy little band Of
men tried to rush the final
gap. but machine guns moved
them down and their bodies
were left behind in q frigid No.
Mans Land"
Afterward, said tho prince
Colonel Pereln had asked HIM
what he thought should be done.
He replied that he thought "Wo
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

ought to get underneath them
and blow them OF the mountain"
The colonel then told him to go
ahead and do it. He began OPP
Grafton on January Is. He
worked three months with his two
fellow officers and eighty picked
miners.
AUSTRIANS EXCITED.
Prince Caetani tells the story:
eve started surveying the po'
sition. q difficult task, through
loopholes. Fortunately I had
with mo in italy tho Bruntcn
compass Invented by d. w.
Brunton, formerly president OF
the institute Of Mining Engi-
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

are 292 white men confined, and
every one OF these saw servica In
some branch Of Uncle Sans milf
tary force.
Another matter Of interest 10
that Governor Parker permits the
convicts to write to or speak
with him or Mr.. FuQua person.
ally and confidentfall3 on any
matter they desire. This mail il
not censored by captains or
guards, whereas letters to and
from their families must pass the
board OF censors.
MEN TAUGHT BAKING.
The penitentiary maintains In
operation . model bakery. where
$50 loaves Of bread and 200 rolls
are baked daily. Convicts are
taught In classes how to become
experienced bakers. Bread and
rolls and cake twice . week are
distributed from the main bakery
to all other camp quarters.
The penitentiary owns fourteen
miles Of its own railroad. two
locomotives and q number Of fiat
and box cars. Some men are
taught how to operate trains, and
while ,serving their terms trans
port material from one camp to
another. Tho negroes have
named the engines Jack" and
Louise"
Hospitals are kept in every one
of the quarters. Here an orderly.
usually Q man with medical
knowledge and trusty Of good
standing, Is placed In charge.
Since the Parker administration
there are seldom over SIX men to
q camp in the hospital at one
time. The camp physician visits
each hospital once q day, and
any man who is seriously III Is
removed TO q general hospital.
There il also . tubercuIar hos
pital where incurabIes are kept.
Officials say that q colored person
with tuberculosis very seldom
lives long, but very few have died
at this camp 30 far.
The women's camp IL matroned
by a very efficient little woman
and captained by . free man.
Seldom. It appears in the South,
do juries convict q white woman,
but many colored women are sent
to prison and most Of these on
murder charges. The women pris-
oners usually do light labor. such
as washing. the prisoners clothes.
sewing, making blankets and
sheets and some field labor inTthe
truck gardens.
PRISON HAS SCHOOL.
There is free school inside
the penitentiary grounds where
the warden's and the captains
children are taught from the first
to the seventh grades by Gov
eminent school mistress, who
lives at the warden's house. Six
teen youngsters go to the prison
school.
The Angola pententiary is sit
uated on q peninsula projecting
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

Ambassador Caetani, who rep
resents Premier Mussolinis new
government, described the Col di
Lana as the great lookout van
tage point Of the enemy, which
looked over our defenses and our
rear" The infantry was called
upon to blind this "eye" Of the
Austrian army, and when an as
sault in force was ordered, 10000
Of the bravest Italian troops were
swept to their death by the dead
ly fire poured down upon them
from the inaccessible heights. AS
the ambassador expressed 1t:
"Col di Lana had the voracity
Of jaw crusher."
The Washington times., 1923-04-01

Prince Caetani, an officer Of
tho engineer corps. was sent to
the sector to take the place Of
another officer who had fallen in
the assault on tho mountain. He
said he desired at once to join
the Italian forces concealed on
tho mountainside, but his supe-
rior officer informed him that he
wanted no greenhorns poking
around there getting themselves
in trouble"
The following day, however. he
was sent to the front rank. The
force made an effort by devious
routes to scale the peak. Describ-