davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-11
By LOUISE RICE
Noted Graphologist
II Miss:

Dear Miss:
81 think | am just drifting along.
Can you help me? I fear that ! an
q dreamer. ! love low. sentimental
music. / don't rare for parties. be-
cause thew confuse me. ! feel daZed
when / 20 to one or when anyone
talks to me for-any length Of time.
Yours truly,
MOLLY"
These symptoms. my dear child.
tell me that your dreariness and
your lack of contact with life are
actually affecting your health. IL is
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-11

Aa EGnAA rALAo
LA FERIA, Oct. 11.-Palms are
being planted along the edge OF es-
planades In a number OF streets i'm
In Feria. the work being done b.
order OF the city council.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-11

DOCTOR WEBS DOCTOR
LIvERPOOL-Dr. Ruth Lloyd and
DR.. j. +. Roberts were married here
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
The Ain,
at the Prison
Governor Erickson saws:

"The aim at the Montana
State Prison is to utilize the
abilities of the prisoners: to
give every man every chance
TO earn an honest living. upon
MS release; in short, to make
the prison a school for citizen
ship.
My experiences in the court
room have taught me that SYM
pathy and humanity have Gu
ratlye power over crime. MY
Instructions to Warden Middle
ton are to use both insofar as
possible as a lever to assist
these unfortunates.
The aim of the prison is
TO give every man who wants
TO work a job, daily access TO
dods sunlight and free air.
while at the same time fur
nishing all the necessities of
food and clothing to the pris-
oners, and performing such
other necessary labor as will
make the institution as nearly
self-supporting as may be. PRO
Vided that such labor does not
enter into competition witt
free men outside the walls"
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

"a A plrdseye view OF the Mon
aa11a state penitentiary This photo
graph was taken from the top of
the west wall-it shows to the left
The cell house and the garment and
automobile license plate factories;
to the right and opposite the dining
room and in The center the theater.
About five acres of ground are en-
closed within the walls which are
16 feet high at the lowest point and
about three and one-half feet thick
Six towers provide protection from
the weather for armed guards. At
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
HoW to Stay Out
of Prison

Get married. There are
twice as many single men in
the Montana prison as married
men, in proportion to popula-
ton.
Learn to read and write
Inc proportion of illiterate in
mates is abnormally high.
II YOU are woman your
chances Of staying out of
prll On are seventy times as
gooi as if tou are a man.
There are eight women and
400 / behind prison walls
In this state.
Stay out of prison until Won
are 80 years of age and the
chances have been doubled that
you will stay out for life. At
the Montana prison 45.6 per
cent are below 80 years of age.
To the above, Warden Aus
TIN Middleton adds. "Stay
away from dope. Dope brings
twice as many men to the
Montana prison as whiskey.
Find job. There are large
numbers of men here because
they will not work. Control
your temper Cultivate a sense
OF humor, that will help. And
keep your hands out of other
peoples pockets"
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

4 story of the prison, of how i
operated, of the treatment the
mates receive, must include the
lethods now used to train prisoners
D become citizens upon their release
lstead of lawbreakers and of fur
her plans for the future along the
lme line.
Inc prison is operated as nearly
- possible like a great business
visitor will be impressed with the
ouslnesslike management. This led
last year to the establishment, upon
he recommendation of Governor
erickson, of an automobile plate
-actory.
The approximate cost of all equip
ment used in the automobile license
plate factory is about $4,000. The
appropriation was $4,000, but S11 900
will be returned to the public treas
ury Twenty-Five men are employed
in nine hour shift, turning out
about 1000 pairs of plates. Mon
tana's factory is one of the most
cheaply purchased in the country.
The warden and j. E. Murphy, state
purchasing agent, visited the Wash
lngton penitentiary where a plant
somewhat similar is in operation
and wrote to the other states be-
fore buying. AS a result the Mon
tana plant is composite Of the
best equipment in dozen states.
The plates are made of sheet steel
31x108 inches. The first operation
is performed by set of Toledo
shears. These cut the sheets into
4S plates, size 55sx13 inches. In the
second operation the plates go to
The blankink dye where the corners
are rounded, slots cut for attaching
% the cars and the holes punched.
from the dye the plates go to the
painting machines and then to the
,aking oven Eight hundred and
ixty-four pairs of plates are loaded {
IN large trucks and two trucks go !
nto the baker at once. The baking S
recess requires about two hours, {
he temperature being increased I
from about 1870 to 22O c
egrees Fahrenheit. /
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

(5) The band of the Montana
state prison. Every prisoner who
desires to do SO, may try out for
the band. A concert is given every
Sunday in the prison theater and
all prisoners may attend, except
when they are ON probation.
Cb) A portion of the mailing room
inside prison walls where licenses
for the Montana automobiles are
mailed out. About 80 men find en-
ployment in this department.
~ One corner of the prison hos
p1tal. At the right of the hospital
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Garment Factory.

The garment factory makes all
wearing apparel for the prisoners.
It is modern and equipped with
labor-saving devices. For exampler
the first operation in making shirts
is the pattern machine which cuts
zoo shirts at a time. Coarse mate
rial Of a good grade is used. About
10 men find employment in this
prison activity.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

height and three and half feet in
thickness and extends for seven feet
below the surface. There are six
towers where armed guards are sta
tloned, and the grounds by night are
lighted almost as we'll as by day
Hospital, work shops, cell houses,
exercise grounds, heating plant,
kitchens, are all located behind the
walls. The unit is self-sufficient
except that food must be brought in.
The cells are painted white, as
is the interior of most of the build
lngs. Again you will remark that
everything is superbly clean. Most
OF the buildings, seven in number,
were erected by prison labor.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

a modern operating room is main
tanned. The prison has its own ply
slclan and the health of the inmat.
is guarded against in every possibl.
manner.
90 One of the large cell rooms
Inc cells are four tiers in height
they are in enameled white and arr
spotlessly clean. Each cell has two
cots and lavatory equipment. TIL,
doors OF the entire cell house ma
be automatically opened all at one
or individually, as the occasion r.
quires.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

uct or rneir laoor is not sold td
the public. The room is we'll lighted
and the factory requires but two
supervisors, alb of the labor being
performed by inmates.
"a do not abandon hope" is
the motto painted on the wall in
the prison theater, portion of
which is shown in the above photo
graph. The theater has a seating
capacity of 993. Each Sunday re-
ligious services conducted by differ
ent denominations are attended by
prisoners.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

From the bakery to the e..ibosser
is the next operation. This machine
is the most expensive in tie factory
It weighs ten tons. requires two
men to operate al embosses the
number on each plate.
The size of the room containing
this factory is about 36x66 feet. It
is well lighted.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

present position Mr.. Middleton was
for several years sheriff of Custer
county.
Our three children were born in
the Jail and raised in the peniten-
tlary We expect great things of
them," Mrs. Middleton said in an
swer to a question about the chill
dren
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

night the entire five acres is almost
as Well lighted as during the day.
% A part of the new automo-
bile license plate factory. This fac
tory Is all within the prison walls.
1t has a capacity of about 5000 pairs
OF plates in "a hours, when operated
III three shifts At present the
equipment is used for one shift of
nine hours and about 1000 pairs
OF plates are turned out.
90 The new garment factory in
the Montana state prison. Prisoners
make their own clothes but the prod
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

ing French leave from one of the
honor camps near the walls. L
must be remembered, however, thai
work at the camps is permitted only
to men who have clean records be-
hind the walls.
The visitors first thought upon en-
tering the prison is How depress-
ingl" The prison is depressing. 1t
could hardly be otherwise. The
monstrous unnaturalness of placing
almost 500 men, about half OF them
less than 80 years OF age, behind
prison walls will appall one. Think
what 500 determined men could ac-
complish if they were to set out
with will and a way!
After the first shock one begins
to see that even in prison there are
lights among the shadows. One no
tees that everything is spotlessly
clean, and groups Of men are every
where making it cleaner You hear
an occasional laugh The men are
permitted to talk at their work. You
VIII not see the great gangs of crea-
lures moving in the lockstep that
characterized descriptions Of prison
life a few years ago. The dumb
silence is lacking In dress the
prisoners appear about the same as
laborers in the great Tree world
outside the walls. The hair is
cropped short or left long at the
option Of the inmate, except in cases
Of escapes or persistent rule yio-
lators. Off to the west of the main
court is the theater, splendid
seating thousand, where
moving pictures are presented and
services held under different religi-
Jus denominations each Sabbath.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Austin Middleton.

The present warden is Austin Mid
dleton. He was appointed three
years ago by Governor J. E. Erick-
son. MI Middleton is a young man.
married and the father of three chill
dren. He is, a stern disciplinarian.
His word is law inside the walls
and he does not believe in coddling
or babying prisoners. When he
speaks he gets action. But he is
not brutal Before accepting his
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Personnel OF Officers.

In such an institution the per-
sonnet of the officers is of greater
importance than buildings and
equipment. About As men are en-
ployed to care for 473 inmates. Eff
teen men are on duty each shift
SO that each man on duty has charge
OF approximately 80 prisoners. The
guards eat outside the walls, but
room inside.
The warden's home is modern
frame structure located opposite the
main gate and the prison office.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
do NOT ABANDON HOPE"
anaSa

How would you like the homeless
misery of life Imprisonment under
warden who could not see a Joke
montana is fortunate, and the nris-
oners doubly so in having a man of
MS type in charge.
Inc Oldest prisoner is Mike Foley
IRON Madison county. He has hean
an inmate of the penitentiary for
10 years. Sent up on life charge
ile is said to have refused to accent
pardon, feeling that his age and
long sentence have incapacitated him
10 make living outside the walls
MI Foley wears a glass diamond in
MS tie, as large as your thumb.
Ellis John is the painter who did
most of the decorative work in tbe
theatef' He also is a ''lifer.e
The 'lifers' are the best prts-
oners,s Warden Middleton said and
IN passing he never fails to sion
and joke with either of these old
men. Wv
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Rag Rugs.

Two looms are used to weave rag
rugs. The rags are the cuttings
from tie clothing faeto.s. These
rugs are sold in the prison inside
office, mostly to passing tourists in
the summer.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Licensing Automobiles.

Another task performed by the
prisoners at a great saving to the
state is TIE licensing of automobiles
ABOUT 10000 cars and trucks will
be licensed this year Imagine the
work involved in answering 10000
letters, mailing out 10000 pairs of
plates, etc. This entire Job is now
, handled by the prisoners with three
supervisors.
The prison also operates saw
mill, a wood yard, etc, for cheaply
securing prison supplies. Five hun
dred hogs were produced last year
Men having mechanical or artistic
ability are permitted to make arti-
cles, the sale of which gives them
little money independently earned
In the future it is hoped that suf-
ncleht industries can be established
TO make the prison almost self-sun-
porting and to pay the prisoners
oiildll pltlance Tor their labor The
aim is ultimately to make the insti-
tuition as much as possible train
ing school of citizenship.
1t costs the state of Montana about
$4O to discharge a man from the
penltentiary He is given com
plete outfit including new suit
of clothes, a new hat, shoes, etc.
and sl5 in cash. During the last
three years the clothes have Been
81 lair quality-good enough SO that
discharged prisoner can not be
distinguished by his wearing apparel
rom any other citizen.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
SeUenty-Fiue Percent Men
Now UsefuNy Employed

one out of about each twelve hun
dred persons in Montana is a pris-
oner at the Montana state prison
located at Deer Lodge, the present
population of the states great house
Oh detention being 473 and our popu-
lation being 546,07S on January /,
1923, according to the state divi-
sion OF publicity. This may seem
large, but Montana has the smallest
ratio of prisoners per thousand popu-
lation of any western state except
Utah. Nevada has almost three
times as many prisoners in penal
institutions per thousand and Wyo-
ming twice as many as Montana,
while this state rates about 20 per
cent below the national average.
The net cost to the state of main
tanning prisoners has been greatly
reduced in recent years. Fifteen
years ago Montana spent more
money at the state prison than at
the university at Missoula, for ex-
ample; today we spend twice as
much at the university in educating
young men as we do in combining
them at the Deer Lodge institution
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

The drama of prison life is con-
stantly changing. A great improve
ment has taken place in conditions
at the state and other prisons in
the last few years.
We are finding out that prisoners
are not so different from people out
side the walls. Perhaps many who
are in should be out, and many who
are out should be in. There are no
very hard and fast rules of life. few
and clear paths between
right and wrong. Our mistakes and
sins and trials teach us how nearly
alike are all human souls and that
pity and charity and love are the
chief virtues and selfishness and
hardness and cruelty the great sins.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

AT any rate no such condition pre-
walls at the prison. There. nothing
is soft and easy. At the prison
every man rolls out at six forty-five
II he does not roll out a guard rolls
MN out. He cleans his cell and
goes to his work immediately after
breakfast. Everything is planned on
regular schedule and earthonakes
do not interfere with the routine
work. More than 95 per cent of
prisoners smoke, the records show
tne state furnishing tobacco. In
punishment a mans tobacco is first
taken away from him. Then he is
not permitted to write or receive
letters. Then he is deprived of at
tending the moving pictures on sun
day Finally he is placed in solitary
confinement Only two men have
gone to solitary confinement durinp
the last thirty days. Most of tbe
men obey orders. "If they do not
We make them,7 one guard told the
writer.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Prison. Discipline.

l admit that am often late to
my work in the morning" said an
employee at the state capitol build
ing to his boss who demonstrated
WIN MIN, but always leave early
in the afternoon to make up for it >
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
No Chance to Escape.

In considering the prison let it be
said, first, that after the great double
gates close with a man on the wrong
side his chances for escape are gone.
In the long history of the Montana
state penitentiary but one man has
escaped from inside the walls; he
was shot when only a block away
from the warden's office.
The only way to get out of the
prison is by serving the sentence in
full, by an appeal through good con
duct for pardon or probation to
warm blooded governor or by tax
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Description OF Buildings.

A little less than five acres are
contained behind the prison walls.
This wall is from 16 to 81 feet in
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

At the prison camps and farms.
as well, the men are on their honor,
ho1 $50 men work on the farms
would be fairly easy to ESCAPE
3ut the men are on their honor and
--~ie + -42 smong Tie Drlso1eis
the penitsntiary; not shackles and
hains, but this indefinite. invisible
orce holds them.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26
Facts
About the Montana
State Prison

Average cost of prison OPP
Grafton per inmate per day is
about $100. N 19z3-24 the
average cost per prisoner per
day was $l.49.
The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-04-26

The prisoners health is good
About so Per cent are checked
in good" By the physician III
charge upo. G4csiaslon.
The Alaskan., 1928-10-05
At the MacGregor

''Thc Drop Kick sbeing filmed showing parts of the California-Sta ford football game A picture that will be enjoyed as being different from the average Miss Juanita La veil will entertain the picture fans with couple of violin solos.
 Saturday Lightning, the stirring story of a magnificent horse in the great outdoors will be shown The picture is from the story by Zane Grey whose stories are always good
 Sunday and Monday, Tiffany Special, Les Misarap1e, will be put on the screen. This book and story Dy Victor Hugo is without peer in the literary world A story to con demn slavery, show up misery, teach the ignorant cure sickness, tighten darkness and detest hatred. The basic idea of the story is the broth erhood of man. It story for ev- ary man. The problems of society have no national barriers, no iron tiers. Ignorancs, hunger, suffering, sale of ones soul and honor, all are problems of Caucasian, Oriental or any other race. This story comes to the world from that great writer Victor Hugo as an invitation to light en rhe miseries of the world.
The Alaskan., 1928-10-05
Grigsby Waking Votes
 Westward

Is a headliner in the ''independ ent' party's paper at Juneau. This same paper told of the fine vote get ting effort of Thomas Marquam two years ago; how the westward dis tricts were falling all over them selves to get into the ''independ enl' lineup. But when the voters went to bat and began to scratch the KS" on the ballots, the fine showing was made only by Dan
 The Alaskan predicts that George Gr;gsby will poll a few hundre1 more votes than did Stroller White
The Alaskan., 1928-10-05
Arrested for Aiding
 Sinclair to Escape from Jail

After several months, interest in the Sinclair case is again aroused by the arrest of Jack Mitchell Of Juneau charged with aiding Charles Sinclair with escaping from the fed eral jail at Juneau April last The complaint was signed by Deputy Malenal Feero of Douglas.
 It is alleged that Mitchell sawed thc bars in the Juneau jail through which Sinclair made his escape. The hole is said to be g by IT inches ir +he inner side and by1 3inches ir the outer bars. Marshal White alleges that other prisoners are i'm plicated in the delivery by making plenty of noise while the hole wa beng cut with a hacksaw.
 Sinclair. arc he was recaptured af-
 Toots His Own HOrd
 Answering some severe criticism rvlhlive to the escape of Sinclair, he sud: 'I gave much time anu thcuSlt to working out this case trying to apprehend Sinclair and fix the responsibility on those who aided in his escape. My 10 years exl cr.ence in the Department of Justice *equipped me with knowl- eGse valuable in solving the case. *** I have found that a criminal can be caught in Alaska as elsewhere. Sin cllir and his companion had three months start on the officers, but r )iern methods and a certain amount of study of the moves of cri ninals when they become flu gitives make marked men and lead to their eventual detection T,.at is what happened to Sinclair
 q feel a pride in the fact that in 2> months when handling about 100
The Alaskan., 1928-10-05
Editorial
CRAVE YARDS AND GHOSTS

lie Watson was loaded to pass enger capacity this trip. Unable to bring Seattle to Alaska, Alas kans are taking Alaska to Seattle.
 The reason Alaska's population does not grow is because .rtoo few "Alaskans" are investing in real estate in the cemeteries. They pre- fer to purchase the proverbial six ,eet of ground in tn better cared for cemeteries in the States. Prob a3Iy one reason why the Peters burg cemetery is the disgrace it is. Local dogs and cats get better buri al grounds from kiddies than do the lt-t mortal remains of departed Pc tcrs burgans.
 Mat Martins coffin butted several ircnes on to another coffin buried some time since.
 Good thing ghosts don't walk else the desecration of a grave, ev- en to bury another body, would cause a panic at some funerals.
 After death hits in the homes of the powers that be in Petersburg and they have to bury loved ones W ah less consideration than that giv en a scrawny cat, then Petersburg wit have real cemetery. Said ono citizen, not one of my folks will ever be buried there only to be uncovered to make room for anoth CT Heaven nor hell will be SC cwded-why be stingy with little bi. of ground
 The ground is available in south Petersburg, will be survey and title g1an,ed by the Department for tn a>Eing. Just neglect, lack of guts or what you might call it.
The Alaskan., 1928-10-05

prisoners daily in the jails of the First Division, there has been only one escape. This was Sinclair, ard he was recaptured after three mOlths of liberty. I think this re- cord is clear enough to speak for it self Twenty-eight months with 100 prisoners per day and all of them accounted for!"
 Not in the Toot-a-toot
 Sinclair was in a cell around which the guards and deputy mar sEals MUST GO ON THEIR BEAT qlite number of times day.
 While the efficiency of the De- paltment of Justice representative was being demonstrated Sinclair got away in hole in the bars 9 by 17 inches in the inner side of the cell and by 13 inches in the outer bars.
 FOUR DAYS AFTER sINCLAIR's ESCAPE, and ONLY when attorney came to see Sinclair, did the mar shal know ~ he escape.
  Modern Methods of Escaping vs
 Modern Methods of Detection
 Sinclair took two months going to Prince Rupert in a small row bont Walked to the postoff1ce and called for his mail in his own name He didn't try to hide his identity so in course of time White learned that Sinclair was in Rupert and set the wheels in motion to secure his ar rest and deportation to the United States. So far, the effort has failed
 TOO per cent accounted for bu not 100 per cent present. That any prisoner can escape from the Ju raau jail without inside aid is a physical imrossibility, say those who know that jail.