US Penitentiary Leavenworth

by Kenneth M LaMaster

  Established in 1924, the broom factory sat in a portion of what is now the institution’s recreation yard. Corn brooms were produced for the institution and the military. The first year, inmates produced 4,356 corn brooms costing 16¢ of which an inmate was paid 4¢. (Author’s collection.)

  The year-end report of 1921 indicates that the population of Leavenworth was 1,721 inmates. By mid-summer in 1925, the population had risen to 3,345. Warden W. I. Biddle pleaded congress for money to build a new, more modern brush, broom, and shoe factory. By 1924, congress approved the money and construction of the new facility was underway. Once opened, 37 percent of the inmate population was hired in the first year. (Author’s collection.)

  By the end of the 1930s, Unicor was producing boots and shoes not only for the military, but also for seven other government agencies. With sales of all manufactured goods totaling near $1 million quarterly. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the shoe factory showed the most significant increase of any factory. Three months prior to the bombing, a total of 124,582 pairs of shoes had been produced. In the three months following the bombing, a total of 181,039 pairs were produced, which was an increase of 56,457 pairs. (Author’s collection.)

  March 26, 1944, marks the first-ever radio broadcast originating from a federal prison. Aired on CBS radio under the direction of warden Walter Hunter, seven inmates told the country about the institution’s war efforts. In 1944, inmates purchased $43,000 in war bonds, and donated $1,548 to the American Red Cross. Inmates voluntarily conserved and recycled raw materials, conserved energy, organized blood drives, and worked longer hours. (Author’s collection.)

  The furniture factory was established in 1935 and produces a full line of office furniture, field tables, chairs, bookcases, beds, and military lockers. One of its most defining moments was when the factory produced the prototype for the rocking chairs used by Pres. John F. Kennedy. The reproduction above was made from the original blueprints and displayed during the institutions 100th anniversary in 1997. (Author’s collection.)

  The first powerhouse was located in the center of the institution in what became known as two-gang alley. Inmate work groups gathered here during the workday after each meal, waiting for the work whistle to blow. Two-gang alley is named because it took two gangs of inmates shoveling coal to keep the massive boilers burning. A new, more energy-efficient powerhouse was built, and this building was torn down in 1962. (Courtesy Benedictine College.)

  The facilities department oversees the daily plant operation of the institution. Inmates work in plumbing, carpenter, electric, and paint shops. From general, everyday maintenance of the facility to renovation projects, inmates are taught the fundamentals of the building trade. Vocational training classes have provided inmates with the necessary training to become journeyman laborers once released. (Courtesy Chuck Zarter.)

  In 1924 at the request of warden W. I. Biddle, Congress approved the purchase of 942 acres of land located east of the institution in Missouri. Expanding the farm operation not only provided more jobs, but it also helped the institution become more self sustaining. Farm two also provided all the meat, poultry, and eggs for the institution. (Author’s collection.)

  In July 1957, construction began on the new farm dormitory. Located directly west of the institution, this facility housed first-time federal offenders who were serving sentences less than three years. Inmates living in this area provided the labor force for all outside operations. Currently this facility houses inmates that are nonviolent offenders with sentences less than 10 years and has been renamed the federal prison camp. (Author’s collection.)

  In the early days, the laundry was responsible for sorting, washing, drying, and pressing all the institution’s dirty clothes, linens, and guards’ uniforms. A tailor shop was on hand to insure a perfect fit for the inmates as well as the guards. Since the vast remodeling of the institution, washers and dryers have been made available in each living unit for inmates who want to wash their own clothes. (Courtesy Chuck Zarter.)

  At one time, working the kitchen was a means of punishment for breaking institution rules. It was considered one of the less-desirable jobs, and meals were hardly edible. In many instances, if two inmates had fought, they were placed on kitchen detail together and the battle continued. Today inmates are supervised by highly skilled cook supervisors that are professionally trained in meal preparation. (Author’s collection.)

  The dining room for any institution is one of the most dangerous places. Three times a day, the majority of the institution’s population sits down together to eat. In the early days, inmates marched into the dining room, picked up a plate, were served, and filled the dining hall from front to back facing one direction. Inmates sat in total silence and had to clean their plates. Prohibited acts included eating before or after the bell, using vinegar in one’s drinking water, or putting meat on the table. Inmate waiters stood at the ready, prepared to service the inmates as if they were at a local cafe. If an inmate wanted more bread, he held up his right hand; for water, he held up his cup; for meat, he held up his fork; for soup, he held up his spoon; for vegetables, held up his knife. If an inmate wished to speak to a staff member he raised his left hand. In the early days, the inmate orchestra played during the meals. (Author’s collection.)

  In 1960, under the direction of Warden J. C. Taylor, the old dining room was converted to a more modern eating facility. On the first day of cafeteria-style feeding, additional staff members were placed on standby in case of an inmate uprising. For the first time, inmates walked through the line choosing what they wanted to eat. They were allowed to sit and talk to one another and leave when they got through. As gangs became more prevalent, inmates segregated themselves as to their affiliation. (Author’s collection.)

  Eight

  SCENES

  Looking from across Metropolitan Avenue on a cold, dreary morning after snow has fallen, the U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth looks stoic and peaceful. However, the weather reminds those on the outside of the cold, harsh realities that lay beyond the front gate. For 110 years, tourists have stood in this very spot wondering what it is like behind the massive stone walls with barred windows. Forty-three stairs lead up to the front door. To many, they are the last steps of freedom; to a few, it is a job. (Author’s collection.)

  The rotunda lies 132 feet below the dome. Designed after the Capital building in Washington, D.C., each of the four main cell houses radiate from this great hall. Early inmates were forbidden to walk this area unless they were escorted by a guard. Inmates were not allowed within the inner circle without being invited by staff. Years after this photograph was taken, the water fountain was removed, and a desk was placed in the center. It operates much like a precinct desk at any major police department. (Author’s collection.)

  Inmates are not permitted to walk down the center of the main corridor. They must walk down on the right side and back on the left. This helps staff respond to institution emergencies. Over the years, many different offices have served the inmates from this area. The inmate commissary was once located in this hallway. Artwork, motivational posters, and terrazzo have adorned the main corridor over the years. (Courtesy Chuck Zarter.)

  Warden Thomas W. Morgan established the first institution fire department. Inmates were trained in firefighting techniques and competed in local competitions, winning several. For many years, the institution boasted about having the best volunteer fire department in the area. The practice of using inmates to fight fires was abolished in the early 1990s. (Author’s collection.)

  The penitentiary cemetery, affectionately known as Peckerwood Hill, was established for those inmates who died while in custody. Many of the inmates buried in the cemetery died of illnesses contracted before incarceration. Dr. A. F. Yohe reported that many inmates died from influenza, tuberculosis, syphilis, and morphine addiction. Of all the inmates buried there, the most famous is none other than George “Buggs” Moran, the notorious Chicago gangster who di
ed of lung cancer in 1957. (Author’s collection.)

  Long before modern security devices, small towers dotted the landscape beyond the perimeter fencing. Cat walks allowed tower officers the ability to get closer to would-be escapees or rioting inmates. (Author’s collection.)

  This photograph shows a dining room remodeling project during the 1960s. (Courtesy Gail Leavitt.)

  Here is a view of the east yard officer’s station from the 1980s. (Author’s collection.)

  Originally built as the institution’s main storeroom, this building housed the vocational training department and recreation department. Some retiree’s claim that this building was torn down because it became an inmate battleground and a death trap for officers. (Author’s collection.)

  This early-1900s postcard shows the institution auditorium and Protestant chapel. (Author’s collection.)

  “They are not here for singing too loud in church!” Taken the morning after a 1931 disturbance, this photograph shows the destructive nature of inmates. Though Leavenworth has held the reputation of being the toughest federal prison in the country, there have been four riots in the institution’s history, in November 1901, in August 1929, in June 1973, and in July 1992. In each instance, staff members were able to bring the institution back under control in less than eight hours. Inmates manufactured weapons from metal, wood, plastic, glass, toothbrushes, combs, and even trash bags. Once, while strip-searching an inmate, an officer found a rubber phallus that contained a .22-caliber zip gun. After receiving the Cuban rioters from Atlanta and Oakdale, Louisiana, officers were introduced to the Cuban cocktail, which was a mixture of urine, feces, and sour milk. As the officers walked the galleries, the inmates got their attention and attempted to throw it in the officers’ faces. (Author’s collection.)

  Trains entered the institution daily, carrying supplies and new inmates. As the trains entered the chute, the outer gate was closed and the inner gate was opened. To the left is the brick factory. (Author’s collection.)

  Early inmates congregated after each meal in two-gang alley awaiting the work whistle. Inmates exited the dining room on the right and reported to work in the shop areas on the left. In this area were the tin, sheet metal, carpenter, plumbing, electric, and tailor shops, along with the north wall warehouse, main storeroom, and the barbershop. (Author’s collection.)

  With the derby hat towers in the background, the prison train sits. After an April 1910 escape, a smaller steam engine was purchased. In October 1910, lunch was being delivered to the rock quarry. As an inmate stepped down to throw a rail switch, guard J. N. Crabtree attempted to mount the small engine and caught his coat on the firebox handle. The engine dragged Crabtree for about 60 feet, and he succumbed to his injuries a few days later. (Author’s collection.)

  As the inmate population grew and jobs became scarce, warden Thomas B. White began an institution beautification project. Inmates were allowed to purchase seeds and build flower gardens throughout the institution. Cell houses competed against each other for the right to be the first to meals or to view movies. Work details competed against each other for the right to be the first to shower or go to the barbershop. (Author’s collection.)

  The original warden’s residence, built in 1896, contained four bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a grand dining room. Early wardens often entertained and were considered part of the upper social class of Leavenworth County. There were separate quarters for the inmates who worked for the warden’s wives. Wardens resided here until the early 1960s when a new residence was built. Since then, this has been an officers’ bachelor’s quarters and is currently used as the staff fitness center. (Author’s collection.)

  Opened on New Years Eve 1931, the guards club was dedicated to warden Thomas B. White who was recovering from his injuries sustained a few weeks earlier during an escape. The guards club features a kitchen, a serving area, a dining area, a swimming pool, a ball field, indoor and outdoor firing ranges, a bowling alley, and a sun porch. A small apartment housed the club’s caretaker. (Courtesy Gail Leavitt.)

  One of the first buildings built was the inmate barbershop. This was an inmate’s first stop on his journey inside Leavenworth. Inmates had their faces and heads shaved and were issued their first clothes. They were also issued a bible, cup, mirror, cuspidor, towel, one piece of hard soap, comb, brush, mattress, bed sheet, blanket, pillowcase, nightshirt, camp stool, water jar with cover, and a book of rules. In their cells, they were permitted one electric light, one small library shelf, a library catalog, and such school books, library books, and family photographs as their conduct or grade privileges permitted. (Author’s collection.)

  August 19, 1938, a windstorm caused severe damage to buildings throughout the institution. Trees were uprooted or damaged, the farm sustained heavy flooding, and two mules died when struck by lightening. The broom factory and ice plant were total losses. Damage estimates totaled more that $100,000. (Author’s collection.)

  This is Leavenworth in the 1930s. Known as the flagship of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Leavenworth has served not only as a penitentiary but also as a training ground from which other institutions have grown. It was home to the National Bureau of Identification and was the first training facility for fingerprinting in the United States. It was a regional training facility of custodial officers from Tucson, Arizona; La Tuna, Texas; Terre Haute, Indiana; and Springfield, Missouri. Training schools for storekeepers and junior farmers were also conducted at Leavenworth. (Author’s collection.)

  Nine

  HACKS

  Robert W. McClaughry begins a tradition by posing with guards just inside the south gate area of the old military prison. Leavenworth’s first guards were pioneers that laid the ground work for generations of guards and eventually correctional officers. Many were former military men who had fought for their country. If Leavenworth was to house the most notorious offenders, the guards had to be up to the task. Inmates began calling them hacks—an inmate acronym for “hard a——carrying keys! ”—a name that has endured for 110 years. (Author’s collection.)

  Here is an early photograph showing the first uniform ever worn by guards at Leavenworth. The first guards worked 12-hour days, seven days a week. If they wanted a day off, they had to find their own replacement and only the warden granted permission. Guards were paid $70 a month and had to provide their own uniforms. While on duty, guards were prohibited from whistling, immoderate laughing, and discussions of politics and religion. They were not to hold conversations with foreman or inmates unless directly connected with their duties. Guards on duty were not permitted to read or call any convict by any nickname or slang title that may indicate his nationality or any peculiarity. While off duty, guards were prohibited from entering saloons, gambling houses, and other disreputable places. Guards also were not to allow any familiarity on the part of convicts toward themselves. Any violation of these rules meant dismissal. (Author’s collection.)

  Greenback, Tennessee, native Joseph B. Waldrupe came to Leavenworth and was appointed to the position of guard in October 1900. At approximately 3:40 p.m. on the afternoon of November 7, 1901, 26 inmates took up weapons that had been hidden about the construction site by recently released inmates. Taking several hostages and using them as a human shield the inmates made their way to the south entrance. They opened fire on the guard’s position. Waldrupe was struck in the thigh by a bullet, but the young guard stood up and returned fire. A shotgun blast ripped through the back of the head of inmate Quinn Fort, No. 140, killing him instantly. At the same instant, Waldrupe was struck between the eyes. Waldrupe fell to the floor but continued to fight back inmates, denying them access to the guard box. Shortly before 7:00 a.m. on Saturday November 10, 1901, with his wife, Lena, by his side, Waldrupe succumbed to his injuries and became the first Leavenworth guard to die in the line of duty. (Courtesy Agnes T. Kramer.)

  Shortly after the death of Joseph B. Waldrupe, the wooden guard boxes were replaced with brick towers. The
towers were positioned outside the construction site and featured port holes from which an officer could fire a weapon and be protected. (Author’s collection.)

  John J. Edgell Sr. started to work as a mule skinner at the age of 18, driving teams of mules from the quarry to the construction site in 1898. By the 1940s, John Edgell Jr. began work as a guard and eventually worked his way up to be supervisor of the facilities department. Rick Edgell began his career as a correctional officer in the 1970s and is still working. Since the beginning, there has been a member of the Edgell family working at Leavenworth. (Courtesy Rick Edgell.)